Agree with so much, bunnykins. Too often it's not possible to adopt non-infant AA children into AA families simply for lack of families, so it's adopt them to parents of a different ethnicity or stay in the foster system forever (which means being adults with no parents, forever). HOWEVER - that doesn't mean it's okay not to try for a good long while, to try first and foremost to make family placements actually work, or okay to send them cross-country with no regard to their family/ethnicity/culture/geography of origin without a prolonged effort nearby first. Adoptive parents should certainly be informed of studies indicating which practices lead to the best long-term results with regard to everything, including cultural contact, and in my opinion, if the state is going to send a check every month to pay for their care, it should come with annual check-ins on their medical status and contact with local law enforcement and child protective services. That should be the price of the money that comes with it.
After all, the government doesn't pay me to raise my biological children. Money comes with strings attached, IMO.
Great post!
So what can we actually DO to make kids safer that are adopted as older kids from foster care and TPR, domestically? (Other than complaining about it, and wringing our hands?)
I have more than a few suggestions, as an adoptive parent, and as a health care professional. How about we take a page from the requirements for international adoptive parents, and add a few more interdisciplinary safety layers?
Nearly everything below (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6) is a requirement for parents who adopt internationally. I know from firsthand experience, because we just finished our 5 year regimen for our youngest child.
Would these requirements make it safer for domestically adopted kids from foster care? Unquestionably so. These are requirements for international adoptions to more strongly ensure fewer adoption disruptions, and ensure the proper care, safety, and socialization of the child who has experienced severe disruption in their early lives. But they would grind domestic adoption of kids to an almost instant halt, because
very, very few prospective adoptive parents, IMO, would be willing to agree to this level of intrusive and close oversight.
1. Require domestic adoptive parents to agree to a prolonged period of social services follow up, that they must PRE-PAY social services agency before the adoptions are finalized. Include penalty deposit of several thousand dollars that will be escrowed and returned (with interest) after 5 years if all criteria are adhered to by the adoptive family.
2. Do not permit additional adoptions within the first 5 years of adoption.
3. Do not allow adoptions of children out of natural birth order. (ie, adoptions of new children can only be younger than the youngest child currently residing in the home, and no children can be adopted older than the oldest child living in the home.
4. At least FIVE YEARS of twice yearly follow up by licensed social workers, with a formal report written. Require INDIVIDUAL reports on each child, not “group” reports for multiple children.
• Home visit, plus office visit
• Documentation by SW of child’s individual socialization with relatives, friends, neighbors, including activities of interest (sports, clubs, etc.)
• Documentation of any discipline related issues, including all contacts with law enforcement, and the outcomes. Include documentation of all contacts with law enforcement for the adoptive parents, as well as the outcome.
• Thorough documentation of schooling arrangement—whether homeschooled, or in traditional schools, or online schools. Documentation of registration of homeschoolers and curriculum used. Documentation of educational assessments done every other year for school aged children in homeschool situations.
• Requirement for continuous health insurance for the adopted child, and at least annual visits to primary care, documentation of dates of service, and letter from primary care confirming visits, evaluation, and care.
• Requirement for annual dental services, and documentation of provider/ date/ etc.
• Requirement for annual optometric screening, with documentation of provider/ date
• Requirement for psychosocial evaluation of child by psychological professional every 12-24 months, with waiver letter if no services required.
• Annual screening for parents and adoptive children, for 5 years, for illegal drugs, with appropriate follow up for positive results.
**We were required to sign an affidavit BEFORE adoption that we understood that if we missed any of the required follow ups, or moved without notifying, or raised any red flags during our first 5 years, we would be referred to law enforcement and CPS within 30 days. We were not required to do ongoing drug testing, but I think it is a prudent requirement, and don't view it as too invasive.
