All survey data is anonymous. Some questions may allow multiple answers.

TOTAL NUMBER OF SURVEYS :  1

Comments:

• I could not obtain an adoption application from reception. I was told I had to speak directly with the worker {name withheld}, who was on vacation, but would be back in 2 weeks. When she returned, these are the things I had to do before obtaining an application: meet with her in her office; complete the personal inventory regarding our family, feelings and how we were raised; and meet with her in our home. It was after this that she mailed us an application, because she said she forgot to bring one to our home. When all this was done, she told us she had no child in mind for us, but that we might want to work with Child & Family Services, and so we did, believing there was no child available for adoption in Cheboygan county (as she said they try to keep local kids local). So we started again with CFSNWM. We were told we would be done by 11-06, when PRIDE classes ended. But, when our worker {name withheld} took maternity leave at the end of 12-06, she had not yet completed our adoption homestudy. (We felt being fostercare parents would be a conflict of interest because we could not say that our intent was family reunification). By 4-07 or so, she told us we could go ahead and look for a child, that our adoption homestudy was complete. Then when I asked for a copy, she said it wasn't complete until we got our fostercare license. Then I questioned her on how this could be because we were only interested in adoption, and the state does not license adoption homestudies. Then she implied that for an adoption-only homestudy, we would have to pay about $3,000, + so did we want our fostercare license? Sure, I said, but pointed out that special needs adoptions are done free of charge, sneding a blind carbon copy to the executive director--whom I never heard from. I also confirmed this by their own website which contained the express written offer, as well as by a direct response from Child & Family of Northeastern MI--a different agency. After one year, in 8-07, I asked our fostercare license be transferred to Child & Family of NE MI. When it was, I was told that only a fostercare homestudy was done + when {name withheld} gave me a copy, it was full of errors including the types of children that we were interested in, + that we understood that the goal of fostercare was reunification with the family + that we agreed to that! The adoption application we did for them was not transferred, was said not to have been completed--but I remember because I had recently completed one with DHS, and I asked {name withheld} how I should answer the question "have you completed an application before?" because it was so recent that I did the one from DHS I didn't know how that applied to this new application.

Comments:

• The truth. Do children really have to stay in their geographical area? ETC!

Comments:

• Please see long answer above.

Additional comments:

• {identifying family information redacted}. Our DHS is very small. Whatever you say, if anything, to DHS will go around and my job can be made almost impossible if they choose to delay my applications because of this. I would not want to hinder the cases of people in need that I serve, in addition to the fact that jobs are scarce around here.I am also interested in one of two sibling groups on MARE. Jessica + Ashley, (C-05780/C-05781) and Monica + Selena (C-05689/C-05690). I don't know what to do, because my current agency is telling me that it is the policy of MARE that there is nothing that can be done until a completed homestudy is done. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS DONE IN 4-07! But when I contacted MARE, you were very helpful, but I understood MARE to say that how far along we are will determine a sort of placement standing--or, that we wouldn't be denied, just looked at differently by the worker. Also, regarding the highest level of issues we would consider--it is hard to answer because I don't know what your definition of "mild" or "moderate" is. I am a Licensed Practical Nurse, and have a seminary Masters in Christian Counseling, so our definitions may be different. If you like, I also have e-mails from {name withheld} + {name withheld} which validates the dates + some of the issues I am telling you. Some are on an e-mail address that I no longer have, so I would have to snail mail them to you if you like. Just so you know they are available.