FAMILY PREPARATION CURRICULUM

THE FAMILY PREPARATION CURRICULUM

HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS: According to the law, if a child has been in care for 15 out of 22 months the County must request alternatives for permanency from the court. The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) actually requires permanency for all children in foster care. permanency for all children in foster care.

The Hierarchy of Goals for Children in Care

Reunification is the preference for children in care. Returning children to their biological parents is the preferred goal for all children if possible.
If the biological parents are unable to satisfy the goals set before them to have their children reunited, their parental rights are terminated.
Adoption becomes the goal for a child in this instance and the chosen resource parents become the legal custodians of children and this goal reflects as closely as possible the family unit that society deems as normal. This is the preferred goal once reunification is ruled out and the parental rights have been terminated.
Permanent Legal Custody , also known as PLC is when the resource parent becomes the legal guardian of the child. This goal does not require the termination of parental rights and parents may retain visitation rights if those visits are not harmful to the health of safety of a child.
Once the resource parent attains PLC, they have a right to determine the nature of the care and treatment of the child, including ordinary medical care. They also have the right to make decisions that involve the child's education, travel, enlistment in the armed forces and when they secure a driver's license.
APPLA/SIL is the least preferred goal for children as this leaves children vulnerable and without supports in that it means they have not had a resource parent adopt or attain custody.

QUIZ

Can you answer how long a child is in care before the courts seek alternative permanent resources for him or her?

What is the preferable goal for any child in care? What is the least preferable goal for a child in care?

Who The Children Are

The children who are in need of adoptive parents can range from infants to teenagers. They come from every ethnic and socio-economic background. Most of the children awaiting adoption are African American and between the ages of 8 and 12.

For our older children, 31% of them become homeless sleeping on the sofas of friend after friend, or worse, anyone who offers them a place for the night. These youth become homeless because they were unable to form deep bonds with the families they resided with. Though many of the families that care for foster children love them, often they don't understand how the wounds of separation manifest and mistaken their behaviors for purposeful opposition.

Children in the child welfare system and particularly those who are deemed as special needs tend to be older, part of a sibling group, of a minority heritage and may have a physical or behavioral disability. Worker’s must encourage families who want to adopt to keep in mind many of those children will have siblings who need to be adopted as well, and are likely to be older children and not infants.

The term "special needs" is used to indicate that the child may have invisible wounds. On the surface we usually don't know that a child has been removed from their parents, that they feel lost or may be fixated on wanting to return to their parents and all that is familiar. Often when children are removed from their parents they are enrolled in a new school and are labeled distracted, oppositional or learning disabled. But the truth is, they're simply heart broken and no longer know who they are or who they belong to.

Someone in the middle of a divorce from an abusive spouse, or one that they still loved, might not know it, but their co-workers might notice that they appear distracted or irritated more easily too.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Birth to age 3

Developmental Period - language acquisition and development of trust.
During this period children are too young to understand adoption, but the foundation can be laid to revisit in the future.
Behaviors in this stage include: Clinginess inconsolable crying when separated from caregivers. Night traumas, self-preservation through fixation with food, rocking, and/ or seclusion.
Parents should suppport their children’s needs throughout the early years by gaining insight and information on what to expect.
Few children are adopted while still infants in child welfare system.

Ages 3-7

Developmental Period - Concrete thinker only capable of focusing on physical objects, literal meanings, and facts in the here and now.
Developing independence from primary caregivers.
Children may imagine that their behavior is the cause of unrelated events. Tendency to strive for perfection in the eyes of adoptive parents to appear less flawed.
Begin talking to child about adoption during this period depending on child’s maturity and development.
Some experts feel this age may be too early as some children may be unable to fully grasp the concept of adoption; but problems may arise if delayed too long.
If explaining during this period, use simple descriptions and focus on your reasons for wanting the child as opposed to reasons for initial separation.

There are many children’s books available to help convey these concepts.

Age 8-12

Developmental Period – Striving for success in school, peer relationships, and sports. Children are capable of understanding the full meaning of words related to their adoption history.
Will typically have more developed questions regarding specific information like who organized adoption.

Good time to occasionally speak with child about the topic during low stress period as opposed to times of crisis.

Different event can trigger the though process for child i.e. pregnancy, birthdays or other life events.

Age 12-15

Developmental Period – Begining of identity formation; child begins examining his/her roots and questions identity and separation/individuation. Youth begins to examine his own roots, questions his beginnings, and begins to experiment with identities different than those of his parents.

Child may try to identify with certain characteristics that are related to birth family.

Anger stage of grief- Anger. The understanding that being adopted means a family was lost and may lead to feelings of rejection.

Adoptive parents should avoid reacting to anger with anger; firmly set limits and consequences; while maintaining a sense of humor and understanding.

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CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Strategies & Plans

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