Adoption Timeline
DCFS - Foster/Adopt
Home Study and Licensing Process
Phase 1 - Homestudy
February 4th, 2017 - Submitted registration forms to Teddy Bear Agency. Submitted first official $500.00 for home study and registration fee.
February 6th, 2017 - Received a welcome from Teddy Bear Agency and received the name of our case manager.
February 8th, 2017 - Received 1st official e-mail and welcome from our case manager.
February 21, 2017 - 1st meeting at Teddy Bear Agencies Office for initial assessment and consultation.
April 1st, 2017 - Parenting through Adoption and Adoption Legal Process Classes
April 7th, 2017 - M and T completed Adult and Pediatric CPR and First Aid
April 20th, 2017 - Adoption through Identity Class
May 12th, 2017 - Bulk of all paperwork sent to Teddy Bear Agency. All of the hand written paperwork was sent.
June 2, 2017 - Doctor's appointment and physicals completed.
June 14th, 2017 - Adoption Through Attachment Class
July 10th, 2017 - 2nd meeting with counselor from Teddy Bear Agency
Home Study and Licensing Process
- Phone Call and Reach Out to DCFS - June 14, 2018
- Call Back and 1st call with DCFS - June 15, 2018 (Initial application and information given. Representative noted that we would receive a phone call within 5-10 days from a social worker.
- October 18, 2018 (Update)
- Initial face to face meeting and home check with social worker (approximately June 20th) completed.
- Application, fingerprinting/background check, health paperwork and approval completed.
- Pride F2F training scheduled and began. First class started 10/13/18 - 9:30 AM - 4:30PM (2 classes per Saturday - 9 F2F classes in total). Supplemental classes can be completed online. Mommy has begun online supplemental classes. We will complete supplemental classes online.
- Pride training will be completed 11/10/18 - Last class will be 9:30AM - 12:30PM.
- Supplementals can be completed online throughout the next few weeks.
- After all trainings have been completed we will each have a F2F interview with social worker. It will last approximately for one hour. This interview will be separate from one another.
- We will then have another face to face home study done. We need to have the nursery done. We were told to make more room for baby clothes in the closet (there are some winter clothes in the closet) and put up the crib. We have the crib but have not put it up yet. The nursery is decorated beautifully and ready for baby. It is decorated in a Disney theme.
- I am very hopeful we will be licensed by December 15, 2018 - January 15th, 2018.
- I am praying and hoping we will have a beautiful baby and maybe a young sibling as well in our home by Christmas. At the absolute latest by Valentine's Day.
- A few concerns I have are related to my job. I will absolutely be taking a maternity leave when baby comes into our home. My worry and concern however is when to tell my school. I know I am supposed to tell them 30 days in advance (per our contract) but I will not know when baby is coming. I think you find out just a little bit before the child comes and then baby gets dropped off. I am thinking I will let my job know this is coming once we are officially licensed.
- UPDATE - November 24, 2018
- I have a few things I need to do before our final walkthrough on Tuesday, November 27, 2018. I need to get our cat inoculations together. T is going to go and get these done by Monday. We are going to take the cats to the animal welfare league and they do shots just without an appointment. I have called and got all of the information. We have taken the girls before. I am also going to get the rest of the paperwork together. I think I have to just get the cat shots, financial paperwork (both of our paystubs - I will also have our tax info just in case), there are a couple of other paperwork items I have already filled out and I need to make a copy of for ourselves. I think they need a copy of our insurance and drivers licenses. The only other thing I can think of is changing the blue office a little bit so we are licensed for 2 instead of one baby. The crib is in there. I do need to get some sheets but the crib doesn't need to be put together. I have to just make it look more like a nursery. Also, we need to make sure the house is clean and ready to go. Finally, we need to check the closets and make sure there is room for clothes for the babies. I will do that before Tuesday. My mom is coming over to help and I think my Dad will come by as well. Other than that we do need to make a copy of our First Aid and CPR licenses and we should be good to go.
- I am very hopeful that we will have the home study complete, November 27th. This will mean that we are open for a child/children to be placed with us the day after this goes up.
- I have told my work about the maternity leave and need to talk to our social worker about this a little bit more. I don't know what other people do as far as maternity leaves are concerned but I did talk to my work. I need to write the official letter but they want proof we are adopting/fostering and it isn't as easy as just providing that because we don't know when any of this will happen. I am so hopeful and so excited.
- All the classes are complete, the meetings are complete .. and on Tuesday we will be done with the final walkthrough with all hope. I am praying we have a sweet little baby by Christmas and maybe even a young child as well!!!
- UPDATED - 1/13/2019
- Final walk through on November 27, 2018.
- Received official news that we were license the week of December 15th, 2018.
- Received letter in the mail a few days before Christmas that we were licensed for 2 children.
- Received official license in the mail NYE 2018-2019.. at about 11:30 PM 12/31/2018.
- By 1/1/2019 - Had official license in our hands. Licensed for up to 2 children... ages 00 months - 10 years.
- As of 1/13/2019 - Licensed for 2 children 00 months - 10 years. Waiting on a placement. :-) (Waiting is hard but happy to be licensed.)
Phase 1 - Homestudy
February 4th, 2017 - Submitted registration forms to Teddy Bear Agency. Submitted first official $500.00 for home study and registration fee.
February 6th, 2017 - Received a welcome from Teddy Bear Agency and received the name of our case manager.
February 8th, 2017 - Received 1st official e-mail and welcome from our case manager.
February 21, 2017 - 1st meeting at Teddy Bear Agencies Office for initial assessment and consultation.
April 1st, 2017 - Parenting through Adoption and Adoption Legal Process Classes
April 7th, 2017 - M and T completed Adult and Pediatric CPR and First Aid
April 20th, 2017 - Adoption through Identity Class
May 12th, 2017 - Bulk of all paperwork sent to Teddy Bear Agency. All of the hand written paperwork was sent.
June 2, 2017 - Doctor's appointment and physicals completed.
June 14th, 2017 - Adoption Through Attachment Class
July 10th, 2017 - 2nd meeting with counselor from Teddy Bear Agency