Should I switch to county?

[PicklePie]

Hi, I'm new here!

I have been with an agency for nearly 4 years, as a foster/foster to adopt home. We have only had two children placed with us during the whole. Between the two placements, the agency forgot about us for a YEAR! I finally called to see why we had not gotten a call for a placement in a year and they said someone had put our home on hold, and if they had known we still wanted to be active we could have had placements!

So, on to my question...should I switch to the county from the private agency?  Do they place in their own homes first and then reach out to agencies, or do the broadcasts go out for all foster homes, regardless of who they are with????

If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it!!

Edited by PicklePie - 9/6/12 at 8:34am

[heatherdeg]

I had some limited experiences in TX but my understanding was that they used their homes first.  I will reach out to the two families I know still fostering there (one in Gregg Co. and one in the next Co. over but can't remember which-- in case you're nearby) and ask them.

[marsupial-mom]

Not sure how Texas works but where I am the agencies only do special placements. Those are usually kids who require specialized care and/or long term fostercare. The agencies also have the group homes.

When a kid first comes into care they almost never go to an agency foster home, they go to a standard county foster home. Later they may move to an agency home.

I'm licensed through the county, not an agency. If I wanted to "be full all the time" I could easily get the placements. When we have an empty bed we get calls all the time. We just usually say "no" because our goal is adoption and most of those kids are just going to be in fostercare a few months or years and then go to bio grandma or auntie rather than be adopted by their foster parents.

[queenjane]

Originally Posted by marsupial-mom 

Not sure how Texas works but where I am the agencies only do special placements. Those are usually kids who require specialized care and/or long term fostercare. The agencies also have the group homes.
When a kid first comes into care they almost never go to an agency foster home, they go to a standard county foster home. Later they may move to an agency home.
I'm licensed through the county, not an agency. If I wanted to "be full all the time" I could easily get the placements. When we have an empty bed we get calls all the time. We just usually say "no" because our goal is adoption and most of those kids are just going to be in fostercare a few months or years and then go to bio grandma or auntie rather than be adopted by their foster parents.

Where i live it doesnt work that way at all, nearly ALL foster child (not sure about the whole state but certainly in at least two counties) are assigned to a private agency that has a contract with the state to provide services. Some agencies MAY have a "focus" (teens or moms with babies or whatever) but mostly not. My agency is a private agency and placed healthy newborns all the time, they also had a "mommy and me" program (teen parents) and a therapeutic foster care program but you had to sign up special for those and take extra training. As far as i know you couldnt really sign up just with the county, at least when i called they referred me to an agency.

Im not sure how Texas works.

[PicklePie]

Thanks for responding!

Edited by PicklePie - 9/6/12 at 8:34am