Interstate Adoptive Placement

 

PURPOSE

To place a child who is legally available for adoption in the best available adoptive family, assuring that a placement is not denied or delayed when an approved family is available outside of the jurisdiction with responsibility for handling the case of the child. To assure compliance with the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children (ICPC), a legally binding agreement among all states to ensure protection and services to children when placement in another state is in the best interest of the child.

1. The adoption social worker and the placement selection team will consider all inquiries from families with an approved home assessment for placement of a child, regardless of whether the family lives in Wisconsin or another state and regardless of the agency that studied the family for adoption.
2. The adoption social worker shall request a home assessment from another state for any relative, former caregiver or other person that has a close tie to the child and has expressed a desire to adopt the child.
3. The address, phone and fax numbers of the Wisconsin ICPC office:

DEPUTY COMPACT ADMINISTRATORS
Brenda Kritz & Lynn Lehr, ICPC Specialists
Bureau of Permanence and Out-of-Home Care
Division of Safety and Permanence
Department of Children and Families
201 E Washington Ave., E200
P.O. Box 8916
Madison WI 53708-8916

Telephone:  (608) 267-2075  or (608) 266-8501
FAX:  608-266-5144

4. To request another state to complete a home study for a special needs adoptive placement, the social worker will submit the following information to the ICPC address to request completion of a home study by a receiving state:

1. Five copies of the "Interstate Compact Request," form DCF-F-CFS0100A. (Keep one copy in your files);
2. Three copies of a short cover letter outlining the situation and explaining any concerns affecting the proposed placement;
3. Three copies of signed court order(s) establishing initial jurisdiction and subsequent orders, including the court order terminating parental rights;
4. Three copies of the social history and current and past medical background of the child, including any medical reports, psychological reports, psychiatric evaluations and educational reports;
5. Three copies of the medical/genetic background about the birth parents, and;
6. Three copies of the ICPC Financial/Medical Plan and IV-E documentation from WiSACWIS or Maximus.

5. If the placement selection team selects an out-of-state family for adoptive placement of a special needs child, the social worker will submit the following information to the ICPC address above to request approval from the receiving state for the adoptive placement:

1. Five copies of the "Interstate Compact Request," form DCF-F-CFS0100A. (Keep one copy in your files);
2. Three copies of a short cover letter outlining the situation, documenting pre-placements visits,  and explaining any concerns affecting the proposed placement;
3. Three copies of signed court order(s) establishing initial jurisdiction and subsequent orders, including the court order terminating parental rights;
4. Three copies of the social history and current and past medical background of the child, including any medical reports, psychological reports, psychiatric evaluations and educational reports;
5. Three copies of the medical/genetic background on the birth parents;
6. Three copies of the ICPC Financial/Medical Plan and IV-E documentation from WiSACWIS or Maximus
7. Three copies of the completed home study and signed adoptive placement agreement, and;
8. Three copies of the signed Adoption Assistance agreement or three copies of a signed statement from the adoptive family that they are fully informed of the Wisconsin Adoption Assistance agreement and are unwilling to accept the benefits for which the child is eligible.

6. After receiving approval from the receiving state (on the DCF-F-CFS0100A) form that the adoptive home study is approved or that the adoptive placement is approved (in response to items 4 or 5 above), and the placement selection team in Wisconsin has made a decision to formally place the child(ren) in the receiving state, submit the DCF-F-CFS0100B form to the Wisconsin ICPC office showing the date of placement in the receiving state.  The DCF-F-CFS0100B form will initiate ongoing supervision of the child(ren)’s placement. Attach items g. and h. above if they were not submitted with the DCF-F-CFS0100A request. The assigned adoption worker must establish the out of state provider in WiSACWIS by creating a Home Inquiry and documenting the licensing information on the Home Provider License and the Home Provider windows. The adoption worker must also document the child’s placement in WiSACWIS. The adoption worker should create an out of home placement for the child in order to generate foster care payments for the prospective adoptive family or create an in-home placement for the child if the prospective adoptive family has chosen to receive, and has been approved for, adoption assistance.

7. Occasionally, a social worker will be assigned to complete a home assessment in response to a request through the ICPC from another state. These home assessments will be completed in compliance with the requirements for a special needs home assessment in Wisconsin. The other state may have additional requirements for content that may be requested and incorporated in the home assessment. If the other state requires a FBI records check on the applicants, they will have to initiate that request since Wisconsin does not have an existing process for FBI checks. The ICPC request to complete a home assessment should be entered into WiSACWIS as a Home Inquiry with the Inquiry Type "Adoption ICPC". The regional adoption supervisor will then make the appropriate screening decision based on the information contained in the ICPC request. If the request for the home assessment is screened in, the regional adoption supervisor should assign the home assessment to an adoption social worker within 2 working days. When the home assessment is completed by the assigned adoption social worker and approved by a supervisor, 3 copies of the home study, recommendation about licensure and appropriateness of the home will be mailed to the WI ICPC office, accompanied by a letter summarizing the findings of the home assessment and documenting pre-placement visits.

8. When the home assessment is approved, the social worker may be assigned to provide case management services for a special needs child placed from another state into the approved adoptive home in Wisconsin. When providing case management services, the child’s case should be entered into WiSACWIS as a Services Intake with the case type of "ICPC". The regional adoption supervisor will then screen-in the services intake and assign the child’s case to an adoption social worker within 2 working days. At case assignment, the worker will receive from the supervisor the approved Interstate Compact Request initiated by the other state and information similar to the information Wisconsin would provide for an out–of-state referral, except that payments for out-of-home care or Adoption Assistance come from the sending state. The social worker will provide the same special needs adoption services as would be provided for a Wisconsin child.  In addition, the worker may need to provide reports and undertake specific activities to complete the requirements of the other state when those requirements involve direct contact with the child and/or prospective adoptive parent(s).

9. Pre-placement visits may occur in the state of the child’s residence but an actual adoptive placement may not occur prior to the approval from the receiving state.   Special Needs Adoption Standards require at least 3 visits, one of which must be in the proposed adoptive home.  Supervisory approval is required before Wisconsin sends a special needs child out-of-state for a pre-adoptive visit or agrees to supervise a pre-adoptive visit of a special needs child in the home of a Wisconsin adoptive family.

10. Communication is especially important in interstate adoptive placements. Because of the potential for misunderstandings due to different laws and procedures and the possibilities that workers may change, it is recommended that conversations and verbal agreements be documented in a written confirmation letter and forwarded through ICPC channels.

11. Adoption social workers in BPP and contract partners of BPP will obtain the approval of the regional Adoption Unit Supervisor before initiating an ICPC request. Adoption social workers for BMCW will follow ICPC procedures identified in the BMCW out-of-home care procedures.

Forms Referenced:

ICPC 100-A  (DCF-F-CFS0100A)

ICPC 100-B (DCF-F-CFS0100-B)

ICPC Financial Medical Plan (DCF-F-CFS2196)

Return to WiSACWIS Policies and Procedures Index Page

Return to Adoption in Wisconsin Index Page

Last Revised: August 31, 2009