contacting the child's caseworker

AdoptUsKids encourages children's caseworkers to respond promptly to inquiries. Each state sets their own policy for the time and procedure for contacting families. Some workers manage their cases on a daily basis and are very prompt in responding to inquiries from prospective parents. Some caseworkers may only respond to families they feel are appropriate for a specific child because of the large number of inquiries that they receive. If you do not get a response to your inquiry it may be that the child has been placed and the worker has not updated the status. Most caseworkers prefer that you send your homestudy only if they request it. Some will not acknowledge the receipt of the homestudy unless, after reviewing your homestudy, you are actually being considered as a family for the child. If you do not hear from the caseworker in roughly a week after they would have received it, it is reasonable to contact them by phone or email.

What are some effective ways you have used to contact and stay in touch with a caseworker?

If you are having difficulty reaching a caseworker and would like assistance, please go to this Request to be Contacted Link and complete the form.

legislation that may impact your adoption

A caseworker may decide that you are a match for a child based on these federal guidelines: ICWA, ASFA, or MEPA. Don't be intimidated - they are easier to understand than you think!

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) regulates the placement of Native American
children. In the recent past, most Native American children were being placed outside tribal communities, which reduced a child’s access to language and traditions important to their culture. Under ICWA, in any adoptive placement of an Indian child under State law, a preference shall be given to a placement with (1) a member of the child’s extended family; (2) other members of the Indian child’s tribe; or (3) other Indian families.

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) supports permanency for children in foster care by
reducing timeframes for courts and child welfare agencies in working toward adoption. ASFA prohibits denial or delay of the adoptive placement of a child with the approved adoptive family based on the geographic location of the family. (This realtes to the ICPC that was discussed in a previous message!)

The Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) was enacted to eliminate
discriminatory practices that denied children permanency and discouraged applicants
from becoming foster and adoptive parents. The law focuses on these 3 points:
• An agency or individual cannot delay or deny a child’s placement for foster care or adoption
on the basis of race, color or national origin.
• An agency or individual cannot deny a person the opportunity to foster or adopt solely on
the basis of race, color or national origin.
• An agency must diligently recruit potential foster and adoptive parents that reflect the
diversity of children in care.

How have you been affected by these federal guidelines? How can you ensure that these policies are being followed correctly throughout your adoption process?

If you have a question about these policies, please go to this Request to be Contacted Link and complete the form. An RRT will contact you to answer your questions. Thank you!

family profile/homestudy process

During the Homestudy/Family Profile, your agency worker meets with you in your home to talk about your personal history, family relationships, reasons for wanting to foster or adopt, and the supports you have available to you. They will determine whether your home is safe and has sufficient space for a foster or adopted child. The point of this step is to help you and the agency make the best possible decisions about whether placement of a child in your home will or will not work out and to determine the characteristics of the children whom you are most able to parent.

You are responsible to:
1. Get agreement among the members of their household to proceed with the process.
2. Cooperate with the homestudy and the home visits.
3. Ensure that all necessary information is supplied completely and accurately.

The Family Profile must be honest. Although you may be tempted to gloss over what might be considered “negative” about your family, this approach will help neither you nor the child you are hoping to adopt. Instead, caseworkers should address the problem area and -
with your family's input - include in the Family Profile how the your family has grown from these challenges. Your family should be told with whom the Family Profile will be shared and should receive a copy of the final Family Profile (without the letters of recommendation which must remain confidential). The Family Profile is about you and it contains both private information as well as your personal dreams. By reviewing your Profile, you can pinpoint any inaccuracies, which then can be corrected. After your family reviews the Family Profile, you should indicate agreement with the content by co-signing it along with the caseworker.

If you would like to be contacted by your state RRT, please go to this Request to be Contacted Link and complete the form. Thank you!

Adoptuskids' recruitment response teams

AdoptUsKids’ network of Recruitment Response Teams (RRTs) works exclusively for families like yours. Each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico has its own RRT staffed with experienced professionals in foster care and adoption. Sometimes they have even fostered or adopted themselves!

Your RRT will contact you within three days of your inquiry with AdoptUsKids to welcome you and provide you with helpful information and resources. If you have questions, be sure to ask. They will continue working with you as long as you need them in your foster care and/or adoption process. Your RRT is always available to:

• Give you a list of agencies in your area with information on attending the orientations as well as tips on how to pick which agency is best for you,
• Answer your questions and provide you with resources so you can increase your knowledge on your own,
• Provide you with encouragement and support,
• Link you to parent support groups where you will meet families like your own,
• Help you maneuver through any challenges that may pop up along the way,
• Be a resource and support for you in the child placement process – whether the child or children you are hoping to adopt are in your own state or out of state.

AdoptUsKids’ RRTs don’t provide foster and adoption services. They help you get the best services possible. They work for you, so contact them when ever you need assistance or support, or have good news you would like to share with someone who is really interested in your success.

You can talk directly with our AdoptUsKids staff by calling 1-888-200-4005 or you can register online at info@adoptuskids.org.

updating your information on AdoptUsKids.org

If you are registered with AdoptUsKids online and need to update your information:

1. Log in to www.adoptuskids.org (your email address is your User ID and password)
2. Go to "Edit My Account Info"
3. Update your info as necessary

Let me know if you have questions!

matching families and children

Caseworkers provide expertise and guidance to families and children throughout the search and matching process. Caseworkers have the very important task of determining what family is the best match for a child. Policies regarding the matching decision vary from one state to another and from one county to another. As a result, the timelines and processes that agencies use in the matching process may be quite different. As a result of the success in recruiting new families for waiting children, both through the national outreach of AdoptUsKids and state and local recruitment, caseworkers may receive several Family Profiles for a given child. The increase in the number of interested families is wonderful, but it puts additional pressures on children’s caseworker. Therefore you must be proactive yet patient in your contacts with the caseworker. Don't forget that although the caseworker's role is vital, families and children are decision-makers in the matching process too!

limiting the number of children in your home

Our Massachusettes Recruitment Response Team provided the following information: It is the MA state foster care and adoption policy that a family may have up to six children residing in their home at any given time, including birth children, adoptive children, relatives' children, foster children, and children in day care in the home. For an interstate adoption, the family can get a private agency homestudy and - if accepted by the other state - could adopt from another state. There is also a waiver process that can be undertaken, but it typically is used for such things as to allow another sibling to be placed with a family who has the maximum number of children in their home.

You can talk directly with our AdoptUsKids staff by calling 1-888-200-4005 or you can register online at info@adoptuskids.org.

adopting siblings

Are siblings placed for adoption together? Absolutely! This is almost always the best thing for the children. Children in foster care have experienced loss and allowing siblings to remain together can help to maintain continuity and a sense of security in the children's lives. Siblings may be separated because one child has exceptional physical or emotional needs or because of other special circumstances.

What does the process look like? You can call AdoptUsKids at 1-888-200-4005 to request a packet of information to be mailed to you. A follow-up call from an AdoptUsKids team in your state/territory will help you find a local adoption agency. Prospective parents must complete assessment and licensing requirements that vary from state to state and may include: a minimum age, verification of income to meet your expenses, a criminal record check at local, state and federal levels including finger printing (and no prior record of child abuse/neglect); a reference from a doctor (although prospective parents do not need to be in perfect health) and; letters of reference from an employer and others who know you. A typical application process would include the parent(s) attending an orientation and then following the steps listed above while attending free preparation classes (often about 40 hours spread over several weeks).

adoptions by same sex couples

A great resource for gay and lesbian adoptive families is www.familieslikeours.org. Hope this is helpful!

If you have an adoption story to share, please do so! The best advocates for adoption are the families who have completed the process and built a family!

more about interstate adoptions

You are right about the website being unavailable! Sorry for the mix-up. You can go to adoptuskids.org and register with us. You'll then be contacted by the recruitment response team in your state. A team member can provide your state's procedures for interstate adoptions.

Has anyone finalized an interstate adoption? Tell us about it!

adopting a child from another state

Children can be adopted across state, county, and city lines. The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children - referred to as ICPC - establishes guidelines for this process to ensure that states understand and cooperate with these interstate adoptions. The current ICPC was drafted in 1960 and has been enacted by all states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Updates to the ICPC are currently being reviewed. If you are interested in adopting a child who does not live in your state, check with your caseworker to request that the child's worker be contacted or - if you are more comfortable - contact the child's worker yourself. Ask what that state requirements are for adoption and indicate your interest in the specific child. Once you know what is needed to proceed, you can take the necessary steps. It is not difficult to complete the interstate paperwork and we are here to help you and your worker navigate through the ICPC process. Just let us know what you need!

You can talk directly with our AdoptUsKids staff by calling 1-888-200-4005 or you can register online at info@adoptuskids.org.

adoptuskids has a blog!

My name is Kate Kirkpatrick and I am the National Family Network Coordinator for The Collaboration to AdoptusKids and the Adoption Exchange Association. Throughout our conversations on this blog, I will give you updates on the work of AdoptUsKids and keep you informed about our upcoming projects and events. That will all come later, but first and foremost - Congratulations on your decision to adopt! This blog is designed to answer your questions and offer support to you through the adoption process. Your feedback will guide me in choosing the issues that are discussed here....so please feel free to "talk" with me! - Kate