Yesterday I just kept hitting walls. Do you ever have days like that? I called Rebecca's CPS caseworker back to set up the date for us to finalize the papers at the end of the month. She informed me that we need to get a psychiatric evaluation done on Rebecca before we can sign papers. We are only 2 weeks away from signing papers!! Okay, so I called the doctor who did my other daughters evaluation and has seen all the kids in our agency, so I know that he has seen Rebecca at some point and left a message for him to call me back. In the message I reminded him that Rebecca is Deaf and we will need an interpreter for her. I tell him that if he needs help finding an interpreter I have no problem helping with that, I do realize it is short notice but CPS is requiring this prior to the adoption at the end of the month.
I get a call back from our agency's caseworker asking why do we need an interpreter if she has a cochlear implant?
After I calmed myself down, I talked to CPS directly and our caseworker about this. Why wouldn't you give her everything that she needs so that she can understand as much as she can? I compared it for them to a child in a wheelchair that you are asking to go across the room. Sure, that child will eventually get across the room without her wheelchair, but whey wouldn't you give give the child the wheelchair in the 1st place??
The agency told me that they were going to try to get the psych deferred. My question back to them was, "Are you getting it deferred because you don't want to deal with my Deaf child and the interpreter or are you wanting it deferred because she is doing well in our home and there is no reason for an evaluation?" She didn't answer me.
What I guess frustrates me the most about this is that our agency is supposed to be advocating for Rebecca - how were they doing that??? Is throwing her in a room without an interpreter and thinking that is okay when the outcome of that evaluation depends on if she gets adopted advocating for your children???
Let me say this as plain as I can - MY CHILD WITH A COCHEAR IMPLANT IS NOT A HEARING CHILD!!!
Subscribe To This Blog! Never Wonder Again...
Posts
Comments
Here's what I check out - if you would like to add something, let me know - love new blogs!!
More About Me
- Candice
- TX, United States
- My family is my life. I have 2 beautiful girls and a wonderful husband. We adopted Jasmine when she was 8 and adopted Rebecca when she was 10. Rebecca has Usher Syndrome 1. We are learning more about Ushers and how to live with this never boring disorder.
5 comments:
Ouch, the old social agency run-around. It's money. The doctor doesn't want to pay for the interpreter out of the pittance he gets from the social agency, and the social agency doesn't want to pay because of their limited budget.
I'd think threatening to sue on the basis of the ADA Act (access via interpreters) might move things along quicker.
Grrr!!! We know this battle all too well!! I admire your straightforwardness with the question as to whether they were putting it off because of her being Deaf. Nobody wants to admit that they discriminate, but they do discriminate! I'd also threaten to sue (but I know that suing is a whole other battle not really worth getting into) or you can find out where they can be reported to (DOJ?) and threaten with that.
I would think, considering the deadline for signing those final papers being so nigh, I'd file for an extension of time so you aren't rushed into something you don't want to do or certain aspects of the process aren't dealt with that should be adhered to. Best wishes to you.
Ah, no answer? That means they didn't want to deal with it. :(
Amen, Just because a person/child has a CI or two does not make them HEARING. I've been telling my family that, too. Don't expect me to be HEARING just because I have a CI. Don't expect that.
Anyway, so glad that the adoption is around the corner, psych eval or deferred or not. :)
HUGS
Post a Comment