Summer???

My birthday is coming up, just another reminder that I am getting older, not married and have no kids. I took two days off for it, though I don't know why. I am going to get a massage for the first time on my birthday and Friday, my friend and I are going to the coast, which will be awesome. I haven't been out there in so long. Of course I can't remember the last time I had weather like this around my birthday. Weird...


So I have been really frustrated with this whole adoption thing. So it seems that maybe because I work for the county I have a few more options available to me to advocate for myself within the county. I have been talking and talking about doing something, and being very angry, but haven't taken the next step. It just seemed too big to conquer. But with some coaxing, I decided that I was ready to jump in and see what happens. With the help of Darby, we wrote an "official" letter stating what my problem was and what were they going to do about it. I made an appointment with my program manager. I met with her Friday, gave her the letter and waited. My PM and I go back awhile, and have a fairly good relationship, so I wasn't really worried. The first thing she said to me was, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were going through this." She knew that I was waiting for a placement, but all this other stuff I hadn't really talked to her about. So we talked for about half hour or so, and I told her I felt discriminated against. I can protect the children of the county, but because I do that I can't have a child in my home. I feel like I did a good job of keeping my emotions out of it. I discussed with her that I have not been able to find a written policy regarding specifically adoption. If there is I want to know how can I appeal it, or what are they going to do to resolve the conflict. If a social worker had a CPS referral called in, they would send it to another county to investigate, so why can't they do that with this.

After some discussion, she said that she knows that people within the county and surrounding counties are working on policies to work together, but it sounds like it is in the first stages. She agreed to speak to someone in the adoption program, as well as county counsel to discuss legally what we can do. So this is where I am, ready to fight the fight. We will see what happens, and what the next step should be.

The funny part of all of this, I am freaked out even more, because this actually could work and I may have a child in my house sooner...but I am ready, I want to be able to start shopping, and taking pics to put up.