Some Progress

This week (after hounding the caseworker multiple times), I got a call from her saying that the state was asking for four additional pieces of information - three of which I had already submitted to the county and/or that were not my responsibility in the first place.  The last was the third page of the financial information section - which said at the top "Applicable if Adopting."  I didn't fill this out because I am only applying for fostering.  Apparently they still wanted it. 

The last thing the state asking about was the fact that the home study said there was a Pack 'n Play; and they wanted to know if there was a crib available.  When the initial licensing worker came back in September, I asked if I needed to get a crib or if a Pack 'n Play was sufficient.  She said the Pack 'n Play was fine; the child just needed a place to sleep.  Now the caseworker is saying that they really like there to be a crib.  She also said that if the Pack 'n Play hadn't been mentioned in the home study, they probably wouldn't be asking additional questions.  So I shot myself in the foot when I was confused and asked Home Study Lady if she needed to look at the room; if I had never mentioned it, she wouldn't have even gone upstairs and this wouldn't be an issue.  My caseworker said that she would write that a crib would be obtained if needed. 

Now I'm not sure how to handle the whole situation.  The room is not big enough for the twin bed, dresser, and crib.  I could move the dresser to the other room, and get a crib to go in the kids' room and just be ready for whatever age and not have to go run out and get a crib when I get the call for a kiddo.  I could leave everything as-is, and get a crib later if needed and wait to make the decision on what to move out of the room until that time.  Decisions, decisions...

Wow, I can't believe how clear and well-organized this whole process is!  I would love to get my hands on their checklists and forms and requirements and processes, and revamp them all to be correct! 

So by yesterday morning, my caseworker should have had everything she needed.  (Well, she should have had everything she needed a month ago, but...)  At least she has everything she needs, until the next time someone realizes something is still not complete. 

The Magic Phone Call

Apparently, my making a phone call to the DSS office makes things happen... things that had actually already happened before I made the call. 

There was the time I called about my home study being scheduled and was told that my case had already been referred to the Home Study agency, and they were waiting on a call back (Turned out Home Study Lady had left a voice mail at my work the day before I called, and I just hadn't gotten it yet.)

Then there was the time I called the licensing supervisor for the second time in 10 days (no return call the first time I called), and came home to a packet in the mail of the final things they would need for my license application. 

Yesterday I called my licensing worker because I still had not received the SLED check forms for any potential babysitters, that I had asked her for almost six weeks ago.  Today there was a big envelope with a stack of SLED check forms waiting for me in the mailbox. 

(I also asked about the status of the license application on the voice mail as well, but I haven't actually gotten a call back about that... I'm hoping that she at least mailed that off at the same time she mailed me the SLED check forms, if not before then.) 

So my phone call makes things that I'm waiting for happen, that have actually already happened.  Maybe I shouldn't wait so long to call the next time I'm waiting on something!  ;)

OK, Whatever...

My new caseworker called last Friday and said she thought she had everything, but still needed one more thing to be able to submit my license application to the state.  She needed my fire escape plan. (I knew I had to have this, and it is posted on the kids' room and was checked by the fire inspector, but nowhere did it say that I had to submit this to the county DSS - even though there was a checklist of things I needed to send them.)   She said if I could scan it and email it to her that day, she would send my application in later that day or first thing Monday morning.  I wasn't able to get it to her that day, but emailed it over the weekend.  So if she is true to her word (but I have now learned to take everything they say and think to myself, "OK, whatever..."), the application should have been submitted this past Monday and the license should be processed within the next week or so.  If she didn't submit it on Monday, then I doubt it has been done yet since we had a big ice storm on Tuesday through Thursday and everything pretty much shut down.  At least it looks like everything is on track to be finished by May, which is the actual completion date that I have in my head now.