Informational Meetings
for New Adoptive Home Families

PURPOSE:

To provide necessary and thorough information regarding the adoption process to all families interested in adopting special needs children.

1. Group informational meetings for new applicants will be held at least once per month in Milwaukee County and every other month in the other five (5) regions.
2. An individual interview may be substituted for the group informational meeting to accommodate unusual limitations of a prospective adoptive family applicant.
3. The information meetings (or individual interview, where used) will present information that assists a potential applicant in understanding the adoption process and must include a review of the following items:

• Adoption Assistance Program;
• Medical Assistance Program;
• Reimbursement of one time adoption expenses:
• Characteristics of the special needs children referred to the adoption program;
• Role of the adoption program to arrange special needs adoptions only and clarification that this process will not prepare or approve a family for the adoption of a healthy young child or a child from abroad;
• Adoptive Home Assessment Process;
• State Adoption Information Exchange;
• Foster Home licensing requirements; and
• Numbers and types of adoptive homes currently needed.

4. Written information will be provided to prospective adoptive parents who attend an informational meeting or participate in an individual interview and must include:

• HFS 50, Facilitating the Adoption of Children with Special Needs;
• HFS 51, Adoption of Children with Special Needs;
• HFS 56, Foster Home Care for Children; and
• The Parenting Interest Survey that indicates time frames and where to return the completed form.

5. The Adoption Program must ensure that the date, time, and location of each informational meeting are published at least one (1) month in advance.
6. Notice of upcoming meetings will be submitted to the Adoption and Consultation Section Manager in BPP at least one month in advance for posting on the DCF Internet site.
7. Notice of upcoming informational meetings will be posted in the public area of each adoption agency office where special needs adoption services are provided.
8. The Adoption Program must ensure that the informational meetings are offered in a manner which increases accessibility to participants including:

• Various locations throughout the geographical area that are convenient for potential applicants, handicap accessible and located near public transportation; and
• The time of day shall alternate between daytime on a weekday, evening on a weekday and daytime on a weekend to accommodate different family schedules.

9. An Adoption Supervisor and/or Adoption Social Worker from DCF or a contact agency will attend each informational meeting.
10. The agency representative conducting the informational meeting will document the following in a written report to be submitted to the Adoption Unit Supervisor of the region or Milwaukee County:

• Attendee’s names;
• How they learned about the program;
• Whether they have attended a previous information meeting; and
• List of attendee’s who received a Parenting Interest Survey.

FORMS REFERENCED

Parenting Interest Survey

Return to WiSACWIS Policies and Procedures Index Page

Return to Adoption in Wisconsin Index Page

Last Revised: June 19, 2008