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Expert Q&A

	By Maxine Chalker MSW, LSW Executive Director Adoptions From the Heart

What kind of services should an adoption agency offer post-placement?

The key word in this question seems to be "should." First of all, there are two kinds of adoption agencies – public and private. Both public and private agencies focus primarily on the well-being of the children they place. Keeping this in mind, however, public agencies are publicly funded by the county and state that they are in and usually are able to provide only the required post-placement supervisory visits and reports before the adoption is finalized. Of course, these visits "should" include assistance to the adoptive family with any problems they are experiencing with the child's adjustment. If more than these minimal visits are required, many public agencies will still assist families by telephone with referrals to professionals that can help with medical or emotional problems. Many families with children placed from foster care receive adoption subsidy payments to be used for professional services and that is ongoing until the child is 18 years old so that is certainly a post-placement service.

In regard to private adoption agencies, each determines what services they are equipped to provide and which ones they cannot offer due to unqualified staff or financial restraints. The financial restraints are usually more of an issue with a sectarian agency that depends on funding from a religious institution, rather than directly from the client that receives services. They would all provide the required post-placement (pre-finalization) visits and reports and counseling as the public agencies do.

Private, non-sectarian agencies are better able to be creative and meet the ongoing needs of adoptive families after they receive their child. A responsible agency "should" determine these services when they see the need arising. Cultural support groups and social events are helpful to families who adopt children from international countries. The children, particularly, benefit from meeting and socializing with children who look like them and/or are from the same country. Initiating and organizing these events as well as starting up support groups for families is a post-placement service. Some agencies also have counseling services available at their offices for families – either group or individual and/or counseling for adolescent adoptees. If not, I would say that they can certainly give families a list of professionals with experience and expertise in adoption counseling.

Another post-placement service that agencies "could" offer are educational courses in response to needs that are expressed by their clients. Newsletters and information sheets are also an ongoing post-placement service. Finally, agencies "should" make themselves available to assist families with adjustment problems throughout the child's growing up years.

Maxine Chalker, MSW, LSW
Executive Director
Adoptions From The Heart

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