Post Placement and Post Adoption: What Do They Mean? What are the Differences? Along the way, you will meet a social worker who does post placement visits. The other social worker we are featuring helps with Post Adoption Support.
Post Placement Supervision: Home visits provided to the adoptive family after child placement and BEFORE finalization of the adoption. Following placement of a child, an adoptive family is required to go through a supervisory period that includes home visits by a social worker. The specified time period and number of visits is often based on the type of adoption and where the child was born. Each state and country will have specific requirements related to the supervision period. Typically it ranges from at least three visits to up to monthly visits for 3 – 6 months. International adoptive placements may require a longer supervision period. This process is much like the home study process, except the emphasis will be placed on the development of the child and on the family dynamics now that the child is placed.
Kathleen Cores, MSW, LCSW
Kathleen works with adoptive parents conducting home studies and post placement visits. In addition Kathy works as a school social worker for the Buffalo Public Schools. Kathy has worked with Adoption STAR since the agency’s inception.
Post Adoption Support Services: Any assistance provided to the adoptive family, the adoptee, and birth parents AFTER finalization of the adoption.
Adoption STAR provides post-placement services and post-adoption support throughout New York State, Florida and Ohio.
The agency provides full service post adoption support under the department known as Family STAR and has qualified staff to provide such support.
Wendy Lane LMT, MSW
Wendy works directly with birth families and adoptive families providing them counseling, referrals and support. Wendy began her social work career working with children with developmental disabilities and also worked as a hospital social worker. In addition to being a social worker, Wendy is also a licensed massage therapist. She is able to blend both her clinical skills and physical awareness of one’s body to provide healing support for those in need.
Four support groups have been established to provide ongoing counseling, support and social networking for adoptees, birth parents, birth grandparents and adoptive parents. (ACE, BLUE ROSE, BIRTH GRANDPARENT, and SOFIA.)
The agency provides Post Adoption Education regularly built in to the annual calendar. Post Adoption education is an integral ingredient for healthy adoptive parents. The adoptee grows from childhood to adulthood and the adoptive parent grows from each parenting experience. Parenting itself is a challenge, when adding adoption issues, parents today will find themselves with many bumps in the road, as will our children. The following are a list of just some of the class topics that Adoption STAR features or has featured.
- Raising the Adopted Child:
This class will highlight how to talk to your child about adoption, developing an “adoption friendly” support network and addressing the special developmental needs of the adopted child and the adoptive family. - Financial Planning for the Adoptive Family:
This class is facilitated by adoptive parents who are a financial adviser, accountant and tax attorney. They will introduce applying for the adoption tax credit, other adoption benefits, and financial planning for your family’s future. - African American Hair and Skin Care Class:
This popular class is geared to parents raising African American and Biracial children and facilitated by hair care professionals who provide hands-on demonstrations to care for children’s hair and skin. - Transracial Adoption Panel:
This class will feature members of the adoption triad discussing and answering questions regarding transracial and transcultural adoption. - Growing In Your Transracial Adoption:
This interactive workshop will address common questions and concerns and provide ideas for how to grow a healthy transracial family in our society. - Growing in Your Open Adoption:
This class will focus on developing a positive relationship over time with your child’s birth parents. Topics will include how to talk with your child about their birth parents and how to effectively address issues that may arise. - Growing in Your Adoption of a Child with Special Needs:
This class will feature special needs professionals and parents of children with special needs and will help you learn to navigate the special needs system, including but not limited to medical care, special education, and other support services. The class will also deal with the emotions in finding out and raising a child with special needs. - What We Have Learned So Far: Panel of Adoptive Parents Of School-Age Children Speak To New and Waiting Adoptive Parents:
This workshop will feature adoptive parents who will address how adoption has changed their family and their lives. From dealing with unexpected comments to bonding to everyday parenting, this interactive workshop should not be missed. The evening will also focus on the developmental and cognitive spectrum adopted children go through. - Raising An Only Child: Should We or Shouldn’t We?
This workshop is for families who are raising an only child as well as those considering raising an only child. The interactive workshop will feature a panel of parents who strongly believe in the positives of raising one child and those who chose to raise more than one child. The workshop will also address the pros and cons of considering adopting again. - Telling Your Child Their Birth Story:
This class provides information on sharing your child’s adoption story with them. It will provide advice on how to address difficult to share birth family background information as well as how to answer your growing child’s questions about adoption.
Read More about the Adoption Process:
- When Concerns Aries about the Home Study Process
- Questions and Answers
- Home Studies
- Post Placement Supervision
- Adoptive Parents FAQ
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