{"id":2554,"date":"2014-02-22T10:15:45","date_gmt":"2014-02-22T18:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.desoren.com\/?p=2554"},"modified":"2026-03-25T15:17:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T23:17:10","slug":"going-to-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.desoren.com\/?p=2554","title":{"rendered":"Going to Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Not that type of committee…<\/p><\/div>\n

So it’s official, we are going to committee on a sibling group of 2 boys. Both are younger then Jayme and live in the Portland area. The date set for the committee is March 10th 2014.\u00a0 If chosen we could have them home by late March to early April.<\/p>\n

This will be our first time going to committee post Jayme and the third committee we have ever gone to. And this time around it’s not as scary. We both are feeling very confident, which we really hope is not pride before the fall.<\/p>\n

We have started to get the house setup as the waiting period of 7 days will just not be enough time. We have ordered the beds and toddler proofed the house and stairs.<\/p>\n

\u00a0For those of you unsure what going to\u00a0committee\u00a0means:<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Content below reposted from<\/em> www.lanecountyheartgallery.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The committee consists of three members who are usually DHS caseworkers, retired caseworkers, or social workers experienced in the adoption field.\u00a0 The committee meets for three hours, usually 9-Noon or 1-4 p.m.\u00a0 Occasionally it lasts longer, but not often.<\/p>\n

Committee starts with a presentation of the child by the Case Worker (CW. \u00a0Sometimes the child\u2019s foster parent, therapist, court appointed special advocate (CASA), or attorney, is also present and invited to tell about the child as well.\u00a0 The CW usually brings pictures, or the child\u2019s Life Book, so the committee can view photos.\u00a0 The goal is for the committee to have a thorough understanding of the child\u2019s identity, personality, and special needs. \u00a0The committee members may have questions during this time about the child based on what they hear, read, or otherwise observe.<\/p>\n

Once the child has been presented, any representatives for the child, except the CW, are dismissed and the AWs for the families each have a turn telling the committee about the family they represent. \u00a0Again, the committee members may have questions for the Adoption Worker (AW) based on what they hear or what they have read in the family\u2019s home study.<\/p>\n

The committee members then remark on or list the strengths they heard or read about each family and the concerns they have about each family.\u00a0 Then they vote. \u00a0If the two junior members each vote for a different family, the chair must break the tie with a vote for one of those two families so that we leave committee with a decision. \u00a0We nearly always leave committee with a decision about who will adopt the child.<\/p>\n

When committee ends, the families receive a call informing them whether or not they were selected by the committee. \u00a0The AW who represents each family takes notes throughout the committee, types them, and forwards them to the family, usually the next day. \u00a0If a family lives outside Oregon, then at this point our agency will step aside and the family\u2019s AW will work directly with the child\u2019s CW to proceed with the placement.<\/p>\n

The CW comes to committee prepared with the child\u2019s files, which are given or sent to the family\u2019s AW.\u00a0 There is a 7-day blackout period then to give the family an opportunity to review the files more thoroughly with physicians, psychologists, teachers, and whoever else can help the family be certain this is what it wants. \u00a0During this time, the CW and AW will work with the family to make a transition plan.<\/p>\n

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