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Summarizes the importance of obtaining as much thorough and accurate medical, genetic, and social history information as possible about prospective adoptive children. This factsheet addresses the questions prospective adoptive parents should ask their adoption agency, reasons some information may not be available, and where to find more information.

This two-page flier provides a brief listing of online adoption and foster care resources available from AdoptUsKids and Child Welfare Information Gateway. One side is printed in English; the other is printed in Spanish.

Ofrece una introducción a las muchas rutas disponibles para construir una familia a través de la adopción. Brinda una comprensión básica de los diferentes tipos de adopción e indica otros recursos para información adicional. Incluye información acerca de las leyes Estatales que rigen la adopción, cómo escoger una agencia o proveedor de servicios de adopción, cómo completar un estudio de hogar, el proceso de colocación y cómo completar los documentos legales necesarios. Provides a basic understanding of the different types of adoption and guides readers to relevant resources. It begins by describing the different types of adoption and goes on to discuss State laws governing adoption, choosing an agency or adoption services provider, completing the home study, being matched with a child, and completing the necessary legal documents.

Describes open adoption, which allows adoptive parents, and often the adopted child, to interact with the child?s birth parents or family. To support adoptive families in considering and maintaining open adoption, this factsheet describes various levels of openness, potential benefits, important considerations, and tips for building and strengthening open relationships. Open adoption is becoming increasingly common, in part due to a growing recognition of the potential benefits of allowing an adopted child or youth to establish or maintain connections with his or her birth family.

In recent years, systems of care principles have been increasingly adopted because of their potential to support efforts to improve child welfare and other human service systems in ways that lead to increased safety, permanency, and well-being for children, adolescents, and their families. However, while the systems of care approach has become more widespread, a clear understanding of what defines a system of care and how it operates has not kept pace. This issue of A Closer Look defines systems of care and discusses how the approach might be best applied in public child welfare settings. (Author abstract)