Yesterday, we met with the agency and our application and home study is finalized. We are certified and accepted, and will renew in May 2013. Based on our review, they have us listed as allowed up to 2 children, with an age range of 0-7 yrs old. The home study review that goes out there to all the caseworkers and what not, is amazingly written. It makes us sound way better than I could have imagined. At this point, we are in a wait game. We could get a call today, or not for a few months. It may take even longer. Either way, we are in and there's nothing left to do till the call comes.
They will check in with us every 2 weeks with updates on the searches. For now, things are kind of slow in the system, but they claim everytime they make that comment, it turns into an overwhelming rush of calls and not enough placement options.
Really, there's not much planning I can do. I want to get a new dresser for in that room, and still want to paint and do some updates. We were going to redo the floor, but since we waited too long, I don't want to start that project just in case. It takes a few weeks to be ready for furniture and a kid to be in there, so we can't risk that just yet. I think eventually I'll remove the carpet and just do the fake wood flooring. At least that is something we could do in a day if we decide to. My weekend plan is to sand and paint, and then shampoo the carpet.
I also want to get a nice wooden futon since we have no clue an age yet. With a futon, it's low enough that if the child is younger, it would work for a little, and if it's an older kid near K's age, it will work for them too. I have a pack n play and access to a crib or toddler bed as needed. Once we know ages/how many, I can do more. And a futon at that point can be moved to my room for whatever. I'm sure the dogs would enjoy a bed like that too. haha
So that's our application update. Now it's wait and see. This part seems easier to me than the waiting for approval. Big relief.
It was probably really nice to read the description the case workers get of your home. It's nice to have an outsider tell you that you are doing a good job when it doesn't always feel that way.
ReplyDeleteIf you get an inbetweenish toddler you could always put the mattress on the floor, at least until you figure out a better plan. If you check into Montessori, they actually promote "child beds" starting with newborns. No cribs, just safe mattresses on the floor (and safe rooms), often futon mattresses, that the child can get in and out of at will. The first time I heard of this I thought it was crazy, but I'm actually considering it if we have another.
We did the bed on the floor thing for Kristopher as we transitioned, and then he got a real low twin bed till he mastered the idea. And he was just over a year old. He hated his crib.
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