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Adoption Policy

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Adoption Policy Adoption Policy West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Children and Families Office of Children and Adult Services Jane McCallister, Director, Children and Adult Services Carla Harper, Program Manager II, Children and Adult Policy Revised September 16, 2015 Contents 1.0 Introduction and Overview ............................................................................................................ 7 1.1 Mission and Vision ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.2 Philosophy ..................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Legal/Regulatory Basis .................................................................................................................. 8 2.0 Definitions ...................................................................................................................................... 10 3.0 How Children Enter the State’s Custody .................................................................................. 12 3.1 How Children Enter Foster Care ............................................................................................ 12 3.2 Legal Authority for Adoptive Placement ................................................................................ 12 3.3 Permission to Accept Guardianship ...................................................................................... 13 3.4 Required Consents .................................................................................................................. 13 3.5 Acknowledgement of Relinquishment ................................................................................... 13 3.6 Relinquishment Process.......................................................................................................... 13 3.7 Abandonment ............................................................................................................................ 13 3.8 Termination of Parental Rights Due to Abandonment ........................................................ 14 3.9 Documentation .......................................................................................................................... 14 3.10 Relinquishment by a Minor Parent ........................................................................................ 14 3.11 Revocation of Relinquishment................................................................................................ 15 4.0 Placement Requirements ............................................................................................................ 15 4.1 CAPS Family Assessment ...................................................................................................... 15 4.2 Child Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 15 4.3 The Search for Relatives ......................................................................................................... 15 4.4 Relative Placement .................................................................................................................. 17 4.5 Sibling Placement ................................................................................................................. 20 4.6 Child’s Case Plan ..................................................................................................................... 21 4.7 Family Case Plan ..................................................................................................................... 22 4.8 Documentation/Reporting Process ........................................................................................ 23 4.9 Multi-disciplinary Treatment Team Meetings ~ Disrupted Placements ................................. 24 4.10 Permanency Planning ............................................................................................................. 26 4.11 Concurrent Planning ................................................................................................................ 27 4.12 Title IV-E Eligibility/Reimbursability .......................................................................................... 29 5.0 Permanent Placement Options .................................................................................................. 29 5.1 Re-unification ............................................................................................................................ 29 5.2 Kinship/Relative to Adoptive Care ......................................................................................... 30 5.3 Adoption ..................................................................................................................................... 32 5.4 Legal Guardianship .................................................................................................................. 33 5.5 Other Permanency Options .................................................................................................... 33 6.0 Transfer of Child Protective/Youth Services Case to Adoption ............................................. 35 6.1 Termination of Parental Rights ............................................................................................... 35 6.2 Right to Appeal Termination ................................................................................................... 36 6.3 Post-Termination Counseling ................................................................................................. 37 6.4 Adoption Specialist as Secondary Worker ......................................................................... 37 6.5 CPS/Youth Services Actions Prior to Transfer .................................................................... 38 6.6 CPS/YS Supervisor Actions.................................................................................................... 39 6.7 Regional Adoption Supervisor Actions .................................................................................. 39 6.8 Adoption Specialist Actions .................................................................................................... 39 7.0 Recruitment of an Adoptive Home ............................................................................................. 40 7.1 Grandparents Rights ................................................................................................................ 40 7.2 Adoption Resource Network ................................................................................................... 40 7.3 Regional Homefinders ............................................................................................................. 43 7.4 Media Promotions .................................................................................................................... 46 7.5 Resources Known to the Child ............................................................................................... 47 7.6 Legal Risk Placement .............................................................................................................. 47 8.0 Adoption Placement Review Committee (APRC) ................................................................... 47 8.1 Membership ............................................................................................................................... 47 8.2 Preparation for a Placement Review ..................................................................................... 48 8.3 Selection Criteria ........................................................................................................................... 48 8.4 Adoption Review Committee Recommendation .................................................................. 49 8.5 Notification of Selection of Adoptive Resource .................................................................... 50 8.6 Pre-Placement Visitation ......................................................................................................... 51 8.7 Travel Expenses for Interviews and Visits by Pre-Adoptive Parents ............................... 51 8.8 Moving to a Trial Adoption Placement .................................................................................. 52 8.9 Trial Adoption Placement/Discipline Agreement ....................................................................... 52 9.0 Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) .............................................................. 52 9.1 Out of State Placements ......................................................................................................... 52 9.2 Referral Process/Documentation ............................................................................................... 53 9.3 Education ................................................................................................................................... 54 9.4 Placement Notification ............................................................................................................... 55 9.5 Worker Contact ........................................................................................................................... 55 9.6 Supervision of Placement ....................................................................................................... 56 9.6.1 Supervisory Services...............................................................................................................
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