One Step Closer

Today we had our third and final home visit with our licensing social worker. She has been with us this entire past year throughout our classes and all our requirements for certification. This visit pretty much marked the end of all of our leg work for the licensing part of becoming a foster family. Hip hip hooray!

What a journey this has been. A path full of uncertainty, eagerness, anticipation, worry, hope, education, joy, and preparation. In preparation for today's visit, we had to show that an incoming foster child would have a nice living space (bed, place for things, etc.). We made some changes in Madelyn's room to accommodate our foster child.

Now, we get to wait patiently to hear back from the headquarters in Black Mountain once they receive our full application and paperwork sent by our social worker with the stamped approval of other important DSS employees. This will be at least a thirty day process, probably longer. Then if we are approved, our licensing social worker will send us our letter and certificate in the mail letting us know we are officially a foster home within our state. Yay! We would then be assigned a different social worker and put on a list, of sorts, awaiting a foster child. If we are chosen for a specific child placement, DSS would call us and give us the option providing care for that particular child. As you can imagine, this will take time.

As I have expressed, I have experienced many highs and lows within this licensing process. I think those were truly necessary and helpful for me to go through to get me where I am today. I am thankful and confident to have come this far and I am at peace with our decision to do this as a family.