Ad Adopt option Work ion Workshop shop Ju June 2020 ne 2020 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ad Adopt option Work ion Workshop shop Ju June 2020 ne 2020

Ob Objec ectives tives After ter this is session, sion, you wil will l be able le to:  Describe Adoption Assistance Requirements Objectives  Explain Private Adoption requirements and interventions  Explain FSFN documentation for private adoptions  Explain recent FSFN enhancements for adoptions

Objectives To protect and promote each child’s right to security and stability of a permanent family home. Adoption assistance, including financial aid, is available to prospective adoptive parents to enable them to adopt a child in the state’s foster care system who, because of his or her needs, have proven difficult to adopt.” s.409.166(1), F. S.

Adop Ad option ion As Assistance istance Re Requ quirement ements s Specific factor that makes • • Documentation Prospective Permanent US citizen or it difficult to place the qualified of reasonable adoptive commitment child for adoption - noncitizen but unsuccessful parent(s) of the to the member of a sibling group efforts to place child meet Department that must be placed • Under 18 years together for adoption: without subsidy background or licensed old • age 8 or older except for when check child-placing • Never • physical or emotional child is being requirements agency emancipated handicap, • adopted by Approved • developmentally foster parent or Adoption Home disabled, black or relative caregiver study within a racially mixed, or year • significant emotional ties to foster parent

Ad Addi diti tional onal Re Requ quireme ements nts for or Pr Private ate At Attor orneys neys & & Ag Agen encies ies no not Li License ensed d By By the he De Depa partm tment ent The child must be determined SSI eligible (prior to the adoption) OR If the child was receiving adoption subsidy in a previous adoption and it dissolved as a result of a termination of parental rights or adoptive parent dies, and It was determined that the child continues to meet characteristics to support special needs in the subsequent adoption

A Cl A Clos oser er Lo Look ok: : Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion - Int nterv erventio entions ns Even when a parent is not the best influence or isn’t in a position to raise their ir own chil ild, , he/sh she e does s have e the rig ight t to choos oose e an adopti ptive ve famil ily y for his is/her her child ild. It is the intent of the legislature to provide for cooperation between private adoption tion entiti ties es and the Department of Children and Family Services in matters relating to permanent placement options for children in the care of the department whose birth parents wish to participate in a private adoption plan with a qualified family. Section 63.022(5) F.S . “Adoption entity” means the department, a child -caring agency registered under s. 409.176, an intermediary, a Florida child-placing agency licensed under s. 63.202, or a child-placing agency licensed in another state which is licensed by the department to place children in the State of Florida.

A Cl A Clos oser er Lo Look ok: : Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion - Int nterv erventio entions ns An Inter terventi vention occurs rs wh when: : When the child is in the custody of the Department Parental rights have not been terminated A parent executes a consent for the child’s placement with an adoption entity; AND An Adoption Entity files a petition to intervene in the dependency case .

A Cl A Clos oser er Lo Look ok: : Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion - Int nterv erventio entions ns FOUR UR ST STEP EPS S OF INT NTERVENTI ERVENTION: N: Step p 1 Step p 2 Step p 4 Step p 3 Adoption Entity must file a home study with the Court. Court determines: Court must conduct a Court must accept the home hearing to determine: • whether the study unless: prospective adoptive Execution of the • the required parents are properly • the Court has concerns documents have been consent of the parent qualified to adopt the regarding the qualifications to an Adoption Entity filed, and child, and of the provider, or to intervene. • whether a change of • the adoption appears • concerns the home study placement is to be in the best may not be adequate to appropriate interest of the child. determine the best interest of the child .

A Cl A Clos oser er Lo Look ok: : Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion- Int nterve erventions ntions Best t Inter terest st Facto ctors rs outli lined in s in sectio tion 63.082(6) 82(6) inc includ lude but are not li limit ited to: :  The permanency offered;  The established bonded relationship between the child and the current caregiver in any potential adoptive home in which the child has been residing;  The stability of the potential adoptive home in which the child has been residing as well as the desirability of maintaining continuity of placement;  The importance of maintaining sibling relationships, if possible;  The reasonable preferences and wishes of the child, if the court deems the child to be of sufficient maturity, understanding, and experience to express a preference;  Whether a petition for termination of parental rights has been filed pursuant to s. 39.806(1)(f), (g), or (h);  What is best for the child; and  The right of the parent to determine an appropriate placement for the child.

A Cl A Clos oser er Lo Look ok: : Private Pr ate Ad Adop option ion- Int nterve erventions ntions Fla. Administrative Code 65C-16.019(2): An adoption entity’s intervention does not relieve the Department of its responsibility to assess whether the best interests of the child is met…  The Department shall inform the court as to whether it opposes or supports the motion for intervention.  The Department shall oppose the adoption entity’s intervention if the adoption entity fails to provide the Department with the intervention preliminary home study. The Interve erventi ntion on Best t Interest erest Checkli klist st incorporated rporated in rule must t be used to determine rmine best interest rest .

A Cl A Clos oser er Lo Look ok: : Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion- Int nterve erventions ntions If f an Inte nterventio rvention n is g is granted, nted, s. 65C-16.01 6.019(3) 9(3) outli lines: s: Children’s Legal DO N NOT close the case in FSFN but Terminate End the removal Services shall collect CLS/OAG will maintain the FSFN and paper file as supervision by episode of the child in monthly supervision file all reports open/inactive until adoption finalization. . the CBC or its FSFN with a reports from the provided by the contractor discharge reason of: adoption entity until adoption entity. This recor ord d shall ll include: lude: finalization Intervention preliminary home study “Private “Attorney – Agency - Other documents relating to the placement with the Dismissed Dismissed prospective adoptive parents by Court/ by Court OR OR transferred Transfer To (i.e.: anything collected about or received by the to another Licensed adoption entity) agency” Private Agency” A copy of all monthly supervision reports provided to an attorney for the Department Any documents collected from the adoption entity for the purposes of subsidy

FSFN Documentation for Private Adoptions

Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion Pa Page ge • Private agency or attorney created as a FSFN Provider and linked. A new Security • AFCAR (red) values must Resource has been be documented. added to allow those with the applicable • Adoption Details fields are security to de-select not documented until after the Complete finalization. checkbox. • Complete checkbox is not marked until case is ready to create Post-Adoption case.

Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion Adoption Information logic pulls TPR dates from the Private Adoption page. If multiple TPR dates exist from a Legal page or Private Adoption page, the latest TPR date is shown.

Pr Private ate Ad Adop option ion Pa Page ge • Supervisors have the ability to deselect the Complete checkbox when data Void process correction is added to Private necessary. Adoption, which is consistent with the void process for Adoption Eligibility. • Void functionality exists when page is Requires two created in error or people to duplicate pages complete. exist .

Ad Adop option ion As Assist istance ance for or Pr Private ate Ad Adop options ions Not Av Availa lable ble Av Availa lable ble • Maintenance Adoption Subsidy • Tuition Fee Exemption • Extended Maintenance • Post-Secondary Education Adoption Subsidy Support and Services • Medicaid • Post Adoption Services from CBC or CMO (not required) • Medical Assistance • Post Adoption Communication • Non-reoccurring Adoption Contact Expenses • State Employee Benefit • Florida Adoption Reunion • State Parks Benefit Registry