The busy winter days at the Fancy Valley and Four Seasons office were upon us!

The office was back to its usual hustle and bustle preparing for the season’s needs. Penny settled in her new role flawlessly and was already catching on quickly.

While Duey was catching up on paperwork, a knock on the door pulled him away from his work. “Come in!” he called out to whoever was behind the door.

Justin walked in and greeted Duey with a big smile. “I just got off the phone with someone from the adoption agency. They asked me a bunch of questions about you and Prue,” Justin said, “I had nothing but great things to say about you both.”

Duey was both excited and nervous. The first steps of the adoption process are already underway! “What questions did they ask you?” Duey inquired.

“Nothing crazy, just about your personality and if you are a responsible person. If I thought you were able to care for a child. Pretty standard stuff, I think.”

Duey nodded. “Did they ask about our home life too?”

“Actually, yes! They wanted to know if you and Prue had a stable home and support system. I told them about our whole office family here,” Justin chuckled.

A few moments later, another knock on the door and Duey again called the person into his office. This time, it was Sue. “I just got off the phone with the adoption agency. They asked me some questions about Prue.”

“Well what did they ask you?” Duey barked.

“They asked about her work-life balance, how she handles problems, and if I think she is capable of caring for a child.”

“They also asked about your financial responsibility as a couple,” Sue added. “I mentioned how well you both manage the business.”

“So they asked you both a different set. That is interesting. Justin was just telling me the questions he was asked and yet they are different from the ones you were asked. I wonder if it varies on the potential parent they call about.” Duey pondered.

A lightbulb went off in his head. “I wonder if CI knows something about that,” Duey wondered aloud.

With a quick call to CI, a helpful employee knows just what Duey was talking about. “There is an option for a client to have reference questions that are more tailored to their needs. Some can be more broad, and some can be more specific. It really depends on what the needs are for the client.”

The CI employee elaborated, “For example, healthcare organizations often focus on questions about handling stress, attention to detail, and patient care experience. Educational institutions typically ask about experience with children, classroom management, and communication skills. Financial institutions tend to emphasize questions about integrity, attention to detail, and handling confidential information.”

Duey thanked CI for their help and made plans to create reference questions more tailored to the company’s needs.

He realized that just as the agency had specific questions to ensure good parents, his company needed targeted questions to find the right fit for their unique work environment.

Where does the adoption process go from here?

Which of Duey and Prue’s references might hold the key to their adoption success?

How will Duey balance the winter rush at work with the demanding adoption process?

Find out in the next issue!