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Dshs not firearm or family friendly!

decklin

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2011
Messages
758
Location
Pacific, WA
So my Wife and I are unable to have children. We have been waiting until we thought the time was right to adopt a child. We wanted to make sure we would be able to handle a child financially and emotionally. Plus we wanted to be able to enjoy the things we would not be able to do with a child around.

After researching multiple options for adoption and speaking with multiple people through DSHS and agencies they work with such as Fostering Together we found the best route would be to adopt through the State.

The adoption would be free except for legal costs. The only catch was that we would need to be licensed as foster parents and then we could foster children that are legally free so we could adopt. We were assured this would be the best route for us.

To begin the licensing process we needed to attend an orientation that was to last three hours. We chose to attend one located at the DSHS building in Tacoma. In order to attend you need to pre-register.

So we arrive at the building tonight and as we go in I see this sign.

IMG_0260.jpg

I had originally planned on OC'ing but chickened out at the last minute before leaving the house and concealed. I did this because I knew there have been issues with DSHS in the past.

We get into the class which only lasted two hours and not the three that was advertised. What a huge waste of time. It was run by two women that answered most questions with, "I don't know" or they seemed to be guessing. The first hour and 40 minutes were taken up with side conversations, useless video, and alot of babbling.

They finally got around to the requirements to be licensed in the last 20 minutes. I expected a background check would be required as well as a home study.

I did not expect a physical, TB test, HIV test, financial check, pet check, weapons check, alcohol check, and an incredibly invasive interview into your past starting with early childhood.

In order for you to get licensed they require all firearms be locked in a safe with the ammunition stored separately.

I asked what that meant for someone that carries a firearm.

They told us that we would be required to unload and store our pistol upon entering our home. We would not be allowed to carry it in a holster on our hip because of the liability.
They said they were having an issue with an individual about this very reason right now.

Someone else in the class remarked, "Well, that kind of defeats the purpose of having a gun."
There were a few nods of agreement.

Then the kicker. They finally got around to informing us that if we were there for adoption that you had to go through an agency and not though DSHS. They said the foster to adopt program does not exist in Washington. This was in the last 60 seconds of the class.

About half the class got up and walked out without getting there certificate of completion, my wife and I included. There were alot of very angry people who had been misled the whole time.

They also did not have enough packets for everyone in the class even though you had to register. They knew how many people would be there but still screwed it up. They had plenty in Spanish though.

I know that some of this was off topic but please understand my frustration. It's looks like my wife and I will have to shell out thousands to adopt after all.

Overall the entire thing seemed to be overly invasive. And what is the point of going through all this just to find out your license will be yanked for doing nothing illegal?
 
Last edited:

amzbrady

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
3,521
Location
Marysville, Washington, USA
Looking at the workers, it seems they just picked a few women that were on welfare and gave them a golden ticket to work. Cant imagine most of them would score very high on an IQ test.
 

waynejr253

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
Messages
20
Location
puyallup, wa
Which dshs? If u don't mind me asking. I work a couple of the locations throughout the Puget sound?

Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk 2
 

Mattimusmaximus

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
257
Location
Hillsboro
I'm very sorry to hear this story. I told this to my wife and she was saddened by this. We will keep u guys in our prayers.


-Matt of Hillsboro OR-
 

kparker

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
1,326
Location
Tacoma, Washington, USA
Some friends of ours our adopting through a Christian agency that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. No idea what the agency's view of firearms is, though.
 
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Grim_Night

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
776
Location
Pierce County, Washington
So my Wife and I are unable to have children. We have been waiting until we thought the time was right to adopt a child. We wanted to make sure we would be able to handle a child financially and emotionally. Plus we wanted to be able to enjoy the things we would not be able to do with a child around.

After researching multiple options for adoption and speaking with multiple people through DSHS and agencies they work with such as Fostering Together we found the best route would be to adopt through the State.

The adoption would be free except for legal costs. The only catch was that we would need to be licensed as foster parents and then we could foster children that are legally free so we could adopt. We were assured this would be the best route for us.

To begin the licensing process we needed to attend an orientation that was to last three hours. We chose to attend one located at the DSHS building in Tacoma. In order to attend you need to pre-register.

So we arrive at the building tonight and as we go in I see this sign.

View attachment 10630

I had originally planned on OC'ing but chickened out at the last minute before leaving the house and concealed. I did this because I knew there have been issues with DSHS in the past.

We get into the class which only lasted two hours and not the three that was advertised. What a huge waste of time. It was run by two women that answered most questions with, "I don't know" or they seemed to be guessing. The first hour and 40 minutes were taken up with side conversations, useless video, and alot of babbling.

They finally got around to the requirements to be licensed in the last 20 minutes. I expected a background check would be required as well as a home study.

I did not expect a physical, TB test, HIV test, financial check, pet check, weapons check, alcohol check, and an incredibly invasive interview into your past starting with early childhood.

In order for you to get licensed they require all firearms be locked in a safe with the ammunition stored separately.

I asked what that meant for someone that carries a firearm.

They told us that we would be required to unload and store our pistol upon entering our home. We would not be allowed to carry it in a holster on our hip because of the liability.
They said they were having an issue with an individual about this very reason right now.

Someone else in the class remarked, "Well, that kind of defeats the purpose of having a gun."
There were a few nods of agreement.

Then the kicker. They finally got around to informing us that if we were there for adoption that you had to go through an agency and not though DSHS. They said the foster to adopt program does not exist in Washington. This was in the last 60 seconds of the class.

About half the class got up and walked out without getting there certificate of completion, my wife and I included. There were alot of very angry people who had been misled the whole time.

They also did not have enough packets for everyone in the class even though you had to register. They knew how many people would be there but still screwed it up. They had plenty in Spanish though.

I know that some of this was off topic but please understand my frustration. It's looks like my wife and I will have to shell out thousands to adopt after all.

Overall the entire thing seemed to be overly invasive. And what is the point of going through all this just to find out your license will be yanked for doing nothing illegal?

I will make this quick and stick to the firearms related issue. I personally have delt with that office and have ruffled enough feathers to get them to admit that they cannot touch somebody that is legally carrying a firearm. The sign on the front door is absolutely meaningless and the head of security (Sam IIRC) will even admit to it. The average employee will try to argue that it is illegal to carry in a "state" building but they are completely wrong.
Stick to your guns. If I am not mistaken, they would be hard pressed to kick you out and as a fact, I have open carried there many times, very proudly I might add, knowing that the could not touch me as long as I was following the law and had a legit reason for being in the building.
 

Vitaeus

Regular Member
Joined
May 30, 2010
Messages
596
Location
Bremerton, Washington
Most of the stated information sounds as if they are trying to apply the administrative rules on home care facilities to adoptive families. The wife and I did not get far down that road when we offered to foster a friends kids during the divorce, but the process in general is not very friendly and seems to discourage anyone not interested in being dictated to and disrespected. Hope you find a path to adopting or fixing the issue with conception. Good luck.
 

phoneguy

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
447
Location
, ,
The SAF told the state to remove all these signs in there offices.

A few years ago I called the SAF about a "No gun sign" in the employment office at the Everett Station. The SAF was kind enough to call me back to say they got in contact with a supervisor and all the signs have been removed from state offices . Looks like the state lied.
 
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jbone

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
2,230
Location
WA
Does this apply to the area your were visiting.

RCW 9.41.300 Weapons prohibited in certain places — Local laws and ordinances — Exceptions — Penalty.
(1) It is unlawful for any person to enter the following places when he or she knowingly possesses or knowingly has under his or her control a weapon:

(c) The restricted access areas of a public mental health facility certified by the department of social and health services for inpatient hospital care and state institutions for the care of the mentally ill, excluding those facilities solely for evaluation and treatment. Restricted access areas do not include common areas of egress and ingress open to the general public;

 

decklin

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2011
Messages
758
Location
Pacific, WA
Does this apply to the area your were visiting.

RCW 9.41.300 Weapons prohibited in certain places — Local laws and ordinances — Exceptions — Penalty.
(1) It is unlawful for any person to enter the following places when he or she knowingly possesses or knowingly has under his or her control a weapon:

(c) The restricted access areas of a public mental health facility certified by the department of social and health services for inpatient hospital care and state institutions for the care of the mentally ill, excluding those facilities solely for evaluation and treatment. Restricted access areas do not include common areas of egress and ingress open to the general public;


Nope. It was a common access area with no form of security. Afterwards I checked another public entrance and saw no signs.
 

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
Stick to your guns. If I am not mistaken, they would be hard pressed to kick you out ~~~~~


They may not kick you out but you could suddenly be subjected to a "service slowdown". That's a neat trick used by State Employees that want to "punish" someone in a circumstance like this. Ever had to "call for a supervisor" and then sit and wait for an hour or more before they can find one? The person who was helping you suddenly has something else to do so you just sit and wait, and wait, and wait.

Sadly, for every good State Employee they seem to have 5 that couldn't hold a job anywhere else.
 

Fibresteve

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
50
Location
Woodland, WA
Unless something has changed in the last ten years the foster to adopt program should still exist. My wife and I adopted through the state ten years ago and it actually went very smooth. Yes they check your back ground and do a few home studies but it wasn't bad at all. I didn't OC at that time and for the sake of pleasing the state all my guns were locked in the safe when they came to visit. Hopefully the people who gave the class you went to are wrong and you are still able to adopt thru the state. There are a lot of good kids out there that could use a good home. Best of luck to you.
 

hermannr

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
2,327
Location
Okanogan Highland
Does this apply to the area your were visiting.

RCW 9.41.300 Weapons prohibited in certain places — Local laws and ordinances — Exceptions — Penalty.
(1) It is unlawful for any person to enter the following places when he or she knowingly possesses or knowingly has under his or her control a weapon:

(c) The restricted access areas of a public mental health facility certified by the department of social and health services for inpatient hospital care and state institutions for the care of the mentally ill, excluding those facilities solely for evaluation and treatment. Restricted access areas do not include common areas of egress and ingress open to the general public;


RCW 9.41.300(1)(c) is talking about a SECURE MENTAL FACILITY. You know, like locked doors and no public admittance. (Consider it in the same manner as a "jail", but for mental health problems. patients may be in the secure area voluntarily...usually for drug or attempted suicide problems, or involuntarily, because a judge put them there). Then, if they actually are a secure facility, they are required to have lock boxes at the locked door for you to secure your carry.

Western state Hospital, Eastern State Hospital, and some (definitely not all) individual regular hospitals (like Skagit Valley Hospital and Swedish) have secure areas for mental health patients.

Then, Public health facilities cannot restrict carry...except into these Secure facilities (if they have them)
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
Well,, after re-reading the OP's original post; I think that he did learn something valuable at the seminar ... that this agency is not right for you. Its nice that they told you upfront. How about if you were in the last stages of the process and then drop it on you that you cannot carry in your own house !

I wonder if they don't do the adoption for smokers too.

I would have taken the sign down .... regarding carry...replace it with No Jehovah Witnesses
 
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sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
Well,, after re-reading the OP's original post; I think that he did learn something valuable at the seminar ... that this agency is not right for you. Its nice that they told you upfront. How about if you were in the last stages of the process and then drop it on you that you cannot carry in your own house !

I wonder if they don't do the adoption for smokers too.

I would have taken the sign down .... regarding carry...replace it with No Jehovah Witnesses

Freedom of speech and religion should be allowed on public property too........;)
 
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