I don't think it is the lesbian issue. What got me is that the CASA people are the ones with the issue, not Social Services. I think that part of the issue is that they don't want to have to think (literally, they assured us that CASA training would be accessible and that they would make sure there were no problems... then held 7/12 of the training upstairs in a building with no elevator/lift...) they don't want to have to work with my DP's physical difficulties because it might change the way they have to do something (in fact, we had to go get a ramp and provide it for the duration of the training, so that they wouldn't have to move their training to the -available- classroom (downstairs) because then they would have to move the tables - which they had to set up every week before class anyways...).

the point at which the lesbian thing came into account is when on the day we went to do our "exit interviews" and mell told M, the girl doing her interview (who was very concerned aboutme having to take care of my own family when Mell needed to CASA), that she was my own family, we were partners, and that wouldn't be an issue. M said that she suspected that and it was ok... Of course two days later we got a call from the (very conservative) director of the program saying that "she knows we have other things we need to do that night and, well, why don't we just skip the swearing in ceremony and not have to worry about it?" (you should know that in order to take a case you HAVE to be sworn in by the judge).

See, these guys aren't really part of the "the system" they are a group of volenteers from a nationally based volunteer program... Who we haven't heard from since swearing in.

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I do COMPLETELY agree with you about the system not caring, our caseworker/trainer is great and training for foster care kinda rocks my socks. We are super excited to get "our" caseworker (I am hoping that we just get to keep C, who has a caseload and is a trainer, she's just so easy to talk to) and have our homestudy done. (We are in CO, btw. & no dom partnerships) She's really excited that we didn't have picture perfect lives growing up (even thought neither of us were in foster care -although I will be the first to say that I should have been, in fact, all three of us at home should have been) and that we have seen where these kids might be coming from... She was also very fast to assure us the neither DP's disability, nor the fact that we were in a relationship was going to be a problem, then told us that "they have six other same sex couple who are fostering, at least one of which has also adopted, and "numerous" fp's who have both physical and mental disabilities and as long as they are being handled and not affecting hte children's care, it is a non issue!"

So, as a foster momma, 1) what do you have the kids call you? and 2) give us all your best advice on getting started! (we are taking birth - 36 months - either gender)