Intricacies of Matching International Adoption Presented by Samantha

Intricacies of Matching International Adoption Presented by Samantha Moore, LMSW & Chelsea Guffy, Esq.

Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption Guiding principles Ensuring adoptions take place in the best interests of the child and with respect for his or her fundamental rights Establishing safeguards to prevent abduction, sale and trafficking in children for adoption Key operating principles Progressive implementation, resources and powers, cooperation, communication, expeditious procedures, transparency, minimum standards

U. S. Regulations 22 CFR 96. 48 Preparation and training of prospective adoptive parents in incoming cases (c) The agency or person also provides the prospective adoptive parents with training that allows them to be as fully prepared as possible for the adoption of a particular child. This includes counseling on: 1. 2. 3. The child’s history and cultural, racial, ethic, and linguistic background; The known health risks in the specific region or country where the child resides; and Any other medical, social, background, birth history, educational data, development history, or any other data known about the particular child. (e) The agency or person provides additional in-person, individualized counseling and preparation, as needed, to meet the needs of the prospective adoptive parent(s) in light of the particular child to be adopted and his or her special needs, and any other training or counseling needed in light of the child background study or the home study.

U. S. Regulations 22 CFR 96. 49 Provision of medical and social information in incoming cases a) Copy of child’s medical records b) Full record vs. summary or compilation c) Untranslated reports and independent translations d) Reasonable efforts to obtain information - particularly date custody assumed, health during custody, developmental information, regional health risks e) Supplementary information f) Social information - including birth family history, cultural, racial, ethnic, linguistic information, placement history, and information about siblings g) Continuing duty to obtain information h) Physician contact i) Videos and photographs j) Withholding and misrepresentation k) Timeframe

How to Use the Referral Process as an Opportunity to Ensure Regulatory Checks and Balances: Components of Spence-Chapin’s Taskforce Model Interdisciplinary team (2 program staff, 2 clinical staff, 1 legal/compliance staff) Preliminary review followed by group discussion Assessment of completeness of information Determine next steps (e. g. request for more information or referral sharing) Set timeline for follow up Identify child-specific training needs Discuss training with family Assign training to family Document training completed by family in child-specific training log Best Interest Determination Will this particular match serve the best interest of this particular child?

How to Talk to Foreign Partners and Clients About Incomplete Information: Different Considerations for Different Audiences Will this particular match serve the best interest of this particular child? Foreign Providers and Central Authorities Diplomacy Cooperation over deference Rely on contractual obligations with foreign supervised providers Root conversations with foreign partners in common duty to uphold the tenets of the Hague Convention and best interest of the child Root conversations in family’s preparedness to parent the specific child Appeal to common goal Clients Set expectations Emphasize unknowns Identify risk as risk – acknowledgements in writing

How to Identify Child Specific Training Needs: Breakdown the aspects of the referral Medical information Mental health information Occupational, Developmental, Mental Health therapy review: what services are they receiving? What services may they need when they join their family? Legal history Social history Cultural and linguistic background information Revisit the home study Consider identified needs of the child in the context of the strengths and challenges of the adoptive family

Training & Preparation Before Travel: All SC families are required to speak with SC clinician in person or via video chat prior to travel and while in country Additionally, trainings are assigned to satisfy the requirement of childspecific trainings (typically 5 -10 extra hours of training) Trainings reinforce and build on theoretical trainings provided prior to referral and make these principles applicable to a particular child Assign trainings that require home work, reflection through writing, and discussion Provide diverse trainings - counseling session with agency clinical staff, revisiting community resources and reminding them that SC is there for their family throughout the life of their case

Tools for Compliance: CHILD RESOURCE PLANS

How Child Specific Training Can Build Rapport That Helps Integrate Families into Post-Adoption Services: Families connect with their social worker and clinical staff Families build confidence in their ability to parent and identify their strengths as a family unit Building trusting relationships Families feel they can come to SC during post-adoption (not only at required home visits but at any time) – to reinforce this idea, SC will do a 2 -week check in with families after they come home in addition to their regularly scheduled post-adoption visits Families share challenges before they become crises

How to Follow Through with Training Before Travel: Regular check-ins with the family before travel where CST is referenced and discussed Reflections completed by family for certain types of CST Family shares date(s) of their completion Logged in CST log Shared with clinician who is working with family for their pre-travel preparation meeting where expectations and CST are discussed in reference to the specific child they are preparing to adopt Training assigned on an ONGOING basis throughout pre-travel time as training needs are identified or certain challenges come up as ‘worries’ presented by the adoptive parents Training assigned or age appropriate conversations are had with siblings that already exist in the family to support them in what it will mean to bring a sibling into their home

Case Study Example #1 Referral Information:

Case Study Example #1 Child Specific Training Log Sample:

Case Study Example #2 Referral Information:

Case Study Example #2 Child Specific Training (Content Samples): Adoption Learning Partners: Adopting the Older Child Creating a Family: Trauma Informed Parenting: Practical Implications of TBRI Creating a Family: Dr. Karyn Purvis: Raising Children from Foster Care & Orphanages Dr. Karyn Purvis' TBRI for Teens Adoption Learning Partners: Becoming Your Child's Best Advocate Adoption Learning Partners: Brothers & Sister's in Adoption

Roundtable with Adoption Professionals: We’re so glad we have this opportunity to gather with fellow adoption professionals to hear from you, and your organizations: Ø How does your organization address this compliance standard? Ø What tools is your organization using to document your compliance? (e. g. logs, online fillable forms) Ø What sources of training for CST is your organization pulling from? (e. g. in-person meetings with clinical team, on-site trainings by staff, online webinar or format content) Ø Would anyone want to share an example of a ‘case study’ where you feel your organization did well in balancing the priorities of maintaining the best interest of the child and the child’s timeline, supporting the adoptive family and preparing them to parent successfully and maintaining compliance with this standard?