Welcome to Scioto County Children Services Adoption Services. We are pleased that you have chosen to pursue special needs adoption.
We recognize that you have already done a lot of work to reach this point. However, the orientation classes, meetings with your worker and all of the paperwork were the beginning of you journey. There are continuing activities that we need to encourage you to pursue to further prepare yourself to parent our children.
We want you to be successful. We have put together the following guidelines to help clarify how we can work together and how you can effectively advocate for yourselves.
A. WHAT ADOPTIVE FAMILIES CAN EXPECT FROM THE ADOPTION ASSESSOR AND OUR DEPARTMENT:
- A telephone call from your adoption assessor or the supervisor within two weeks of your assignment to them.
- Information about our children waiting for adoption.
- Directions about educating yourself about the kinds of problems our children frequently experience.
- Presentation of your family at matching conferences as directed by the supervisor of the department. This is for any child that we believe fit the profile of children you are interested in adopting and/or any child for whom you ask to be presented.
- Listing your family in the state family photo listing book.
- Mailing your home study to other counties/organizations for children that you have found are available. We will assist with any help another county/organization might need to facilitate a placement for you.
- We will provide supportive services once you are matched with a child. This will include any assistance in the decision making for a child from another county/organization to determine if the child is appropriate for your family.
- If you are matched with a child from Scioto County you will meet with the department supervisor to discuss subsidy. A discussion of the availability of funds/resources to help you meet the child's special needs.
- Your assessor will visit you upon request prior to a child being placed in your home. Once a child is placed in your home, an adoption assessor will visit at least once a month until the legalization hearing takes place. We will provide supportive services during this time as you and your child adjust. We will assist you in securing any available community resources that could be beneficial.
B. WHAT THE ADOPTION SECTION EXPECTS FROM YOU:
- Adoptive families will keep their assessor current on their interest in adopting. They will check in with their assessor at least every two months. If there has been no contact with the agency for over 24 months then your home study will be considered inactive.
- Adoptive families will notify their assessor of any changes in their lives that would impact their ability to adopt. i.e.: change in employment status, addition of a new family member, family crisis, etc.
- Adoptive families will need to update their home study every two years.
- Adoptive families will notify their assessor if they are pursuing a placement of a child from another agency. Notification will assist us in providing supportive services to your family once the child is placed.
- Adoptive families will notify the assessor if they are experiencing problems once a child is placed with them. We do not expect perfect parents, and there are always some adjustments for everyone. It is easier to solve problems earlier then to let them escalate.
C. ADDITIONS
- Training: All of our children present varying degrees of special needs. We encourage you to take advantage of training opportunities wherever you may find them either through our agency or any other. Every adoptive parent can benefit from classes on ADHD, sexual abuse, attachment issues and discipline techniques. Additionally, courses that focus on adoption such as developmental issues, disruption and searching are recommended.
- A factor that may be considered in matching is whether a family has ever had any exposure to the special needs a child might have. So you might want to consider being a volunteer or mentor in your community.
We hope this information is helpful.
If you have any questions please feel free to call Dana Lanthorn or Elizabeth Ebinger at
456-4164.
