Preparing Adoptive Families

Resources for professionals working with resource families (foster, adoptive, and kinship) to help prepare them for becoming adoptive parents, including State and local examples.

Adoption Competency Curriculum
Provides access to a comprehensive curriculum for training child welfare practitioners in public and private agencies who provide adoption services for children and youth who have been abused or neglected. Includes written and DVD training materials with a module specifically on child/youth assessment and preparation.

Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child
Series Title Factsheets for Families
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability View
Download (PDF - 470KB)
Year Published 2012
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.

Prepermanency Services for Adoptive and Guardianship Families (PDF - 191 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Defines prepermanency services for prospective adoptive and guardianship families and raises awareness about the need for more prepermanency services supports alongside postpermanency supports.

Providing Adoptive Parents With Information About Adoptees and Their Birth Families
Series Title State Statutes
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability View
Download (PDF - 525KB)
Year Published 2016
Summarizes State laws regarding the types of information that adoptive parents are provided about the background of the child they are hoping to adopt. The information generally relates to medical and genetic history, family and social background, and mental health history of the child and the child's birth family. For the adopted child or youth, it may also include placement history and any history of abuse or neglect. Exceptions for stepparent and relative adoptions also are discussed.
Providing Background Information to Adoptive Parents
Series Title Bulletins for Professionals
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Availability View
Download (PDF - 495KB)
Order (Free)
Year Published 2012
Outlines child welfare professionals' legal responsibility to provide background information to adoptive families about their prospective child or youth. The bulletin outlines the benefits of disclosure to the child, the adoptive family, and the adoption agency. It addresses the information that should be provided, helping families understand the information, international adoption where little or no information is available, wrongful adoption, and additional resources.

Support Matters: Lessons From the Field on Services for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Care Families (PDF - 2,170 KB)
National Resource Center for Diligent Recruitment at AdoptUSKids (2015)
Provides details on specific program models, including services for older youth, parents, and families and tips for implementing and sustaining support services.

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State and local examples

Adoption Practice Guidelines (PDF - 951 KB)
Utah Division of Child and Family Services (2017)
Gives child welfare agency practice guidelines for adoption services for children in Utah. The guidelines include adoptive family recruitment, qualifying an adoptive family, matching the child and the adoptive family, and the adoption permanency goal decision.

Adoptive Parent Handbook (PDF - 113 KB)
New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Child Protection and Permanency, Office of Adoption Operations (2013)
Provides general information on the adoption process in New Jersey, including who can adopt, the licensing process, placement decisions, and adoption subsidy.

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