Adopting a Snowflake

[Mevara]

Originally Posted by carnation

Most states now require that potential snowflake adopters have a homestudy first.

I find it interesting that to adopt a baby or to adopt a snowflake you need to have a homestudy but anyone can go willy nilly and have children of their own.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Mevara

I find it interesting that to adopt a baby or to adopt a snowflake you need to have a homestudy but anyone can go willy nilly and have children of their own.

Because adoption is a formal process whereas conceiving through fertile-item-meets-fertile-vagina is an informal process.

The day that the North American government requires homestudies for traditional conception is the day that we should go back to sterilizing those who are deemed unworthy of conceiving. Mentally challenged, impoverished, physically disabled, and some racial and ethnic minorities--let's stop you now before you breed more of you!

[greekdee]

Originally Posted by Mevara

I find it interesting that to adopt a baby or to adopt a snowflake you need to have a homestudy but anyone can go willy nilly and have children of their own.

We were required to have a Home Study done. We also had social workers go through our house from top to bottom to make sure our home was safe and child-friendly. We were fingerprinted by our local sheriff's office AND by the FBI. (You would think the FBI check would kind of cover everything background-wise, huh?) Anyway, we underwent a full background check, credit check...bank statements and tax returns had to be handed over...employment and salary verification was required...had complete medical evaluations, including testing for HIV, TB, and every hepatitis in the alphabet... had to get mental evaluations, show proof of marriage and provide numerous letters of reference.

Meanwhile, our neighbor's 18-year-old meth-addicted daughter got pregnant and had a baby, no questions asked.

If the US foster care system and child service programs (which suck, at least where I am) were half as strict and in-depth as the Ukraine is about adopting, maybe so many American kids would not fall through the cracks..

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by greekdee

Meanwhile, our neighbor's 18-year-old meth-addicted daughter got pregnant and had a baby, no questions asked.

If the US foster care system and child service programs (which suck, at least where I am) were half as strict and in-depth as the Ukraine is about adopting, maybe so many American kids would not fall through the cracks..

I find tremendous irony in where this discussion is going.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I find tremendous irony in where this discussion is going.

Yep.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by greekdee

We were required to have a Home Study done. We also had social workers go through our house from top to bottom to make sure our home was safe and child-friendly. We were fingerprinted by our local sheriff's office AND by the FBI. (You would think the FBI check would kind of cover everything background-wise, huh?) Anyway, we underwent a full background check, credit check...bank statements and tax returns had to be handed over...employment and salary verification was required...had complete medical evaluations, including testing for HIV, TB, and every hepatitis in the alphabet... had to get mental evaluations, show proof of marriage and provide numerous letters of reference.

Oh my gosh! When we were fingerprinted at the sheriff's office, half of the town wandered through and saw us there and wondered why! And for one adoption, we had to have our pictures made like they do for mug shots, holding those signs! (Immigration soon got rid of that requirement due to many complaints.)

And then when we went for the HIV test at the health department, the elderly nurse stepped out of the clearly marked HIV Office and yelled, "Mr, and Mrs. Carnation! We have your test results!" and we knew several people in the waiting room. My normally quiet husband said loudly, "Oh, for our ADOPTION!" and as we followed her into her office, she was saying, "You mean you don't need no counseling for how to avoid the need for another HIV test?" Um, no we didn't.

[greekdee]

Originally Posted by carnation

Oh my gosh! When we were fingerprinted at the sheriff's office, half of the town wandered through and saw us there and wondered why! And for one adoption, we had to have our pictures made like they do for mug shots, holding those signs! (Immigration soon got rid of that requirement due to many complaints.)

And then when we went for the HIV test at the health department, the elderly nurse stepped out of the clearly marked HIV Office and yelled, "Mr, and Mrs. Carnation! We have your test results!" and we knew several people in the waiting room. My normally quiet husband said loudly, "Oh, for our ADOPTION!" and as we followed her into her office, she was saying, "You mean you don't need no counseling for how to avoid the need for another HIV test?" Um, no we didn't.

Ha ha, I relate! Nothing quite like going to the county health department and mumbling, "I'm here for an AIDS test." Then we had to sit in the Communicable Disease area and wait to be called, praying nobody we knew would come in.