Here is our interview...
-Were your adoptions open or closed?
"All adoptions in NC are still closed. We would be willing to help our adopted sons locate their family members when they are older/adults."
-Did you adopt from a Private or International agency?
"Our adoptions were with The Children's Home Society in Greensboro, NC ...we were foster parents licensed with their agency."
-What was required during the adoption process?
"We were a foster family with CHS for over 10 yrs. keeping medical fragile and drug exposed babies. Never in a million years did we think of adopting as our children were all grown except our daughter who was 12 yrs old at the time. Parker is my Christmas baby as he came into our home on 12-17-1997, and Anthony my Easter baby as he came into our home on 04-16-01 Easter Monday. What seems like tons of paper work is required to adopt. Today families wanting to adopt have to complete the same process as becoming foster families. This involves, background checks on all adults in the home, medical physicals for everyone in the home, TB tests for everyone in the home, Health Dept inspections which are the same as if a restaurant or nursing facility was being inspected of the home also-if a spetic system at the home it is to be inspected, and well water must be tested, Fire Inspection which is done by the Fire Marshall in your county, references must be furnished, caseworker from the agency must make a certain number of required visits to the home--plus they also inspect the home (NC State has certain requirements as the sq footage of space in living areas, bedrooms, etc) The caseworker does a homestudy on the family, interviewing each member, then puts the information together which becomes a part of the agency's permanent file. Training is required which is called MAP--Model Approach to Parenting --plus CPR and First Aid, total of 40 hours per year.
It seems to be a steady stream of people coming into your home..you cannot be shy going through this process. After the paperwork is complete then everything goes to the court for the judge to review and sign off on the final adoption order. This is a legal paper which you recieve a copy of ...then a new birth certificate can be ordered from Raleigh for the children."
-How old are the kids now?
"Parker and Anthony both came into our home as newborns. Parker was over 2yrs of age when his adoption was final and Anthony was over 1 yr. Today Anthony is 10 years old ( 4-12-01) and Parker is 13 years old (12-15-97) will be 14 next month."
-How has your life changed since the adoptions?
"My husband and I are both retirement age, and a lot of our friends think we are crazy with little ones still at home...us having to get them off to school + participating in school activities. We are extremely busy as we have grandchildren the same age as our sons....so we have children over at our house all of the time which is fun !!!"
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