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Session 8
Unit Two: Adoption
Activities Based on Roles and Responsibility
Adoption Case Worker |
- Obtain information from caseworker when child transferred to adoption unit from Children’s Services.
- Review Child’s Record.
- Make sure child is legally free for adoption (TPR).
- Assess status
of appeal.
- Arrange for home study (by International Adoption Service Centre or DHHS).
- Reference (may interview ex-spouse, parents, employer).
- Check criminal history (SBI).
- Child protective reports (CPS).
- Motor vehicle history.
- Documentation of marriages, divorces.
- Interview foster family, therapist, school personnel (and others that have relationship with child), to assess child’s understanding/knowledge.
- Meet with child to begin adoption preparation work.
- Initiate search for families.
- Narrow selection process to a few families.
- Work with foster family for smooth transition.
- Make match of best family for child.
- Do presentation:
- Full disclosure (but some info may be unknown, i.e., sexual abuse);
- May include foster parents;
- Degree of openness of adoption.
- Initiate placement process and supervise for six months.
- Begin legalization process:
- Attorney fees;
- Filing in Probate Court.
- Inform family of resources available:
- MaineCare medical/dental/ counseling;
- Maine Adoption Guides Program (MAGP);
- Adoption Assistance Program
- Post-secondary Education Assistance.
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Adoptive Child |
- Worker initiates a search for potential families:
- Photolisting;
- Video;
- Internet.
- Worker meets with child:
- What is their idea of what is planned?
- Discuss life story;
- Do life book work;
- Pictures are important.
- Set up first meeting with new parents in foster parents’ home.
- Meet regularly to discuss progress post-placement.
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Adoptive Family |
- Attend informational meeting.
- Fill out application.
- Attend AFF Fundamentals training.
- Learn assignment of worker at closing session.
- Return promptly;
- Autobiography (be as complete as possible);
- Birth, marriage, divorce records;
- Medical info;
- Tax info.
- Home study process (combined – same for foster/adoptive).
- Interview with family including each individual member.
- Be prepared – process is invasive.
- Approval cannot happen until home study is complete. Home study not complete until all paperwork returned.
- Once approved, receives mailings from No. NE photo Exchange.
- Attend presentation:
- Review records;
- Ask questions;
- Talk to other providers;
- Family agrees on placement.
- Family meets child and participates in transition plan from foster home.
- Make use of needed resources.
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