Presenter: Deborah Burrus, Permanency Director Evangel Wicks, Adoption Consultant

Presenter: Deborah Burrus, Permanency Director Evangel Wicks, Adoption Consultant

Presentation to: CPAs and DFCS RD Staff

Date: December 10, 2013

Georgia Department of Human Services

Vision, Mission and Core ValuesVision Vision

Stronger Families for a Stronger Georgia.Stronger Families for a Stronger Georgia.

MissionMissionStrengthen Georgia by providing Individuals and Families access to services that promote self-sufficiency, independence, and protect Georgia's vulnerable children and adults.

Core ValuesCore Values• Provide access to resources that offer support and empower Georgians and

their families. • Deliver services professionally and treat all clients with dignity and respect.

Manage business operations effectively and efficiently by aligning resources across the agency.

• Promote accountability, transparency and quality in all services we deliver and programs we administer.

• Develop our employees at all levels of the agency.

Foster/Adopt

• Now known as Adoptive Legal Risk Parents

• Adoptive Parents who accept children for placement who are not completely legally free for adoption and thus, legal risk exists in accepting the placement.

Foster Parent Adoption

• Adoption by the foster parent when reunification or placement with relatives is no longer a viable option.

ACE Narrative Guide

Length of time the child has been placed in the home. Include information on the reason the child

came into care, the length of time the child has been in the current placement.

ACE Narrative Guide Discuss the child’s adjustment in the home.

This section should include behavioral specific observations, such as child’s initial transition into the home, bond with household members, house rules, etc.

ACE Narrative Guide Discuss the child’s progress since being

placed in the home. Discuss the child’s challenges at the

beginning of the placement and the child’s current level of functioning within the home

ACE Narrative Guide Discuss the Foster Parent(s) Protective

Capacity and their ability to meet the long term needs of the child based on the child’s vulnerabilities: Does the foster parent(s) relate to the child in a nurturing

manner which promotes attachment? Does the foster parent(s) display appropriate understanding of the child’s emotional, developmental and physical needs?

ACE Narrative Guide Does the Foster Parent(s) have appropriate

social and basic family supports to meet the long term needs of the child? Who does the foster family identify as their support

system. Discussion about financial stability, health, etc.

ACE Narrative Guide

• Discuss the Foster Parent(s) understanding of how adoptive parenting is different from foster parenting.– Describe the foster parents understanding

of the difference, discuss the legal difference and responsibilities after finalization

ACE Narrative Guide

Discuss the Foster Parent(s) understanding of adoption and how the transition to adoption will be handled with the child. How will the foster parent discuss adoption with

the child? What will the foster parent share with the child about adoption? When will the foster parent inform the child of his/her adoption?

ACE Narrative Guide Are there any emerging dangers for this child

and if so, is the Foster Parent(s) equipped to address them? Discuss likelihood of serious harm that is not immediate,

are there any threats that are starting to surface or escalate in frequency, duration, intensity, etc. Has the foster parents protective capacity weakened?

ACE Narrative Guide Would ongoing services be needed to support

this placement and if so, what would they be and how can they be obtained? – Discuss any current or foreseeable supports needed to maintain

this placement. Indicate foster parents knowledge of these services and/or ability to access needed services.

– Statement should summarize information captured above

ACE Narrative Guide

Please provide a statement to support why adoption by the Foster Parent(s) is or is not in the best interest of the child.

ACE Narrative Guide Provide a recommendation to approve or

disapprove the Foster Parent(s) request to adopt the child.

Adoption Consideration Evaluation Process

• Child’s SSCM assigned as secondary

• Child has been in the home for a minimum of 12 months

• Complete within 14 days of receiving the Form 151

• Complete the adoptive placement within 30 days of the ACE approval

14

RD Worker ACE Process

• Complete 6036• Obtain a copy of Forms 149-151, medical, CRC,

original family evaluation• Indicate recommendation to approve or not• Submit completed ACE to SSS for approval in

SHINES• SSS has 5 business days to approve• CD/Designee has 5 business days to approve

CPA ACE Process

• Child’s SSCM must request that the Resource Maintainer make him/her secondary on the home

• Child’s SSCM must request and be provided with copies of the foster parents pre-service training certificate, original evaluation, re-evaluations, medical forms, CRC results

• Approval process remains the same

ACE Approval Notification

• Both DFCS and CPA Foster Parents must be advised of the approval decision in writing

CPA Foster to Adopt

• If resource continues to foster, the CPA continues to manage the foster care portion of the file and maintain the home by all policies and guidelines.

• If the resource intends to close their foster home after the adoption, the home will be managed by the child’s legal county DFCS team from placement until finalization.

Adoptions under the contract

There are currently 5 agencies who can receive payment for adoptive placements. Any other CPAs (non-contracted) who have an adoption license may also develop adoptive homes but there is NO payment from DFCS for them. If a placement is selected, the resource would need to be entered into SHINES.

Current Private Contract Agencies

• All God’s Children• Bethany Christian• Families First• Georgia Mentor• Lutheran Services

Adoptive and Legal Risk CPA homesThe foster to adopt (FTA) and adoptive homes

developed under contract should not be documented in GA SCORE unless a child still in a foster care status is placed in the home.

If the home has been opened more than a year, CPA is responsible for providing all re-evaluation requirements to be entered into GA SCORE.

CPA legal risk process

• Evangel will make the OPM Resource Maintainer a secondary on the home.

• OPM will be responsible for monitoring the home the same as any other foster home until the child moves to adoptive status.

• Once the child moves to adoptive status, the home will be closed in GA SCORE and the OPM RM will be removed as the secondary; Evangel will solely manage the resource.

• The supervision of the adoption continues according to policy. Note that each adoption is a separate instance. Finalization closes the adoptive resource in SHINES and subsequent adoptions require a new assessment.