Vol. 7, No. 1• November 2002

Moving from Foster Care to Adoption

by Jeanne Preisler

On average, about 65% of the adoptive parents in North Carolina were formerly the foster parents for their adopted child. So, chances are pretty good that at one time or another, a child in your home will become legally free for adoption and you may be asked to consider making a permanent commitment to him or her. This is consistent with North Carolina’s goal of one permanent placement for each child in his or her own community. The goal is that each county will have enough diversity among its foster parents that a “good match” can be made with the initial placement. In the event that reunification with the child’s birth family is not in the best interest of the child, he or she may have the option to stay with you permanently.

If this is the case, there are many things for you to consider as you make your decision. I spoke with representatives from the NC Division of Social Services as well as former foster parents who have adopted to compile the following information. I hope it will be helpful if you should choose to move from foster care to adoption.

Are you approved to adopt?

When you become a foster family, you are licensed to provide temporary care and shelter for children. This foster care license differs from an approval to adopt children. Although the process to attain your foster care license and adoptive pre-placement assessment (homestudy) is similar, they are two distinct processes. If you are not already approved to adopt, your agency will need to ensure that all of their requirements are met and complete your adoption pre-placement assessment.

In cases where the family is being considered for a specific child (many times the foster child in the home already), some agencies will complete what we refer to as a ‘child-specific’ assessment. This means the final written recommendation of the assessment is specific to the child you plan to adopt and may state something like “Mr. and Mrs. Jones are approved to adopt Johnny Smith.” If there is the possibility you may want to adopt again in the future, you may wish to ask your agency to approve you to adopt in general. In this case, your pre-placement assessment might recommend that “Mr. and Mrs. Jones are approved to adopt up to two children, ages 5–15, of any gender and race with moderate emotional, physical, and/or learning needs.”

North Carolina’s pre-placement assessments are valid for 18 months, but should be updated whenever there is a major change in the family’s situation.

Have you seen the child’s pre-adoptive summary?

Each child in the custody of a North Carolina county department of social services has received numerous services ranging from educational assessments to psychological assessments and counseling. When the plan becomes adoption, the child’s caseworker develops a written, pre-adoptive summary shortly after the child becomes legally free for adoption. This summary is a comprehensive history of the child’s circumstances and special needs.

The pre-adoptive summary documents why the child was placed in foster care, the background of his or her birth parents, and his or her experiences in foster care, including a summary of all placements and services received. The pre-adoptive summary outlines any medical, educational and/or emotional special needs this child has and any potential handicapping conditions the child might be predisposed to based on the background information known to the agency. While the child’s agency makes a good faith effort to obtain all vital information, some important facts may be withheld from social workers. The pre-adoptive summary also discusses the child’s eligibility for adoption subsidy, relationships to birth and foster family, as well as school issues and any current behavior issues.

If a child has been in your home for quite some time, you may feel as though you know this child and do not see the need to review his or her pre-adoptive summary. I urge you to review this summary, however, because the information it contains is key to fully understanding the child and may, in fact, provide you with information that may not have been previously disclosed to you. Having your child’s complete history will help you successfully parent him or her in the future and help you answer questions your child might have.

Will you be expected to continue with birth family or sibling visitation?

As you already know, children will never and should never forget their birth families. The child may have a relative who is very important to the child and has regular contact with the child, but may not be able to adopt. In some cases, it is not in one or more of the siblings’ best interest to be placed together, yet they will yearn for one another. The child’s agency may talk with you about your ability to continue relative and/or sibling visitation or contact after the adoption is finalized. Please know your family’s strengths well enough to know whether or not you would be able to do this, and be honest with your social worker about your comfort level with birth family contact. Your social worker will be able to help you problem solve if they know your concerns up front.

What type of financial assistance will you receive?

As a former foster parent, I know that no one becomes a foster parent because of financial incentives. No one chooses to adopt because of financial incentives, either. But, every little bit helps provide the necessary clothes and food as well as the therapy and educational services often needed. The child’s agency must determine what subsidies the child qualifies for shortly after the child is legally free for adoption. They may ask you if you would be able to adopt without financial assistance, but as we all know, that is often unrealistic. The majority of children in the foster care system in North Carolina will be eligible for some form of adoption subsidy. If you are told that a child is not eligible for adoption assistance and wish to appeal, please contact the State Office (800-662-7030) for assistance. At a minimum, most children typically qualify for cash assistance, vendor payments, Medicaid, and post-adoption services. The agency must discuss subsidies with you prior to the finalization of adoption.

These subsidies will begin the first of the month after the adoption has been finalized. Your foster care board rate will continue until the finalization of the adoption. This can result in a temporary reduction in the financial support you receive. For example, if you finalize the adoption on the 5th of the month, your board rate payment will be only for those five days and your adoption subsidy will not begin until the 1st of the following month. Cautionary Tip: If this short-term reduction in the board payment would create a financial hardship for your family, inform your social worker. He or she will then know to complete the paperwork for finalizing the adoption and send it to the clerk later in the month, rather than early in the month, thus reducing or avoiding a financial hardship for your family.

The monthly cash assistance is currently the same rate as the foster care board rate (unless the child’s agency makes other arrangements). That rate is $315 for children ages 0–5; $365 for children ages 6–12; and $415 for children ages 13–18. Vendor agreements are $2,400 a year and can be used to help offset medical and/or therapy costs that Medicaid does not cover in addition to numerous other remedial services your child may need to alleviate a condition that existed prior to the adoptive placement. Examples of remedial services include, but are not limited to, tutorial service, tuition, specialized day care, braces for teeth, repair of broken glasses, respite care, specialized clothing or equipment, computers, etc. Some children also qualify for a one-time reimbursement up to $2,000 for non-recurring costs. Non-recurring items could include such things as the cost of your pre-placement assessment, including physical and psychological examinations, transportation and reasonable costs of lodging and food for the child and/or the adopting parents when necessary to complete the placement or adoption process, adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, and/or supervision of the placement.

Post-adoption support (including therapy, support groups, respite, etc.) varies from agency to agency. This, in my opinion, is one of the most crucial aspects you should discuss with your agency. How accessible will your agency be to you for advice? What are your options for respite care? Are there support groups in your area? It is always best to know ahead of time what you can expect from your agency after finalization. That way you will be able to formulate a plan for post-adoption services which meets your families needs.

These are just some of the key items to think about when you are considering adopting a child. Your role as foster parents is critical in these children’s lives. If they are in your home one month, one year, or a lifetime, you are making a tremendous impact on them by providing a safe, loving environment.

For more information on adoption in North Carolina, please call the NC Kids Adoption and Foster Care Network toll-free at 877-625-4371 (877-NCKIDS-1). Representatives are available from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Jeanne Preisler is the Director of NC Kids, which works to improve the placement outcomes for the children of North Carolina awaiting adoption.

Copyright � 2002 Jordan Institute for Families