May is National Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month

There are currently 510,000 children in the United States foster care system. In addition, there are an estimated 12 million alumni of foster care in the U.S. from all walks of life.

No matter their age, all youth in foster care need a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in their lives. Without families or stable relationships, too many of these formerly abused and neglected children and teens will face life’s challenges all alone.

Visit the National Foster Care Month website at fostercaremonth.org, which features:

• Information about foster care
• History of National Foster Care Month
• Success stories
• Ways to get involved
• Events and promotions

For additional information and other foster care resources, visit adoptuskids.org.

your family lives outside of the child’s state or county

Who can you contact if a child’s worker says they will not consider a prospective adoptive family outside of the child’s state or county of residence?

If a child’s narrative does not indicate that the child has a preference about location, then families outside of that state or county must be considered in order for the public agency that holds guardianship of the child to be in compliance with federal law. If you are aware of a worker who is telling you s/he will not or cannot consider out-of-state families or who might be interested in receiving training or information on how to achieve interstate placements, call AdoptUsKids at 1-888-200-4005 with the child’s case number and tell us your story. When we talk to the worker, we can encourage the worker to move in the direction of considering out -of- state families. We’re glad to mediate and educate!

get more involved

Want to become more involved in the adoption process and finding a child? Follow these steps!

Spread information about your interest in adopting - tell all your family members, your friends, your neighbors and your co-workers.

Reach out to agencies and adoption exchanges throughout the country – if you are interested in a child, contact the caseworker to introduce yourself.

Learn about the children featured on AdoptUsKids.org and similar state photolistings – read all you can to become prepared and knowledgeable.

Review your homestudy - it should describe your preparation, background, motivation, support circle, and relevant experience.

Keep notes on every child about whom you inquire - the date of the call, participants in the call, and substance of the conversation are all important.

Journal your feelings and experiences - children like to hear how they became part of their family; this journal will help you tell their story.

Make sure your caseworker sends out copies of your homestudy - if your worker says s/he's too busy, offer to come in and help.

Monitor the child’s photolisting even if you have not been matched - if the child is still waiting after three months or so, contact the worker again.

If you’d like to learn how to use AdoptUsKids.org to send inquiries to children’s workers and receive responses back from them, please call 1-888-200-4005 to talk to an AdoptUsKids Child and Family Advocate.

choosing an agency

How do you know which agency to choose? Should you work with a public or private agency? Should you ever leave your agency? These are all important questions that can greatly affect the timeliness and efficiency of your adoption training and placement. Be sure the mission statement of the agency you choose reflects your beliefs about adoption and foster care. It's best to get all the available information that the agency can offer. Before you commit to an agency, ask the following:

What is the average time it will take for you to complete my Family Profile (Home Study)?
Once my Family Profile (Home Study) is complete, what is the average time it will take before a child will be placed in my home?
How long have you been working with families?
Are you familiar with the process of interstate adoption?
Do you offer adoptive parent support after placement?
Can I speak with families who have worked with this agency in the past?

If you are not pleased with your current agency, ask to meet with your caseworker. Explain your concerns. Make sure your expectations are realistic and within the scope of the agency's services. If necessary, ask to talk with the supervisor. Documentation is key: be sure to keep record of all the calls with date and with whom you spoke. Make copies of all the paperwork that has been submitted! If you decide that you need to begin work with another agency, request a copy of your family profile (aka Home Study) - including documentation of adoptive parent training- so that you can provide it to the new agency as a point of reference. Expect that your agency will give you a copy of your Family Profile (Home Study) or at least allow you to read it in the office! You may be able to avoid completing the formalities twice!

Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. Not every agency will be able to meet your needs. Find one that does!

Call 1-888-200-4005 or email info@adoptuskids.org or request to be connected to a Recruitment Response Team (RRT) in your state. The RRT will know about all of the agency options and help you pick the right one for you.

reward those who are helping

It's been great sharing all the stories, questions and comments but sometimes knowing that others are facing your same obstacles can be disheartening. I know you often feel like giving up because you aren't finding the answers you need or the support that you are asking for from professionals. The Department of Health and Human Services is now accepting nominations for the 2008 Adoption Excellence Awards. It's a great opportunity to honor those who ARE making a positive difference in the lives of kids and families that are involved in the foster care and adoption processes. Can you think of someone deserving of this award? If we praise those who are doing things right, maybe others will follow their great example.

Look at these award categories (below) - they are the very issues we have been discussing!

Adoptions of Older Children
Inter-State Adoptions
Faith-Based Initiatives
Support for Adoptive Families
Judicial or Child Welfare System Improvement
Media/Public Awareness of Adoption from Foster Care

For more information about the awards and past recipients visit the Children’s Bureau website: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/current_initiatives/aeawards.htm.

adoption professionals are listening

Did you know that each time you mention your state I notify the adoption program manager and recruitment response team in your state? Sometimes they respond on the blog and other times they email me clarifying state policy and law. Bringing your comments to the attention of the adoption professionals in your state is a great first step toward improving adoption and foster care practice! Thanks for all your advice and questions. Keep ‘em coming!

understanding adoption and foster care language

Sometimes the lingo used by caseworkers can be confusing! The Child Welfare Information Gateway has an updated version of its glossary of child welfare terms which might be helpful to you. The glossary now includes definitions for more than 230 child welfare terms and common acronyms, as well as links to related terms and information on significant Federal legislation. The glossary is available online at: www.childwelfare.gov/admin/glossary . Check it out. If you still have questions about the information you are receiving from your agency or the child's caseworker, call us at 1-888-200-4005.