With our first visit behind us, we continued moving forward with relicensing. The first line of business was submitting a new application with our agency. Our original had been submitted back in 2016, so it was outdated. They also needed the application so we could schedule orientation and classes.

We completed the application and submitted it only to find out that the agency was unable to open the link. Agencies aren’t always up-to-date on the latest technology. We resubmitted and then heard nothing, so I began scheduling classes. The agency accepted all of our class registrations, so it appeared the application had gone through, and we were on our way to relicensing.

In the meantime, we had our next visit with Ezran scheduled. Because the rules are specific that the visits are just for siblings, only I was able to be there with Arryn. Dave, Lili and Naomi would not be allowed to attend any visits until it got closer to placement in our home. With each visit I took pictures to share with everyone.

Ezran was watchful, but not upset by our visits. I had been told that both foster parents worked outside the home, and between that and visits with case workers, CASA workers, doctors, nurses and more, we were just more faces becoming familiar to him.

The hour went by quickly and while the visit went well, both kids seemed to be done and ready to go. An hour in a small room is a lot for anyone.

Our orientation and classes with the agency were moving along. I was getting paperwork and inspections done as quickly as I could. An agency representative told me that based on the paperwork they had and how quickly we were getting thru the classes, it shouldn’t take more than 3 months to get everything done for re-licensing. Knowing that CPS wanted to get this case completed asap, this was good news.

Visits were scheduled every two weeks while we waited to complete the fictive kinship process. Our home study was now completed, and the required inspection had been done. We were now waiting on the home study to be approved and for the Attorney ad Litem (AAL – Ezran’s attorney) to approve his move to our home.

Arryn and I went to our third visit.

Ezran was definitely feeling more comfortable with us, and Arryn was absolutely thrilled to see her baby brother again. This was definitely a good thing.

Shortly after this visit, I received a call from the AAL wanting to schedule a visit. This was the final step necessary to have him moved into our care.

The attorney was familiar to me because she was the same attorney on Bubby’s case. However, she informed me that she hadn’t put the pieces of this puzzle together until she was making the call and my name came up on her contacts. Since all the kids have different last names, and because she had most certainly handled numerous cases since Bubby left, it wasn’t surprising that she didn’t realize that all the kids were siblings.

On January 20th, she came to our home, and it was during this visit I learned that foster mom was still hard at work trying to stop this move from happening. I was certainly not prepared for what I was about to hear.

More soon!