Frst Package

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Last Monday we filled out the first package of paperwork required for the adoption. That package along with some paperwork from the District Attorney's office needs to be sent to the state capitol. When that returns, a second package needs to be filled out and sent to the state capitol.

We have an appointment to fill out that second package on Tuesday am. That will also be the monthly visit with the CW for (S).

The first package didn't take all that long to fill out, so why we couldn't fill out both at the same time is beyond me. Of course, there is no help coming from the DHHS people. They are really incompetant. One would think they really cared about the children, but the reality is that they care about themselves. They like complaining about the work they have to do, and they don't wnat anyone puching them. I tried to get answers to questions and then got told by the CWs boss that some pepole don't like when people are pushy.

You can draw whatever conclusion you want from that. I'll draw my own and move forward. I did call the GAL and ask him for whatever help he could provide to move the process along, but whether or not that will happen remains to be seen.

So for right now, the process moves at the Mystery Mansion's pace. At least there are no major hurdles to overcome....except of course those of the beaurocracy......

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A Brief Rant

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I know I am going to rant and ramble, but I can't help myself. I am getting fed up.

I drive by the Mystery Mansion every day on my way to and from work. I am constantly amazed with the number of people that are coming and going from that establishment.

What does it say about our society that so many people are requiring services from our Health and Human Services offices. The office in my community is certainly not any different then others across the state or the country.

I asked DW tonight. What do these people ((S)s parents and others) do? They have no job. They now have no children at home. They are not getting any social services from DHHS. All they do is collect whatever funds they can get from the state and spend those funds as they see fit. Certainly not a bad gig if you can get it, but why don't these people have any ambition?

Bio mom and dad have not even called DHHS to check and see how there children are. It seems to me that the kids are just a tool to get them more money. We need to stop paying these idiots to have babies. The more they have, the more money the state decides to give them in welfare, food stamps etc. What these people need is a serious stimulus right in the backside.

We keep bailing them out of their problems as well. they end up in jail and we give them more services to try to help them to become part of and act like the mainstream society, not like a bunch of Wall Street CEOs and Bankers. I am getting sick and tired of the whole thing. It certainly won't keep me from being a foster parent. I am enjoying that too much. But something is going to break at some point and it may be a big part of what we are seeing in this economy.

When I was a kid there was no such thing as "welfare". People were on "assistance" and it meant just that. Assistance until they were able to take care of themselves. Now we have created a whole generation/group of people who think the American Dream is getting free healthcare, food stamps and some spending money as well as housing assistance and they just sit around breeding.

END OF RANT
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"Just a Fluke"

You have got to be kidding me! It looks like Tennessee has its own Mystery Mansion. They actually took the the wrong child!!! And then said it was "just a fluke". I hope they find a new contractor and/or case manager.

"............After an hour drive to Nashville, the DCS subcontractor arrived at the home of the foster child's grandmother. The grandma recognized only one of the two children.........."

Read the entire article here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29148012/

Why Call It the "Mystery Mansion"?

The DHHS building must have at least 50 rooms. It has to have quite a few bathrooms. There are about 5 different play rooms and there is a grand entrance that you have to wait just inside the door until such time as you are called/announced. There are janitors to clean up and maintanence people to fix anything that might break. ..............If that doesn't describe a mansion, I don't know what does.

There are some areas that you need to have a special badge to get into as they are always locked. You also have to have your ID on. The building must be closed up by 5:00pm, but there is a special door out back where domestic agents and other spies are allowed special access. They make their decisions and refuse to give reasons for their decisions other than vague references that make no sense at all. .....................That all seems a bit mysterious to me.

Hence the name "Mystery Mansion"

Today we were told by our case worker that her supervisor said we can't take (S) out of state for 3 weeks, we can take her for 1 week. Well, I don't know if she is aware of how long a drive it is from New England to Oklahoma but how we are going to go there, visit the cities we want to visit and retun in one week is certainly a mystery to me. The only explanation she gave is it wouldn't be good to be gone that long considering "where we are in the case".....so where are we? We don't have that answer. It is another mystery. The supervisor wouldn't even give us the courtesy of telling us herself. She had our case worker tell us. I have a call into her but needless to say, she has not returned my call yet.

The people in the "Mystery Mansion" are always begging, pleading, and otherwise conniving to get foster parents and then they pull these kind of stunts. Well, we aren't going to hurt (S) at this point, but we are going to fight this decision. There is a court hearing the week after next (February 2nd) . It is my intent, if the supervisor leaves me unsatisfied, to ask to address the judge and personally ask him and explain why it would be best for (S) if we took this trip with her as opposed to without her. Can you do that? I don't know, but I will check if needed.

In the meantime, (S) is still sick and has been miserable. She has been on antibiotic for 2 days now but still not feeling well. We will probably take her back to the doctor tomorrow.

She had a short visit with mom, dad, and her brothers at the Mystery Mansion today. It was very closely supervised, and all future visits will be very closely supervised but at a different location. It would appear they are staring from scratch again, but I don't think they are going to get very far.

If I sound upset it is because I am. We were planning on taking (S) to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To an indoor water park. To see the St, Louis Arch. To see the cowboy Hall of Fame and Museum. To see the Vulcan Statue in Birmingham. Visit the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and of course the Graceland in Memphis. She loves ribs, so we would be stopping and having ribs somewhere along or near Beale St. The Trolley Museum in Fort Smith and a zoo, either Oklahoma City, or Erie. Now some of those places (S) probably doesn't care much about, but she was really looking forward to seeing a "Cowboyzeum" and going to a zoo as she has never been to a zoo before. I think she would love going for the ride up in the St. Louis Arch, and she loves our son (B) who lives in birmingham and was looking forward to getting to see him before the wedding. (He always has gifts for her). She can't get enough time at the beach and since we haven't been since September, the water park would have been wonderful.

Hopefully either the supervisor, her supervisor or the judge will find it in their heart to actually do what is best for (S) and approve our trip.