Informational Meetings For
Foster Home Conversion Families

PURPOSE:

To ensure the provision of necessary an thorough information regarding the adoption of special needs children to families interested in adopting a special needs child already placed in their home as a foster or kinship care child.

1. Group informational meetings for foster parents and kinship care providers that are considering adopting a foster child or related child will be held at least monthly.
2. An individual interview may be substituted for the group informational meeting to accommodate unusual limitation of a prospective adoptive family applicant.
3. The informational meetings (or individual interview) will present information to assist a potential applicant in understanding the adoption process and will 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 to clarification that this process will not prepare or approve a family for adoption of a healthy young child or a child from abroad;
• Adoptive Home Assessment process;
• State Adoption Information Exchange; and
• Foster Home Licensing.

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; and
• HFS 56, Foster Home Care for Children.

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 DHFS or a contract 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; and
• Whether they have attended a previous information meeting.

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Last Revised: June 19, 2008