| Descriptions of Informational Workshop, Personal
Interview, Parent Preparation, Adoptive Homestudy, Foster Family Assessment,
Foster Matching and Placement, Adoptive Matching, Adoptive Placement, Foster
Child's Next Steps, Finalization
Informational Workshop:
Where:
Our Oakland Office unless otherwise noted.
Adopt a Special Kid
8201Edgewater Drive, Suite 103
Oakland, CA 94621
Phone: 510-553-1748 x 12
Fax: 510-553-1747
Toll Free: 888-680-7349 x 12
When: Tuesdays April 1, May 6, 2008 from 7-9PM. Bilingual English/Spanish Saturday April 19, 2008 10am to Noon. Please
call our office to reserve a space, 510-553-1748, ext. 12
What you will learn:
-Range of children needing placements
-Discussion of special needs
-How to adopt or foster through AASK
-Answers to your questions
Personal Interview:
You will have a chance to meet individually with one of our social workers to
tell us about your family, ask questions, and determine if your family building
needs and goals can be met by working with AASK.
Parent Preparation:
New families will participate in a 2 day weekend training to learn more about
the foster care system, adoption and foster care issues, cross-cultural issues,
birth family, parenting special needs children, and the joys of fostering and
adopting. You will have a chance to build bonds to other new families and to
hear successful AASK adoptive families talk about their experiences.
Adoptive Homestudy:
New families complete all required application materials including fingerprint
and child abuse clearances and then are assigned to a social worker. Your
worker will interview your family in your home in a series of personal
interviews that results in the state required home study document, describing
your family and its strengths and desires. This document is used to match you
with your possible child/ren.
Foster Family Assessment:
You will fill out an application including criminal record and child abuse
clearances. The assessment will consist of 1-2 interviews with your AASK
social worker. At that time, your home will be certified as a foster family
home. The social worker will write a brief assessment.
Foster Matching and Placement:
Counties have different methods of matching children with foster homes.
Typically, a foster family will match very quickly with a county child. The
child's placement may be short-term, while the county is looking for another
home or working on reunifying the child with his or her birth parents, or it
may be more long-term. During the placement period, the county provides
financial assistance and Medi-Cal (medical insurance) for the child's daily
needs. An AASK social worker visits the family twice a month and is on call for
foster parents on a 24-hour emergency basis.
Adoptive Matching:
It typically takes 1-12 months to identify the right "match" for your family.
The matching process includes reviewing children's profiles and meeting children at
matching picnics.
Placement:
Fost-Adopt Placement
If a child is not yet "legally free" (most aren't), AASK will certify your home
for foster care. Certification allows you to bring your child home sooner, so
you can be a family while the legal process unfolds.
-Your AASK social worker visits twice a month
-An AASK social worker is available 24 hours a day for emergencies
-You receive a monthly stipend to help defray the costs of caring for your
new son(s) or daughter(s)
Adoptive Placement
-Your AASK social worker will visit your home usually about once per month.
-Your child will be eligible to receive financial and medical assistance
through the Adoption Assistance Program until the age of 18.
Foster Child's Next Steps:
Foster families are expected to help a child take his or her next steps,
whatever that may be:
- Reunified with birth family
- Adoptive Placement or guardianship with you
- Adopted by another family
-Long-term foster care
Finalization:
Your AASK social worker will walk you step by step through the finalization
process and will provide you with all the legal paperwork necessary to
finalize. You will not need an attorney.
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