A difficult child-system in our difficult child-world

[JJJ]

I have been trying for over two months to submit the application for the State grant to get funding for an Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for Kanga. I have scrambled and begged and spun services out of thin air to keep this child out of our home, yet not have to do a "lock out". I will FINALLY have the last two documents I need - one tomorrow and one on Tuesday (if nothing goes wrong). I called the county worker that is suppose to be supervising my grant application. Her response, "That is great, I can meet with you on March 5th because I will be out of the country until then." I DON'T THINK SO!!! I am not waiting another week to submit this to the State. The State still takes 35 days to rule on each application -- and supposedly rejects most requiring an appeal which adds another 15 days onto it. Kanga will stay in PHP at minimum until next Friday. The shelter home will keep her until Monday night. After that, we are looking at a lock-out and a dependency hearing -- not because we didn't do our job but because it takes weeks and weeks to get professionals to do theirs.

Kanga was adopted from the State so SUPPOSEDLY they are suppose to step up and help. My first call to post adoption support was over two months ago. Someone finally called me back about 3 weeks ago. I had the paperwork she needed FedExed to her (with money I really didn't have) only to get a call from her 10 days later saying she was overloaded and the case was being transferred. It has now been another week and SUPPOSEDLY the file has been delivered to the new caseworker but she has not called. I left both her and her supervisor a message today - no call back. I have an advocate and he called the supervisor - still no call back.

If DCFS Post-Adoption would get on the ball, a lock-out could be avoided. It is in their best interest to help me avoid the lock-out because it will cost them significantly more money if they have to take guardianship of her than if they help temporarily while we wait for the other grant to be approved (if they take guardianship, she becomes ineligible for the other grant and they will need to pay all).

So whatever you shook for Sue to get her returned phone calls, please shake it again for me!!

 

[Shari]

Shaking.

Red tape amazes me.

 

[flutterbee]

JJJ -

I don't know how you do it. My head would have exploded a month ago.

Doing the dance for you.

(((hugs)))

 

[susiestar]

JJJ, I am shakin' it as hard as I can!!! This all seems so ridiculous to me. They tend to make things so much harder than they should be.

What happens if you call someone higher up in DHS or Post adoption services?? Or your State Rep?? Or the media??

Just throwing out ideas, I know you are terribly frustrated. I remember the violence, the system that would not help, all of it.

Sending hugs to all of you.

Susie

 

[timer lady]

JJJ,

I agree - many foster to adopt systems, along with the post adoption services, are difficult child. In fact, I believe that these very systems set families up to fail because of their lack of response or honesty in the first place.

Frankly, lady, I'm amazed at what you have accomplished in the amount of time you have done it. You are good & I could use you as an advocate here for some of the upcoming issues with kt.

by the way, have you contacted your representatives with a letter & any written response you've gotten from the departments you're dealing with? It looks bad on their watch to have a kid legally pulled out of their family to gain services that are necessary. I know, we had a couple of reps here, who'd go out of their way to help with these matters. Not sure about your state though.

Continuing to keep fingers crossed that "the system" responds before the deadline. That there is someone in that office that isn't too bureaucratic or burnt out that they'll get off their butt & do the job.

Cyber (((hugs))) & positive thoughts out to you.