Program Overview

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• ?? Program Overview ??
• October 24, 2007 ? Hilton Arlington

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Program OverviewGoals of the Program

• Written into Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
  Act/Keeping Children and Families Safe Act
  2003/Adoption Opportunities Program.
• An initiative funded by the Childrens Bureau
  over a five year period in two phases.
• Goals are to
• Promote professional leadership development of
  minorities in the adoption field.
• Help prepare participants to become leaders in
  state adoption programs.
• Provide the opportunity to contribute knowledge
  to the field.

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• Program OverviewThe Participants
• Up to 20 emerging minority leaders in adoption
  selected from the states with the greatest number
  of minority children awaiting adoption and
  high-disproportionality rates.
• Selected participants will be mentored by their
  State Adoption Program Manager.
• Two super coaches are also available to provide
  additional support and guidance in meeting goals
  of the program.
• (article)

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• Phase One
• (January 2005 December 2006)
• California, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New
  Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and
  Texas
• Phase Two
• (January 2007 December 2008)
• Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida,
  Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon,
  Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin

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• MALDI Program Components
• Application Process
• Mentoring Experience
• On-site Learning Sessions
• Action Research ? 12 month On-the-Job
  Assignments
• Contributing Knowledge to the Field
• Evaluation Electronic Logs/Journals
• 360 Assessment of Leadership Skills (new)

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Mentoring Experience

• Participants will be mentored by their State
  Adoption Program Manager.
• Mentors and Mentees will be provided training on
  effective mentoring, coaching, and the art of
  being mentored.

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On-site Learning Sessions

• Two (2.5) day on-site learning sessions over a 2
  year period of time.
• Focus on topical areas in adoption and child
  welfare as well as enhancing leadership skills in
  adoption.
• Take place in Washington, DC, following the
  National Association of State Adoption Programs
  Annual Working Meeting.
• Instructors are child welfare experts from across
  the nation.

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• Phase One On-site Learning Sessions Topic
  Areas
• Leadership in Adoption-Change from the Middle
  (Dr. Carol Spigner)
• Preparing for Diversity Challenges and
  Opportunities in Child Welfare (Dr. James L.
  Mason)
• Cultural Competence, Responsiveness, and Class
  (Tawara Good)
• Overcoming Barriers to Minority
  Adoption/Disproportionality (Dr. Ruth McRoy)
• Race Matters Overrepresentation of African
  American Children in the Child Welfare System
  (Dennette Derzotes)
• Permanency in the Courts (Jennifer Renne, Esq.
  and the Honorable Stephen W. Rideout)
• Executive Leadership (Peter Dahlin)
• Database Decision Making and Evidence Based
  Adoption Practice (Tom Hay and Terry Moore)
• Working with your State Legislature (Dr. Sharen
  Ford)
• Kinship Adoption (Mattie Satterfield)

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Action ResearchOn-the-Job Assignments

• Job-related assignments are
• focused on child welfare issues pertaining to the
  participants state.
• of great interest to the participant and
  developed with their mentor.
• Participants have the opportunity to share their
  lessons learned
• Formal presentations made during year 2
• PowerPoint presentations archived on NCWRCAs web
  site
• Presentations during CWLA and NASAP

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• Phase One Action Research Projects and
  Presentations
• Using Technology in Targeted Recruitment for Los
  Angeles County Children by Karen Richardson
  (California)
• Barriers to Adoption for Delawares Minority
  Children by Tiffany Earle (Delaware)
• A Look at Improving Post Adoption and
  Guardianship Services by Legertha Barner
  (Illinois)
• Post Adoption Services A Survey of Maryland
  Agencies by Anita Wilkins (Maryland)
• No More Legal Orphans The State Makes a Poor
  Parent by Valerie Ayers (New Jersey)

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• Action Research Presentations (Cont.)
• Adoption Competency in New York State
  Developing a Post Adoption Certification Program
  by Ernest Anderson (New York)
• Disproportionality in the Child Welfare System
  The North Carolina Project by Tamika Williams
  (North Carolina)
• Recruitment of African American Foster and
  Adoptive Families by Vanessa Tower (Ohio)
• Barriers to the Adoption Process by Deborah
  Green (Texas)

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Electronic Logs, Reflection Feedback Forms, and
Journals

• Evaluation of the effectiveness of the Program
• Mentees are asked to answers questions regarding
  the Program every two months starting in December
  of Year One.
• Mentors are asked to answer questions regarding
  the Program every quarter starting in January of
  Year One.
• Evaluation Forms are given after each learning
  session.
• Follow-up Surveys
• Participants are also given journals to chart
  their journey.

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360 Leadership Competencies for Managers
The 360 LCM assessment identifies competencies
for emerging leaders, such as envisioning,
communication, innovation and risk taking,
problem solving and decisions making, planning
and collaboration, managing conflict, team
development, coaching and providing feedback.

• Phase Two Mentees
• Participated in the LCM assessment, along with
  their supervisors, direct reports and peers two
  weeks prior to attending their first MALDI
  session.
• Will discuss the feedback from their LCM
  assessment at the MALDI Learning Session and will
  begin to set goals for improving skills and
  competencies during learning sessions.
• Will have the support of their Mentors, Super
  Coaches and NCWRCA Coaches during the year long
  process of improving competencies identified
  through the 360 Assessment.

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Where are they now?

• Five of the nine MALDI participants from Phase
  One have been given leadership positions within
  their agencies.

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Now Lets Hear from our Panelists

• Tamika Williams Disproportionality in the
  Child Welfare System The North Carolina Project
• Ernest Anderson Adoption Competency in New
  York State Developing a Post Adoption
  Certification Program
• Valerie Ayers No More Legal Orphans! The
  State Makes a Poor Parent (New Jersey)

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Disproportionality in the Child Welfare System
The North Carolina Project

• Tamika D. Williams, MSW
• Adoption Program Coordinator
• N.C. Division of Social Services
• Tamika.Williams_at_ncmail.net

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BACKGROUND

• Throughout the years, North Carolina has
  implemented various social welfare philosophies,
  initiatives, policies, and practices that are
  intended to appropriately capture and serve
  families and children who become known to the
  child welfare system without partiality.
  However, the African American population
  continues to enter the foster care system, have
  longer stays in foster care, and exit foster care
  without legal permanence at higher rates than
  other racial groups.

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Eight Initiatives Implementedin North Carolina

• Multiple Response System
• Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA)
• Statewide contracts with private adoption
  agencies
• Contracts for the Special Children Adoption Fund
• Special Children Adoption Incentive Fund
• Annie E. Casey Foundation (Family to Family,
  Breakthrough Series)
• Structured intake and standardized risk
  assessment tools
• IV-E Waiver

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Authors Initial Thoughtson Contributing Factors

• Single parent households
• Poverty in North Carolina
• Educational levels of biological parents
• Relatives unavailable
• Age of children with plan of adoption
• Number of placements

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Authors Initial Thoughtsof Contributing Factors

• Paternal relatives not sought
• Rural versus urban
• Substance Abuse
• Culture-cultural Incompetence
• Racism
• Adoption Safe Families Act (ASFA)

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QUESTION

• What has been the impact of the eight promising
  practices reviewed in this project implemented
  in the state of North Carolina and their affect
  on African American children legally free for
  adoption?

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RATIONAL

• According to data extrapolated fromthe N.C.
  Child Placement and Payment System
• At any given time in North Carolina . . .
• Approximately 800 children are available for
  adoption.
• More than half of these children are African
  Americans between 0-18 years of age.
• The targeted population African Americans enter
  the foster care system, have longer stays and
  exit without legal permanence more often than
  other racial groups.

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Summary of Actions to Address Selected Question

• Review of North Carolina child welfare statistics
• Review of literature on disproportionality
• Review of literature on adoptions in child
  welfare
• Interviews with local departments of social
  services staff

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THE LITERATURE

• Vandergrift 2006
• States with the highest levels of
  overrepresentation for Black children tended to
  have the highest number of promising practices in
  place, including subsidized guardianship.
• States with the highest levels of
  overrepresentation of Black and Hispanic children
  were more likely to have satellite offices or
  community immersion programs for child welfare.

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THE LITERATURE

• States with the lowest levels of
  overrepresentation tended to have less widespread
  but more targeted, local programs for reducing
  overrepresentation.
• States with the lowest rates of
  overrepresentation of Black and Hispanic children
  were most likely to have dependency drug courts
  and cultural competence training.

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DATA SOURCES

• NC DSS-5094 Child Placement and Payment System
  (Foster Care)
• NC DSS-5095 Child Placement and Payment System
  (Adoption)
• United States Census Bureau
• UNC School of Social Work Child Welfare Database
  (http//ssw.unc.edu/cw/index.html)
• North Carolina Division of Social Services
  Adoption Policy Manual (http//info.dhhs.state.nc.
  us/olm/manuals/dss/csm-50/man/)
• Personal Interviews
• County Survey of Initiatives
• 2003 AFCARS (Adoptions and Foster Care Analysis
  and Reporting System)

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North Carolina County Data Review

• Reviewed 12 Counties Counties were selected
  based upon county population and state
  geographical location.
• Data from three counties was extrapolated and
  used for the purpose of this presentation.
• These counties were similar in African American
  population density--independent of population and
  size

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Selected County Data-County A

• African Americans
• Are 40 of the county population
• with 20.1 of the population under the age of 18.
• There are no (0) African American children in
  foster care.

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Selected County Data- County B

• African Americans
• Are 30.7 of the county population
• with 24.2 under 18 years of age.
• Of children entering foster care during the
  following FY represented -
• 57 - 2004 57 - 2005 61 - 2006
• Are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to enter foster
  care than Caucasian children

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Selected County Data County B

• African American Children
• Are less likely (69) to be in foster care at the
  360th day of custody than Caucasian children
  (73)
• Are less likely (22) to be placed with relatives
  during their initial placement as compared to
  (32) of their Caucasian children
• Of the 82 children legally free for adoption on
  August 31, 2006, 70 of them are African American

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Selected County Data County C

• African Americans
• Are 38.4 of population
• with 24.4 under 18 years of age
• Of children entering foster care during during
  the FY 2004-2006
• 69 - 2004 75 - 2005 81 - 2006
• Are 2.7 times to 6 times more likely to enter
  foster care than Caucasian children

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Selected County Data County C

• African American Children
• Are more likely (71) to be in foster care at the
  360th day of custody than Caucasian children
  (55)
• Are slightly more likely (30) to be placed with
  relatives during their initial placement as
  compared to (26) of Caucasian children
• Of the 34 children legally free for adoption on
  August 31, 2006, 79 of the children are African
  American

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Lessons learned from reviewing the 8 initiatives
in selected counties

• Multiple Response System
• Implemented in all counties in the state some
  counties further along than others
• Family assessment and Child and Family Teams.
  More family centered.
• Too soon to know the affect on disproportionality.
  
• Adoption and Safe Families Act
• 12 months to permanency do not give time to
  address many of the issues.
• Issue of Substance Abuse is a lifelong process.
  Yields more TPR and children lingering in
  custody.
• Parent have triple diagnosis Substance Abuse,
  Mental Illness and Developmental Delays.
• Workers can negotiate ASFA when they assess the
  family and make the determination for the family
  based on best interest and not ASFA timelines, if
  the two dont coincide however this may affect
  Child Family Service Review outcomes.
• Structured Intake
• Has been a positive tool for child welfare,
  however disproportion remains
• Captures specific family events and should be
  race neutral.
• Separates poverty from neglect.
• Less children are coming into care but the
  disproportion remains

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Lessons learned from reviewing the 8 initiatives
in selected counties

• Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Family to Family
• Targeted community recruitment is an asset.
• Has helped efforts to keep children in their own
  community
• Building community trust has been a formidable
  task.
• Breakthrough Series in two counties
• Only scratched the surface in a year of
  implementation
• Undoing Racism is a critical part of the
  process
• Found there is a difference among blacks and
  white. View world through different lenses.
• Statewide Contracts with Private Adoption
  Agencies
• Referrals vary based upon county knowledge and
  belief in achievable outcomes
• Have achieved adoption outcomes for several
  hundred children irregardless of race
• Another Choice For Black Children has had the
  most comparable success with targeted recruitment
  for African American children

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Lessons learned from reviewing the 8 initiatives
in selected counties

• Contracts for Special Children Adoption Fund
• Has yielded contracts with 16 private adoption
  agency to partner with local county department of
  social service to place children for adoption
• Supports county and private adoption programs by
  providing financial support to agency who meet
  adoption baseline
• Has yielded more agencies applying for Adoption
  Assistance for eligible children
• Agencies have used funds to support marginal
  families in their adoption pursuits.
• Counties have difficulty meeting the baseline
  and/or are not able to expend funds in the
  required time
• Special Children Adoption Incentive Fund
• Counties have to elect to participate at a 50
  match to State Funds
• More than 100 children with extreme medical or
  physical needs have achieved adoption due to
  Fund
• Title IV-E Waiver
• Now statewide
• Still assessing impact on disproportionality
• Guardianship has made a major difference for some
  relatives who do not want to terminate rights of
  birth parents.

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Authors Struggles

• Numerous and complex issues contribute to
  disproportionality
• How to narrow the scope of the question
• What kind of pilot could sufficiently address the
  complexity of disproportionality
• What data to include and what to exclude
• How to balance statistics without boring audience
• Making time to focus on project
• Understanding assignment

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Authors Reflectionson Action Research

• Desire to problem solve rather than pose
  questions
• One question leads to another question
• Ongoing process

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Authors Insights

• Poverty and Substance Abuse transcend race and
  yet African Americans remain more at risk than
  other racial groups to the Child Welfare System.
• African American children continue to linger in
  foster care without support services, more often
  than other racial groups.
• Child welfare is a reflection of the wider
  population and systems of care there is
  disproportion in resources and services for
  African Americans.

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Authors Final Thoughts

• Institutional racism plays a pivotal role in
  African Americans entry, move, and stay in the
  foster care system. At critical decision points,
  the disproportion is more pronounced.
• African American children are more likely to be
  placed with relatives, but resources to maintain
  these homes or make them legally secure
  placements are sparse or non-existent. These
  families are not given the support to maintain
  children within their home.
• African Americans have greater success when
  families are able to maintain faith, community,
  and family connection. When these traditional
  cultural norms are significantly severed, other
  societal supports do not manifest and families
  suffer a disconnect.

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Authors Conclusions/Findings

• Situational and generational poverty are
  contributing factors.
• Appropriate and sustained Substance Abuse
  Treatment and Mental Health programs in the
  community affect African American outcomes.
• The belief system of staff members has an effect
  on the outcomes for children and families.
• A proliferation of general child welfare
  initiatives does not yield targeted outcomes for
  African American children.

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Authors Recommended Next Steps

• Increase awareness of disproportionality through
  county trainings
• Have courageous conversations about
  disproportionality in child welfare
• All workers to participate in Undoing Racism
  training

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• MALDI Presentation
• Adoption Competency in New York State Developing
  a Post Adoption Certification Program
• October 24, 2007
• Presenter
• Ernest Anderson - Adoption Specialist NYC
  Regional Office

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Introduction
MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Extensive Assessment of Needs of Adoptive
  Families
• Findings
• Adoptive Families need to access a variety of
  services from professionals/systems unfamiliar
  with adoption issues
• Need for adoption competent services providers in
  NYS
• Lack of available resources in NYS for
  cross-system adoption training
• NYS OCFS made several attempts (unsuccessful) for
  cross-system collaborations
• Sought funding for Adoption Support and
  Preservation Curriculum

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Background
• OCFS Adoption PIP/Improving Child Welfare
  Outcomes Workgroup
• Formed in 2004 to work collaboratively with NYS
  adoption stakeholders
• Collaboration of stakeholders to address systemic
  barriers to timely adoptions
• Develop strategies to address service needs for
  parents, children and adoption professionals
• Promote cross-systems collaboration to support
  adoption

45
MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Question How can OCFS support the development
  of adoption competency training for mental health
  professionals?
• Rationale Why should NYS support this program?
• Research on mental health needs of adoptees and
  adoptive families
• Concerns raised by NYS adoption advocacy groups
  on need for adoption competent therapeutic
  services
• Successful efforts by other states in developing
  adoption competency training for mental health
  professionals

46
MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Problem
• Life-long mental health issues of adoptees and
  adoptive families caused by feelings of loss,
  separation, impact of foster care placement.
• Families have shared the impact of therapists who
  are not informed on adoption issues.
• NYS families do not have viable resources for
  finding adoption competent mental health
  professionals.

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Project Goal
• To provide university based certification on
  adoption therapy for mental health professionals
  to improve their ability to serve adoptive
  parents and children. Expand the availability of
  adoption competent therapists.
• Requirements/Parameters
• Program must be available statewide
• Train therapists that accept Medicaid payment
• No guarantee that NYS funding would be available

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Approach to Achieve Goal
• Educate NYS on the importance of supporting
  program
• Formed workgroup to help create NYS program
• Collect and review similar programs in other
  states
• Reviewed research on issues related to adoption
  competent therapy
• Hold informational forum to gain support for
  program from a NYS university
• Conduct survey of adoptive families regarding
  their experiences with their therapists
• Meetings with NYS Bureau of Training to secure
  funding
• Collaboration with NY University to tailor
  program to OCFS requirements

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Literature Review
• Bridges Article Does Anyone Speak Adoption
  summary of adoption competency training
  programs created by other states.
• Review of Courses and other materials from these
  adoption competency training programs
• Casey Family Services - White Paper on Promising
  Practices in Adoption-Competent Mental Health
  Services
• Psychological Adjustment of Adoptees A
  Meta-Analysis Journal of Clinical Psychology
  1993 Vol. 22
• Adopted Adolescents Overrepresentation in
  Mental Health Counseling Adoptees Problems or
  Parents Lower Threshold for Referral? Journal
  of American Academy of Child Adolescent
  Psychiatry Vol. 39 Dec. 2000

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Methodology - Informational Forum
• Invited representatives of adoption-competency
  training programs to present to NYS universities
  and agencies
• Presentations on how they created and sustained
  their programs
• Lessons learned
• Sustainability State university support may be
  needed
• Funding IV-E Waiver, Adoption Opportunities
  Grant
• Interest of NYS Universities and others in
  support of OCFS plan

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Methodology - Adoptive Parent Survey
• Client Satisfaction Survey distributed by mail
  and email to NYS adoptive parents. Eighty-six
  responses received.
• 77 of respondents reported seeking therapeutic
  treatment
• 51 of respondents sought treatment for an
  adoption related concern
• 50 respondents went to multiple types of
  therapists
• 26 of respondents believed their therapists had
  no knowledge of adoption issues.
• 82 of respondents indicated they would tend to
  use a therapist who they knew received adoption
  therapy.

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Hunter College School of Social Work
• Reviewed proposal submitted by Hunter
• Began discussions with Hunter on course content
  and budget
• Reviewed course syllabus submitted by Hunter and
  solicited comments from the field
• Received approval from Bureau of Training
• Awaiting final approval from NYS Budget and
  Finance offices

53
MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Struggles/Concerns on the Action Research Process
• Collaboration Division of responsibilities among
  workgroup members
• Gaining support from NYS Bureau of Training
• Strategies for securing funding
• Title IV-E requirement
• Obtaining support for survey of adoptive parents
• NYS restriction on learning identities and
  addresses

54
MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Insights/Conclusions
• Challenges with cross-systems collaboration
• Collaboration and consensus with workgroups
  toward development of program
• Gained support from Bureau of Training, local
  experts in the field to support development of
  Hunter College Program
• Limits on information sharing with non-OCFS
  workgroup members
• Learning requirements to obtain funding
• Better understanding of the funding sources and
  restrictions
• Developed relationships and approach to replicate
  program in other Regions of New York State

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MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Next Steps
• Develop other avenues for providing similar
  training
• Prepare report to OCFS on how Hunter program was
  created
• Support Regional Adoption Competency Programs and
  Workshops
• Develop Adoption Competency training for
  therapists at sister agencies
• Continue to work with Bureau of Training and
  other stakeholders to replicate similar programs
  in other regions of New York State
• Evaluation of Hunter Program
• Presentation and Content
• Sustainability
• Funding
• Marketing

56
MALDI PresentationAdoption Competency in New
York State

• Whats New
• Hunter College Program Refunded for 2007-08
• Additional Constraints
• New Administration at OCFS
• Must build support for continuation and expansion
  of program
• Develop cross-systems support
• New Workgroup to be Formed
• Statewide workgroup ending in December 2007
• Seeking members for new committee from across NYS

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No More Legal OrphansThe State Makes a Poor
Parent

• Valerie S. Ayres
• Youth Permanency Coordinator
• New Jersey Dept of Children and Families
• Presented October 2006
• Updated October 2007

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Developing PERMANENCY STRATEGIESfor Older Youth
Sibling 1
Sibling 2
59
The Time is Ripe

• There has been increased emphasis nationally on
  securing permanency for older youth
• New Jersey has begun to take measures to address
  children aging out of foster care without a
  permanent family, or at a minimum, connections to
  a network of caring adults
• CFSR second round will include permanency for
  longest waiting children as part of the time to
  adoption measure

60
Working Definitions

• Legal Orphans - children in placement who are
  legally free for adoption but for whom no family
  has been found, and neither adoption or legal
  guardianship is being pursued.
• Family Permanence - an enduring family
  relationship that is safe and meant to last a
  lifetime, offering the legal rights, emotional
  security and/or social status of full family
  membership.

61
Research Objectives

• To determine why this population of children did
  not achieve permanency
• To develop recommendations for systemic change to
  correct factors identified to negatively
  influence permanency outcomes (front end
  strategies)
• To identify and implement a practice model for
  securing permanent families for children
  identified as legal orphans (back end
  strategies)

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What We Know About Children
63
In Foster Care

• African American children are overrepresented in
  the foster care population nationally 34, in
  N.J. 66, while approximately 15 of the N.J.
  population is African American.
• Children in foster care have a higher rate of
  physical, emotional, educational, and behavioral
  issues than do children in their own homes.
• Permanency achievement is inversely proportionate
  to the length of time in placement and number of
  moves a child makes.

64

• Aging Out of Foster Care
• Children exiting without, at the very least,
  solid connections to caring adults, have the
  worst outcomes.
• Studies show that 60 of children aging out of
  foster care will, within the first two years, be
  unemployed and/or homeless, substance abusing,
  and/or involved with the criminal justice system.
• Approximately half will never graduate from High
  School.
• 60 of girls will become pregnant with 2 years.

65
New Jerseys Legal Orphan Data

• 304 children are ages 14
• 225 are African American
• Approximately 10 are age 14, 20 age 15, 25 age
  16, 25 age 17, and 20 are age 18
• Approximately 1/3 (112) have a goal of
  independent living
• More than 1/3 (117) a goal of long term
  specialized care
• 43 children have a goal of long-term foster care,
  (established before this goal was discontinued)

66
New Jerseys Legal Orphan Data (Cont.)

• The Childrens Placement Settings
• 112 in foster care (94 unrelated homes and 18
  related homes)
• 65 in residential facilities
• 60 in contracted treatment homes
• 23 in group homes
• 18 in shelters
• 17 in supported independent living programs
• The remaining children are in other placement
  settings (i.e. mental health and medical
  facilities)

67
What We Think We Know
68
Factors Contributing toPoor Permanency Outcomes

• Race
• Age
• Lack of Permanency Planning
• Living Arrangement/Luck of the Draw
• Lack of experience/skill in working with children
• Caseworker/Therapist attitudes about both
  children and families
• Childrens attitudes
• Lack of appropriate services
• Lack of perseverance

69
Approach

• Review literature on promising permanency
  practices/Listen to experts, including youth
• Develop strategies/practice model
• Limit focus to children who are legally free for
  adoption (304)
• Apply strategies, analyze results
• Make recommendations and implement system change

70
Methodology

• Isolate data on all children age 14 without a
  goal of adoption or legal guardianship (2761)
• Read records
• Train staff, and discuss the impact of training
  on practice (discussion questions, attachment 3)
• Conduct focus group with older youth
• Select a small sample (11 youth) for further
  review and analysis
• Orientation session with key Local and Area
  Office staff (One County)

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What We Found

• While African American children being adopted
  mirror their percentage in foster care, 3/4 of
  the legal orphans are African American
• Chance of adoption decreases with age
• Children in foster homes are more likely to be
  adopted than children in congregate care settings
• Goal of adoption was often abandoned when
  children entered congregate care
• Permanency/Concurrent Planning is almost
  nonexistent

72

• Questions Answers ______________
• Please submit questions for the QA Follow-up to
• spauldingwebcast_at_gmail.com
• Click on the link located lower right to start.

73
Contact Us
16250 Northland Drive, Suite 120 Southfield, MI
48075 Telephone [phone] Fax
248.443.7099 E-mail nrc_at_nrcadoption.org Web
site www.nrcadoption.org
Embracing partnerships that buildstrong
foundations for adoption of children in the child
welfare system.