WHAT?????????????

Ok, please excuse me while I jump on my soapbox........I have never heard something so ridiculous in my life.....

We were given a plea for help. Our pastor knows we are in the middle of adoption and his brother works with a church group that are trying to help the Haitian orphans. Supposedly, 300 orphans will arrive in Indy today or tomorrow and have no where to go. They need host families to take kids in for a month or so....or possibly adopt if no living family member claims them. My friend Jennifer, who is also adopting, called our social worker today and asked about helping these kids. Well, we can't. Yes, that's what I said. We can't. We have gone through multiple fingerprinting, state police, FBI, and Homeland Security clearance, filled out a gazillion, yes gazillion forms and DCFS would need more for us to help these kids in an emergency. WHAT??????????????????????

Well, we have an "adopt" license. You need a "foster" license to take in those kids. Again.......WHAT???? We have been approved to adopt a child, but we can't provide shelter, food, clothing and love to a child that just went through 2 earthquakes and has no idea if they have any living relatives?????? Seriously, the government has to get a clue. I have been told by multiple adoption agencies that Illinois is one of the worst states to try to adopt from because of all the hoops and red tape. How sad. To help these kids we would have to get a different license, take a foster parent class and change our home study......I have been at this adoption thing for 5 months....still don't have a license or home study......by the time those changes would take place those kids will be in an institution. As you can tell I am furious. I am shaking. I am so sad. Can you imagine how scared those kids are??? It just breaks my heart that there are 300 kids in need just 2 hours away from me and I can't go over there and bring some home to love on and make their lives better if not for just a little while.

There needs to be emergency procedures for this type of thing. If we have been approved to adopt, we should be able to be a temporary family for those kids.
At this point I don't know what to do.....pray I guess. I wish I could help. We have donated money, Darren is planning on going to Haiti in June --if they will let our group into the country....but I still don't feel like I have done enough. It's never enough.
If anyone reading this is a current foster licensed family...please consider helping these kids. Call me or email and I will give you all the contact information.

John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

I am trying......DCFS is just slowing me down.........