Matching Series Continued: After The Submission
Following Up To A Broadcast
When called with a broadcast, some families will try to write down every single detail they can. Some will write down the name and age of the child, so they can tell their spouse the details. Others will not only write down details, but will later follow-up on each child they said yes to.
As long as you have already waited, this part of the process entails even more waiting. Sometimes, even unending waiting – it gives new meaning to the term “Hurry Up and Wait!” Unfortunately, this is one of the most frustrating parts of the adoption from foster care process: Waiting to hear if you are selected for a broadcast. So when Arms Wide Adoption Services submits your home study for a broadcast, we send your home study, your one-page profile, and a short sentence or two to the child’s worker expressing your interest in that child or sibling group. We also state why we believe you would be a great match for that child or sibling group. More often than not, we never hear another word about that child… and here’s why:
Why We Don’t Always Hear Back
In Region 6, each agency can submit up to two families for consideration for every broadcast. So if Arms Wide Adoption Services has four families who would be a good match, it is our responsibility to narrow them down and choose the very best two before submitting them. Other regions allow more than two families for submission. Let’s say 50 agencies submit two families each for a particular broadcast. This would equate to 100 home studies which workers not only have to sift through, but have to read and narrow down to who they think would be the best matches. They usually choose three to four families, and then staff those choices with their supervisor to later share with the ad litem attorney.
This means there would be over 50 agency workers (could be 75-100 depending on how agencies split up their families) that the child’s worker would ultimately need to communicate with. Instead, workers usually only communicate with the families’ workers who were selected to go to the next step, not all 50-100 workers who submitted home studies. This is why we simply just don’t hear back about a submission for a broadcast unless we are selected.
Saying “Yes”
As frustrating as this is, you can kind of see their perspective as well. This is why at Arms Wide Adoption Services we encourage our families to say “yes” to as many broadcasts as possible. And just because we have submitted you for a broadcast doesn’t mean we stop calling you and submitting you for more broadcasts. We want to submit you for as many as possible, so hopefully sooner rather than later, you will be one of the lucky three or four families who make it to the next narrowed down step.
Tune in next time to find out what happens when you are one of the narrowed down families after submission!
About The Author
As the Director of Adoption and Foster Care Services, Arianne Riebel, LMSW, LCPAA, oversees Arms Wide Adoption Services’ team of adoption and foster care employees, making sure each step of the adoption and foster care journey goes smoothly.
While earning her Bachelor’s in Social Work at Stephen F. Austin University, she first considered a career in adoption and gained experience working in the field during her college career. A few years after graduation, she completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Houston. Then, gained a decade of experience in child welfare before becoming a part of the Arms Wide family. Through her role, she wanted to be able to give each child and family one-on-one support and attention. Her favorite part about her job is seeing people become parents or add more children to their family. She loves when kids have found their forever homes. Read more about Arianne here.