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-
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CFS OPERATIONS MANUAL
Effective Date:
October 12, 1993
Revised
:
March 27
, 201
3
Number:
C
-
0601
Caregiver
Adoption
____________________________________________________________________
Purpose
To p
r
ovide guidelines for the assessment of
caregiver
s who desire
to adopt a dependent child.
____________________________________________________________________
Approved
This policy was approved by
Gary Taylor
, Director of CFS,
on
March 27
, 2013
.
Signature
on file
.
____________________________________________________________________
Th
is
revision
update
s
Child and Family Services
(
CFS
)
Policy and
Procedure (P&P)
Caretaker
Adoptions,
initially published
on
October 12, 1993.
Most Recent
Revision
_______
_____________________________________________________________
Background
Caregiver
adoptions are distinct from traditional adoptions in
that
the
current
caregiver
applies to adopt
a child in their care rather
than
being matched to
a child who meets the ch
aracteristics
the
individual or couple are seeking.
Additional
differences between caregiver and traditional adoptions
include
:
The caregiver has prior experience fostering the child
The child will not experience a placement change as a result of
being matched to a family
In many cases, the child has a pre
-
existing familial relationship
with the caregiver
When caregiver
s apply to adopt
a
child in their care, if a sibling
to
that child
resides i
n another placement,
often
that sibling will also
be considered for adoption by the caregiver.
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The
CFS
a
pplicant
Senior Social
Worker
(SSW)
provides
informational
and family
support
services to
caregivers
seeking to
adopt a child
in their care
.
A
ddition
ally
, the
applicant SSW
is
responsible
for:
Preparing the caregiver and child for adoptive placement in
coordination with the assigned SSW
Negotiating an appropriate Adoption Assistance Payment (AAP)
Program rate
Completion of the adoption home study
___________________________________________
________________________
For purposes of this P&P, the following apply
:
Definitions
Agency Adoption:
A
doption of a
child
, other than an intercountry
adoption, in which
a public agency such as
CFS Adoption Program
is a party to, or joins in, the adop
tion petition.
Applicant
:
A
person who has
submitted
a written
application to
adopt a child
to
California Department of Social Services
(
CDSS
)
,
CFS Adoption Program
,
or
a
licensed adoption agency and who is
being considered by
the adoption agency for
the adoptive
placement of a child.
Nonrecurring Adoption Expenses
:
R
easonable and necessary
adoption fees, court costs, attorney
fees
,
and other expenses
which are directly related to the legal adoption of a child with
special needs, which are not i
ncurred in violation of State or
Federal law, and which have not been reimbursed from other
sources or
funds
.
Prospective
A
doptive
P
arent
:
A
person who has filed or intends
to file a petition to adopt a child
.
The child
is
or
will
be placed in
the p
erson's physical
care
.
Relative
:
A
n adult who is related to the child or the child's half
-
sibling by blood or affinity, including all relatives whose status is
preceded by the words "step," "great," "great
-
great," or "grand," or
the spouse of any of
these persons, even if the marriage was
terminated by death or dissolution.
Sibling
:
A
child related to
another person by blood, adoption, or
affinity through a common legal
or biological parent
.
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___________________________________________________
_________________
POLICY
____________________________________________________________________
In preparation for the hearing where the recommendation is
termination of Family Reunification services,
a permanent
placement as
sessment is required pursuan
t to WIC
§
361.5
to
assess the adoptability of the child.
Permanent
Placement
Assessment
The assigned SSW, in collaboration with CFS Adoption Program,
will complete a
Permanent Planning Assessment (F063
-
18
-
242
).
An Adoption Senior Social Services Superv
isor (SSSS) will review
and request
assignment of an applicant SSW or PAARP agency, if
appropriate.
For additional information on the PPA process, refer to CFS P&P
Per
manent Planning Assessments (PPAs)
(G
-
0313)
.
A.
Referral to Permanency Options Planning (POP)
:
Per
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35179.1(a)(1)
(A), the
assigned SSW is required to provide information regarding
permanency
options to relative caregivers. Per best practice,
CFS staff provide information regarding permanency options
to all caregivers.
Initiation of
Adoption
Process
Permanency information is provided to the caregiver through
attendance at a POP meeting.
The assigned SSW refers the
ca
regiver to the POP meeting using
Permanency Options
Planning (POP) Meeting
-
Caregiver Information (F063
-
25
-
533)
.
Per
CFS
p
olicy
, the assigned SSW will
document relative
caregiver attendance at the POP meeting by completing
either:
Permanency Opt
ions Planning Meeting
—
Attendance
Verification and Acknowledgement (F063
-
25
-
526)
if the
relative
caregiver attended
–
Or
–
Permanency Options
—
Caregiver Advisement
Acknowledgement (F063
-
25
-
532)
if the
relative
caregiver
did not attend
The original
acknowledgement will be filed on the
Placement
Acco
(
F063
-
25
-
106)
and copies provided to:
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The
relative caregiver
Adoption clerical staff for filing
Pursuant to best practice, additional information regarding
permanency options may be provided t
o
all caregivers
using
:
Rights & Responsibilities
—
Adoption, Legal Guardianship,
Long
-
term Foster Care (
F063
-
25
-
294)
Financial Comparisons
—
Adoption, Legal Guardianship,
and Long Term Foster Care (F063
-
25
-
562)
B.
Initiating the Adoption Home Study
:
Per
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§ 35177(a) and FC §
8731, CFS Adoptions Program will not initiate an assessment
of a caregiver applicant until:
A completed written application has been received
The caregiver
,
who is also a foster parent
,
has had th
e
child residing with them at least six months
A.
General Information Provided to
All Caregivers
:
Per
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35179, the following
information will be provided to the caregiver
:
Information about the a
doption process, including:
Information
Disclosure
Application and assessment requirements
Approximate length of time it may take to complete
the adoption process
Availability of any training classes related to adoption
or parenting preparation
Information about adoption
fees
CFS Adoption Program procedure for providing a copy of
the written home study to the caregiver if requested
Information about resources or services that may assist
the applicant in meeting the needs of the child, such as:
AAP
Local Mental Health C
are Plan (Medi
-
Cal Mental
Health or Mental Health Managed Care)
Medicaid (Title XIX) for medical and dental services
and the Early Periodic Screening Diagnostic and
Treatment Program (EPSDT)
California Regional Center
s
ervices
Individual Education Program
(IEP) and Special
Education services available through the local school
district
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Per WIC
§
16119, the applicant SSW will provide the
prospective adoptive family with the following information:
Availability of AAP benefits
with a
n explanation
, i
n writing,
of the difference between
AAP
benefits and foster care
payments
.
This information will be conveyed to the
prospective adoptive family
using
Adoption Assis
tance
Payment (AAP)
Program
Brochure
(F063
-
25
-
719
)
Availability of reimbursement for nonre
curring expenses
incurred in the adoption of the AAP eligible child
.
This
information will also be conveyed in writing to the
prospective adoptive family
using
Reimbursement
Agreement
f
or Nonrecurring Adoption Expenses (F063
-
18
-
324)
Availability of mental
health
services through
Medi
-
Cal or
other programs
This information will be provided
both at the time of
application for adoption of the child
and immediately prior to
the finalization of adoption.
The explanation
about the difference between
AAP benefits
and foster care payments
described in
Adoption Assistance
P
ayment
(AAP)
Program
Brochure (F063
-
25
-
719)
will include
the following information:
Adoption assistance, including financial assistance and
Medi
-
Cal benefits, that are available
to remove or reduce
economic barriers preventing families from adopting
children who otherwise would remain in
LTFC
The significant differences between adoption assistance
and foster care as shown
below
:
Foster Care
Adoption Assistance
Payment base
d on
child’s age and, in
some cases, disability
or other need for
specialized care and/or
supervision
Negotiated payment
based on child’s needs
and family’s
circumstances
Note:
The maximum
payment for which the
child is eligible is the
foster care
mainte
nance payment
that would have been
paid based on the age
-
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related state
-
approved
foster family home care
rate and any applicable
state
-
approved
specialized care
increment the child
would have received if
not adopted
Family resources and
circumstances ar
e not
considered in
determining
payment
amount
Circumstances of the
family are considered in
determining payment
amount. A means test
is not used
Child is eligible for
Medi
-
Cal, but any
existing health
insurance coverage on
the child must be used
firs
t
Child is eligible for
Medi
-
Cal but adoptive
family must first use
any existing health
insurance coverage for
the child
Required group home
or residential treatment
placement would be
available for as long as
necessary. Foster
parents have no right t
o
continue to participate
in the child’s life and
have no right to have
the child placed in
their
home once treatment is
no longer necessary
Required group home
or residential treatment
placement funded by
AAP up to 18 months to
address a specific
episode
or condition
justifying the
placement. The
adoptive parents must
actively participate in a
plan to reunify the child
with the adoptive family
Per
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35179, the applicant
SSW will provide the additional information:
Information about the availability of mediation services to
facilitate contact between the parties to the adoption,
before or after the adoption is completed, including the
development of a kinship adoption agreement when the
applicant is a relative of th
e child to be adopted
Requirement
regarding disclosure of medical and
background information about the child
Requirement of FC
§
8702 that the applicant SSW provide
a written copy of the
Adoption Information Act Statement
(AD
908)
to the prospective adopti
ve parents at the time of
home study
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Copy of
Adoption Grievance Review Process (F063
-
18
-
263)
Laws regarding post
-
adoption contact which cover:
Disclosure of identity of birth parents (FC
§
9203)
Consent for contact between adult adoptee and birth
paren
ts (FC
§
9204)
Contact between adoptee and birth siblings (FC
§
9205)
Information about additional benefits that may be available
to assist in the completion of the adoption such as:
Reimbursement for non
-
recurring adoption expenses
Federal income t
ax credit which may reimburse the
family for all or part of the cost of an adoption
Employer adoption benefits
Maternity and paternity leave
B.
Information
Provided to Relative
Caregivers
:
While best
practice supports providing the following
information
to all caregivers, p
er CDSS MPP Title 22, Division
2
§
35179.1, the applicant SSW
is required to
provide
the
information to relative caregivers:
Options available to establish a legally permanent
relationship with a related child
(previously discuss
ed in
Policy
section “
Initiation of Adoption Process
”)
Resources avai
lable to meet the child's needs (depending
on legal option and regional availability)
,
such as:
Victim's Witness Assistance
Special education services
AAP payments
Regional Center ser
vices
Social Security Income (SSI) payments
Community based relative services
Foster care payments
Requirement for a written application under CDSS MPP
Title 22, Division 2
§
35177 and approval of the application
before the child may be adoptively place
d with relatives
Requirement
that the caregiver
home study
be done
under
either
a full
or
abbreviated format
Availability of and requirements for a kinship adoption
agreement as defined in Section CDSS MPP Title 22,
Division 2
§
35000(k)(l)(A), including
both of the following:
Forms developed which
will
accompany the
agreement
Mediation services
available to assist in the
development of the agreement
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Requirement that a child
age 12 or older
must consent to
the relative caregiver adoption agreement
.
If the child is a
Juvenile Court dependent, or the subject of a dependency
petition, the child must be represented by
an attorney for
the purpose of consent to the agreement
Advisement to
the birth parent of the availability of a
kinship adoption agreem
ent as defined in CDSS MPP Title
22, Division 2
§
35000(k)(1) and of any services to assist
the birth parent as described in CDSS MPP Title 22,
Division 2
§
35129.1(b)(3)(A) and CDSS MPP Title 22,
Division 2
§
35129.2(b)(3)(A
–
B)
A.
Caregiver Adoption
Requirements
:
In accordance with CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35183,
CFS Adoption Program
may conduct an abbreviated
assessment, in
contrast to a full assessment,
under any of the
following conditions:
Home Study
Methodology
The applicant is the curr
ent caregiver of the child to be
adopted, and
Is licensed or certified as a foster family home, and
Has cared for the child, under the supervision of an
adoption or child welfare agency, for at least six
months
The applicant is an existing relative
caregiver of the child
to be adopted who was assessed under WIC
§
361.3, and
written documentation of the assessment is available to
the adoption agency
The applicant has successfully completed a prior agency,
independent,
or intercountry adoption in Calif
ornia within
the last five years and both of the following conditions
exist:
An approved written assessment was made as
required by CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35180
(agency), CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35081
(independent), or CDSS MPP Title 2
2, Division 2
§
35257 (intercountry)
The written assessment document is available to the
CFS Adoptions Program
B.
Alternate home study method for foster parents and
relative caregivers
:
FC
§
8730 outlines an alternate to the abbreviated home
study metho
d.
Note:
Per CFS policy,
CFS Adoption Program
may use this format
under special circumstances
(
e.g.
,
time
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constraint) with
P
rogram
M
anager
(PM)
approval.
This home
study method is available when:
The prospective adoptive parent of a child is a fos
ter
parent
The child has lived with this foster parent for a minimum of
six months
,
or
The caregiver is a relative who has had an ongoing and
signific
ant relationship with the child
This method minimally requires:
A
criminal
records
check
of
th
e
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent
as
detailed
in
the
section
below
A
determination
that
:
T
he
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent
has
sufficient
financial
stability
to
support
the
child
and
ensure
that
any
AAP
payment
or
other
government
assistance
to
which
the
child
is
entitled
is
used
exclusively
to
meet
the
child’s
needs.
(
Note:
The
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent
will
be
required
to
provide
verification
of
employment
records
or
income
or
both
)
T
he
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent
has
not
abused
or
neglected
the
child
while
the
child
has
been
in
his
or
her
care
and
has
fostered
the
healthy
growth
and
development
of
the
child
.
(
Note:
This
determination
will
include
a
review
of
the
disciplinary
practices
of
the
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent
to
ensure
that
the
practices
are
age
appropriate
and
do
not
physically
or
emotionally
endanger
the
child
)
T
here
is
not
a
likelihood
that
the
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent
will
abuse
or
neglect
the
child
in
the
future,
that
the
caregiver
or
fo
ster
parent
can
protect
the
child,
ensure
necessary
care
and
supervision,
and
foster
the
child’s
healthy
growth
and
development
T
he
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent
can
address
racial
and
cultural
issues
that
may
affect
the
child’s
well
-
being
An
inte
rview
with
the
relative
caregiver
or
foster
parent,
an
interview
with
each
individual
residing
in
the
home
,
and
an
interview
with
the
child
to
be
adopted
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Per
CFS
policy, the CFS
Adoptions Program
utilizes
“Structured
Analysis F
amily Evaluation” (SAFE) as the primary method for
studying caregivers seeking to adopt.
SAFE is a uniform
methodology for assessing and writing an abbreviated home study.
The
following
requirements for an abbreviated home study are
governed by CDSS
MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35183:
Abbreviated
Home Study
A.
Age
:
An applicant will be at least 10 years older than the child.
Ex
ception
:
The C
ourt may approve an adoption without
regard to the age difference between the child and
prospective adoptive parent, stepparent
, sister, brother, aunt,
uncle, or first cousin if
it is in
the child’s best interest
.
B.
Interview
:
An abbreviated home study requires a minimum of one face
-
to
-
face contact with each applicant.
The contact will include,
at a minimum, all of the follow
ing:
One interview in the home of the applicant
A separate face
-
to
-
face interview with each applicant
A face
-
to
-
face interview with all individuals residing in the
household, including the child to be adopted
Additional interviews may be conduc
ted as necessary
.
C.
Information
:
An abbreviated home study requires the following:
Identifying information:
Full name, including aliases and maiden names
Current address and telephone number
Date of birth
Gender
Blood relationship to child
, if any
Religion, if any
The following information only if it is not documented in a
prior home study or, in the judgment of
applicant SSW
, the
applicant's circumstances have significantly changed since
the prior home study
Name and address of employe
r and length of time
employed or most recent income tax return if self
employed
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Marriage certificate, if married, and verification of
termination of prior marriages
Any marriages and dissolutions occurring before a
prior California adoption will assume to
have been
valid at the time of the prior adoption
When verification of the dissolution of all marriages of
the applicants is not possible, the marriages
preceding a verified divorce decree shall be assumed
to be validly dissolved
Names, dates of birth,
and location of any
minor
children
of the applicant who are not living in the home of the
applicant
Names, date of birth, gender, and relationship of other
individuals in the home
Report of a medical examination of each applicant
Completed by a license
d physician, nurse
practitioner, or physician's assistant practicing under
a licensed physician
Completed no more than six months before the date
of the application to adopt
The CFS Adoption Program may substitute a health
questionnaire completed by the ap
plicant for the
medical report if both of the following conditions exist:
(1)
The applicant is the current caregiver or a relative
seeking to adopt a specific child
; and (2) t
he
completed questionnaire does not, in the CFS
Adoption Program’s judgment, ide
ntify indicators
requiring
further evaluation or report (p
er best
practice, the
applicant SSW may review
items of
concern with the program Public Health Nurse)
If in the CFS Adoption Program’s judgment, sufficient
additional information is obtained from th
e physician
who has been treating a specific condition identified
in the questionnaire, additional medical examination
is not necessary
A certificate for each adult residing in the home stating that
the individual is free from communicable tuberculosis
The name of at least one individual to be contacted by
CFS Adoption Program for the purpose of obtaining a
reference
The results of a screening for any criminal background of
the applicant and any other adults residing in the home,
unless
CFS
has a current
contract with the California
Department of Justice (DOJ) for Subsequent Arre
st
Notification Services (SANS)
The results of a screening for prior refer
rals for child abuse
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or neglect
Authorization for information from additional sources to be
released to C
FS Adoption Program, as necessary to
complete the home study
The name of the agency that completed any prior home
study related to the care of a child as identified in
CDSS
MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35183(a),
date the home study
was
completed and
, authori
zation for CFS Adoption
Program to obtain the prior home study
In addition to the required clearances run for relative/NREFM or
foster home placement, an adoption home study requires separate
and more comprehensive crim
inal/child abuse clearances.
A.
Live Scan
:
Per FC Section 8712:
Criminal/
Child Abuse
Clearances
All persons filing an application for adoption will live scan
to determine whether the person has ever been convicted
of a crime other than a minor traffic violation
All applicants an
d adults residing in the applicant’s home
are required to live scan prior to approving a
CFS Adoption
Program home study
CFS Adoption Program will not give final approval for an
adoptive placement when the prospective adoptive parent
or any adult living in
the prospective adoptive home has
either of the following:
A felony conviction for child abuse or neglect, spousal
abuse, crimes against a child, including child
pornography, or for a crime involving violence,
including rape, sexual assault, or homici
de, but not
including other physical assault and battery. Crimes
involving violence means those viol
ent crimes
contained in HSC
1522 (g)(1)(B)(A)(i)
A felony conviction that occurred within the last five
years for physical assault, battery, or a drug
-
or
a
lcohol
-
related offense
Per ACL 07
-
54,
CFS Adoption Program will ask all adults
living in the
home to identify other states or U.S. territories
they have lived in
within the preceding five years, using Out
-
of
-
State Disclosure &
Criminal Record Stateme
nt (LIC
508D).
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B.
Subsequent Arrest Notification Service (SANS)
:
CDSS ACL 00
-
33 requires CFS Adoption Program to contract
with the DOJ for SANS in order to receive arrest information
subsequent to the original DOJ criminal record received by
the CFS A
doption Program.
Note:
When the adoption has been finalized, denied, or
dismissed,
CFS will notify the DOJ to discontinue
SANS on
the subject previously finger printed for adoption purposes
using
No Longer Interested (NLI)
Notification (BCIA 8302)
.
C.
O
ut
-
of
-
S
tate
C
hild
A
buse/
N
eglect
C
heck
:
CDSS ACL 07
-
54 states if the state or U.S. territory
does not
maintain a registry, the applicant SSW will document that fact
in the Adoption case
record.
No
further action is necessary.
If the state or U
.S. territory
does maintain
a registry, a request
will be made of the other state or U.S.
territory’s child abuse
registry using
Out of State Child Abuse/Neglect Report
Request
(
F063
-
25
-
LIC198B)
.
The results of that check must
be received
prior to approva
l of the adoption home study.
The
Adoption case record must document the contact with the
other state’s or U.S. territory’s child abuse central registry.
If information from another state or U.S. territory registry
indicates a history of child
abuse
or neglect,
CFS Adoption
Program
will
request
from
the other state or U.S. territory
registry the underlying investigation information
using
Out of
State Child Abuse/Neglect Report
Request (F063
-
25
-
LIC198B
)
. This information will be summarized in the
ado
ption home
study submitted for
approval
and the original
documentation retained in the adoption case record.
T
he
applicant SSW
will also include this summary
in the
CFS
Adoption Program
final court report
submitted
to
J
uvenile
C
ourt
as part of
the finaliz
ation of
the
adoption.
D.
Lifetime and Five
-
Y
ear Ban for Felony Convictions
:
Per FC § 8712,
final approval of a home study for an applicant
is prohibited
if the applicant or any adult residing in the
applicant’s home
has
certain felony convictions.
R
ef
er to
Attachment A of CDSS ACL 09
-
16 for the listing of felony
convictions which prohibit the approval of an adoption home
study.
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The prohibition
applies to
all
home stud
ies
(full, abbreviated,
and updated)
.
If an adult
,
other than the applicant r
esiding in
the prospective adoptive home
,
has a felony conviction
but
leaves the home,
CFS Adoption Program may take into
consideration the change in circumstances, update the home
study, and submit for approval.
E.
Felony Conviction After Home Study Ap
proval
:
Per ACL 09
-
16, if
the CFS Adoption Program receives a
subsequent notification of a felony conviction for the applicant
or other adult in the home during the period between home
study approval and
adoption
finalization, CFS Adoption
Program will det
ermine if the new criminal activity:
P
oses a safety risk to the child
Affects the applicant’s ability to provide proper and
adequate care for the child
CFS Adoption Program is responsible for updating the home
study when notified of a felony co
nviction received prior to
finalization.
Such a conviction is considered a new
circumstance that will require the CFS Adoption Program to
deny the home study if it meets the criteria for a five
-
year or
lifetime ban.
When CFS Adoption Program is noti
fied of a felony conviction
that meets the criteria for the life time or five year ban, CFS
Adoption Program is required to terminate the adoptive
placement per the procedure described in FC
§
8704
.
The
information
will
be documented in the Adoptive Placem
ent
section of the Child Welfare/Case Management System
(CWS/CMS) in accordance with
CWS/CM
S Data Entry
Standards
—
Adoptive Placement and Finalizatio
n
.
Updating
Existing
Home Study
Per CCR
§
35183.1 (c), when significant information is received
after the home study is completed and/or adoptive placement or
finalization have not occurred, an update to the existing home
study is required.
Per
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35177
, CFS Adoption
Program
has the authority
to determine that an applicant will not be
approved for adoptive placement of a child
at any point
in the home
study process.
Applica
tion
Approval/
Disapproval
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An adoptive pl
acement of a child will not be approved until
a full or
abbreviated home study on the applicant has been completed.
CFS Adoption Program will provide the applicant with
written
notification of its decision regarding
their application for the
adoptive
placement of a child with the applicant. Notification
will
include
:
For home studies indicating approval, identification of age, race,
gender, and characteristics of child considered for placement
For home studies indicating disapproval, identificati
on of factors
which led to CFS Adoption Program’s decision
Per
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§ 35215, when a home study is
not approved, the applicant will be notified in writing accompanied
by the
Adoption Grievance Review Process (F0
63
-
18
-
263),
explaining the applicant’s right to a grievance review. Requests
for
grievance review will:
Grievance
Review
Be signed by the applicant or prospective adoptive parent or his
or her authorized representative
State the facts surrounding the action which is
the subject of the
complaint
Be submitted to the CFS Adoption Program within
30
days of
the action which is the subject of the complaint
Upon written request from an applicant
or prospective adoptive
parent
for a grievance review
, CFS Adoption Program
will provide a
grievance review hearing
as outlined in CFS P&P
Adoption
A
pplication
—
Denial and Grievance
(C
-
0101)
.
____________________________________________________________
________
REFERENCES
____________________________________________________________________
Hyperlinks are provided below to access attachments to this P&P
and any CWS/CMS Data Entry Standards that are referenced
.
Attachments
and
CWS/CMS
Data Entry
Standards
CWS
/CMS Data Entry Standards
—
Adoptive Placement and
Finalization
Attachment 1
—
Suggested
Guide
lines
for Completing the Home
Study
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____________________________________________________________________
Users accessing this document by computer may create a direct
connection to the following references by cli
cking on them.
Hyperlinks
CFS P&P
Permanent Planning Assessments (PPAs) (G
-
0313)
CFS P&P
Adoption A
pplication
—
Denial and Grievance (C
-
0101)
____________________________________________________________________
Other printed references include the following:
Other Sources
None.
____________________________________________________________________
FORMS
____________________________________________________________________
Forms listed below may be printed out and completed, or
completed online, and may be accessed by clicking on the link
provided.
Form Name
Form Number
Online Forms
Permanency Options Planning (POP) Meeting
-
Caregiver Information
F063
-
25
-
533
Permanency Options Planning (POP) Meeting
-
Car
egiver Information
(Spanish)
F063
-
25
-
533Sp
Permanency Options Planning Meeting
-
Attendance Verification and Acknowledgement
F063
-
25
-
526
Permanency Options Planning Meeting
-
Attendance Verification and Acknowledgement
(Spanish)
F063
-
25
-
526
Sp
Permanency Options
-
Caregiver Advisement
Acknowledgem
ent
F063
-
25
-
532
Permanency Options
-
Caregiver Advisement
Acknowledgement
(Spanish)
F063
-
25
-
532
Sp
Rights & Respo
nsibilities
-
Adoption, Legal
Guardianship, Long
-
term Foster Care
F063
-
25
-
294
Rights & Responsibilities
-
Adoption, Legal
Guardianship, Long
-
term Foster Care
(Spanish)
F063
-
25
-
294Sp
Fin
ancial Comparisons
—
Adoption, Legal
Guardianship, and Long Term Foster Care
F063
-
25
-
562
Financial Comparisons
—
Adoption, Legal
Guardianship, and Long Term Foster Care
(Spanish)
F063
-
25
-
562Sp
Caregiver Adoptive Agreement and Release of
Information
F063
-
18
-
133
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Caregiver Adoptive Agreement and Release of
Information
(Spanish)
F063
-
18
-
133
Sp
Application for
Adoption of a Child
AD
521
Out
-
of
-
State Disclosure & Criminal Record
Statement
LIC 508D
Out of State Child Abuse/Neglect Report
Request
F063
-
25
-
LIC198B
Adoption Information Act Statement
AD 908
Reimbursement Agreement for Nonrecurring
Adoption Expenses
F063
-
18
-
324
Adoption Approval Letter
F063
-
18
-
304
Adoption Approval Letter
(Spanish)
F063
-
18
-
304Sp
No Longer Interested (NLI) Notification
BCIA 8302
Cover Letter for Personal Reference
F063
-
18
-
305
Cover Letter for Personal Reference
(Spanish)
F063
-
18
-
305Sp
Cover Letter for Student Evaluation
F063
-
18
-
103
Emp
loyment Reference for Adoption/
Foster
Care
F063
-
18
-
117
Student Evaluation Form
F063
-
18
-
102
Caregiver Applicant Home Study Process
Checklist
F063
-
25
-
716
Caregiver Assignment Letter
F063
-
25
-
723
Caregiver Assignment Letter
(Spanish)
F063
-
25
-
723Sp
_________________________________________________________________
___
Forms listed below may be completed in hard copy (including multi
-
copy NCR forms).
For reference purposes only,
links are
provided to view these hard copy forms, where available.
Form Name
Form Number
Structu
red Applicant Fami
ly Evaluation
(SAFE)
—
Psychosocial Inventory
Consortium for
Children
Hard Copy
Forms
SAFE Home Study
—
Individual
Consortium for
Children
SAFE Home Study
—
Couple
Consortium for
Children
SAFE Questionnaire
Ι
Consortium for
Children
SAFE Questionnaire
ΙΙ
Consortium for
Children
SAFE Reference form
Consortium for
Children
Placement Acco Insert
(Red)
F063
-
25
-
106
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____________________________________________________________________
The following forms may
only
be obtained in CWS/CMS.
For
reference purp
oses only,
links are provided to view these
CWS/CMS forms, where available.
Form Name
Form Number
CWS/CMS
Forms
Permanency Planning Assessment
F063
-
18
-
242
___________________________________
_________________________________
Brochures to distribute in conjunction with this procedure include:
Brochure Name
Brochure Number
Adoption Grievance Review Process
F063
-
18
-
263
Adoption Grievance Review Process
(Spanish)
F063
-
18
-
263Sp
Brochures
Adoption Assistance Payment (AAP)
Progr
am Brochure
F063
-
25
-
719
____________________________________________________________________
LEGAL MANDATES
____________________________________________________________________
Family Code (FC) Section (§) 8702
requires the adoption agency to provide a
statement to the birth parents and the adoptive parents regarding
the need to keep
CFS
apprised of
a
current address
in case
future contact
is
req
uired or desired.
FC § 8712
describes required criminal information for adoption including fingerprints,
criminal records, prohibited placements,
and fees
.
FC
§ 8714.5
presents a broad outline of the requirements for adoption by a relative
including steps which will expedite the adoption p
rocess.
FC
§
8730
specifies that for a child who has lived with a foster parent for a minimum
of six months or a relative who has maintained an o
ngoing and significant
relationship with the child, the scope of the home study can be narrowed.
FC
§
8731
states that the
assessment
(d
escribed
in FC
§
8730
)
of
a foster parent
who is the caregiver of the child cannot commence until the child has been in the
home for
at least
six months.
F
C
§
9203
–
9205
addresses birth parent confidentiality and contact between the
adoptee
,
birth
parents,
and siblings
.
Health and Safety Code
(HSC)
§
1522 (g)(1)(B)(A)(i)
describes
the circumstances
which under which a criminal exemption can or cannot be granted.
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Welfare and Institution Cod
e (WIC) § 361.3
provides
for the preferential treatment of
relatives as to placement of the child.
W
IC § 361.5
states that if the C
ourt orders tha
t reunification services not be provided,
CFS
will
prepare an analysis of the likelihood of adoption.
WIC § 366.26(n)
describes the steps to
follow
when terminating an adoptive
placement.
WIC
§
16119
and
C
alifornia
D
e
partment of Social
S
ervices (CDSS) Manual of
Policies and Procedures
(
MPP
)
Title 22, Division 2
§ 35177(d)
detail
the requirement
for providing the applicant with written
information regarding
AAP
.
WIC
§
16122
describes
the Private Agency Adoption Reimbursement Program
(PAARP)
.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§ 35000 (K)(1
)(A)
provides details as to the structure
of a Kinship Adoption Agreement.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35044
details the protocol to be used
when home
study documents are unava
ilable
.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35081
states that
CFS Adoption Program will
assess the adoption applicants to determine their suitability as adoptive parents.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35129.1(b)(3)(A
–
B)
describes the advisements
to
be
provided to birth parents when the child remains in their care.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
35177
requires that a written application for
adoption be received prior to the assessment of the applicants. Additionally, CFS
Adoption Program is
authorized to deny approval of
the adoptiv
e applicants.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
3517
7(a)
requires a written application for adoption
prior to assessing the applicant
.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
3517
7(f)
states that the
CFS Adoption Program
will
provide the applicant with written notification of
the Program’s d
ecision regarding the
adoptive placement of a child with the applicant.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
3517
7(g)
requires
the
CFS Adoption Program
to
inform the applicant in writing of
a
grievance review procedure and the
applicant's
right to file a griev
ance with
the
CFS Adoption Program
within 30 days of receipt of
the decision
to deny
the applicant’s home study.
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CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
3517
9
requires that
CFS Adoption
Program
provide
information to the applicant concerning such topics as the adoption process, agency
fees, and AAP.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
3517
9.1
details
information req
uired to be provided
to the applicants if adopting a relative child.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
3517
9.1(a)(1)
specifies
the
three alternatives
available to the applicants in
establishing a legally permanent relationship with the
child
.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
3517
9.1(a)(1)(A)
states that the relative caregiver
be provided information that expl
ains the differences between Adoption, Relative
Guardianship, and Guardianship
when considering
a permanent relationship with the
child.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
351
80
desc
ribes the overall structure of the written
assessment and required documentation.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
351
81
outlines the process of doing a full
assessment of the adop
tive applicants.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
351
83
details the process of doing an abbreviated
assessment of the adoptive applicants.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
351
83(a)
describes the conditions under which an
abbreviated adoption assessment may be done.
CDSS MPP Title 22,
Division 2
§
351
83.1(c)
describes the circumstances where an
update to the home study is required.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
351
84
states
CFS Adoption Program
will
complet
e
a criminal record check of all applicants and any other adults residing in
the
home
.
CDSS MPP Title 22, Division 2
§
§
35215, 35217, and 35219
address the adoption
grievance proc
ess.
All County Information Notice I
-
47
-
05
provides procedure for establishing alternative
documentation when a verifying official document is unavailable.
All County Letter (ACL) 00
-
33
requires
CFS Adoption Program
contract with the
California Department of Justice (DOJ) for Subsequent Arrest and Notification
Service (SA
NS).
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ACL 07
-
54
explains
the federal requirement
t
o
c
ontact
child abuse registries in other
states when conducting
r
elative
a
nd
n
on
-
r
elative
e
xtended
f
amily
m
embe
r
(NREFM)
h
ome
a
pprovals
.
ACL 09
-
16
amends California’s adoption approval process for prospective adoptive
parents to meet the federal requirements of the Adam Wals
h Act.
ACL 09
-
40
describes the purpose of PAARP
, increase in PAARP reimbursement,
and claiming
instructions.
ACL 10
-
17
discusses the pu
rpose and functioning of PAARP
within the context of
Tribal Customary Adoption.