Dear Caseworker

One of the assignments/documents we had to complete is a "Dear Caseworker letter".  This letter will be our first introduction to children's caseworkers.  The caseworkers will read this before they look at our home study.  We want to give them a good first impression of our family.  I hope this fits the bill.  I'd welcome your feedback before we turn this in!   (It will also include a family photo.)

Dear Caseworker,

Thank you for taking the time to consider our family.  We are the Shipp family; Andrew, Rachel, Gabe, Jonah, Liam, Maggie, and Anna Mae.  Yes.  It’s a lot of people already.  We have been married for 9 years and have talked about adopting even before we were married.   We always assumed it would be something we would consider when our children were older, but more recently we realized that we want one family.  If we are going to adopt, we want the children we adopt to feel like a part of our family.  Since our children are young it seems the best time to follow our calling to adopt now.

We moved to Nacogdoches 3 years ago and have never been happier.  We have family in town and near by and a very supportive church family as well.  We have many friends that have adopted through the foster care system and internationally.  These friends have been a great blessing to us already and we expect their experience and friendship to be even more valuable as we go through this process.

Andrew is 30 years old and is a graduate of Baylor Law School.  He is an attorney for the Attorney General Office’s child support division as well as general counsel for a private fertilizer manufacturer.  He works a standard 40 hour week and is home for dinner each night and all weekend long.  He enjoys building things with the kids, bike riding, reading, and family games.

Rachel is 31 years old and has a B.A. in photography.  She currently puts her degree to use taking many pictures of her children.  She has always wanted to be a mother to many and is now happy to be a stay at home mother and wife, managing the house and cooking and enjoying time with the children.  Rachel is the daughter of a local pastor and is very close to her family and actively involved in church and school activities.  She is also the coordinator for the local Mother’s of Pre-Schoolers group and enjoys regular play dates at the park with friends. 

Gabe is an active 8 year old.  He is in the 3^rd grade at Regents Academy.  When he’s not at school he enjoys bike riding, reading, playing with legos, art, playing the piano, and climbing trees.  He takes his job as big brother very seriously.

Jonah, age 6, is a happy helper.  He is in the 1^st grade at Regents Academy where he loves being with his friends.  He loves legos, building forts, playing games, and helping mom or dad with anything.  He also enjoys helping his little sisters.  He is very tender and affectionate to his siblings and parents.

Liam is a talkative 4 year old.   There is never a dull moment with Liam around.   He loves all things Avengers.  You never know what character he will be dressed as and what story he will be acting out.  He will start Kindergarten at Regents Academy in the fall of 2014.

Maggie is a sweet and girly 3 year old.  She keeps up with her big brothers, doing exactly what they do, but in high heels.  She loves to draw, play dress up, and pretend with Liam.  She carries a Hello Kitty purse with her wherever she goes.

Anna Mae is a mischievous 1 year old.  She likes to follow her older siblings around.  She’s a very social baby and is entertainment for the whole family. 

As a family we are actively involved in our church.  We enjoy social activities, going to sporting events, travelling to see family in Louisiana, big family gatherings, playing games, inviting friends over for dinner, and eating dinner together every night as a family.   There are empty spots at our dining room table that we would love to fill.

Though it sounds like a lot already, our hearts and our home have room for more.  We would love to welcome more children into our family.