OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services broke all previous adoption placement records for fiscal year 2007. This year’s placements – 1,579 – increased by 16 percent from the record of 1,336 children placed last year.
“To have provided 1,579 children with the hope, love and strength of an adoptive family is all due to the dedicated efforts of the Swift Adoption Unit,” said Howard H. Hendrick, director, OKDHS.
The record number also boosts the total number of adoptions over the past nine years – 11,183 – higher than all the adoptions – 10,769 – from 1967 to 1998.
“Imagine all the seats in the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa filled or the entire population of Weatherford as the number of children who have found safe, loving, forever families in the last nine years,” said Hendrick, who established the Swift Adoptions Unit when he began with the Department in fiscal year 1999.
Oklahoma also has distinguished itself nationally in public adoption. The data from a U.S. government agency report said the state ranked first in the country for the percentage of public agency adoptions OKDHS authorizes.
According to a 2004 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, of the total adoptions in the state in fiscal year 2001, OKDHS adoptions comprised 61 percent of the total. Illinois tied Oklahoma with 61 percent, and Iowa followed with 59 percent. The 2004 report was the most recent year the report was issued.
In fiscal year 2000, Oklahoma was ranked third with 66 percent. Iowa narrowly edged Oklahoma for second with 67 percent and Illinois lead the way with 82 percent.
“The workers in the Adoption unit do an outstanding job of identifying children who need adoptive placement, preparing the children for placement, recruiting and assessing adoptive homes and even providing services to the child and family after placement,” said Hendrick.
Oklahoma also has emerged as a leader in its region for the number of adoptions performed by a state public welfare agency. According to the Child Welfare League of America’s National Data Analysis System, Oklahoma had 8,728 adoptions between 1999 and 2005. Among its neighbors, only Texas and Missouri had more adoptions of children with public child welfare agency involvement during the same period.
This kind of success doesn’t happen by accident, Hendrick said. A number of factors have contributed to the Adoption Unit’s achievements. The Swift Adoption staff works to facilitate better communication between staff and leadership. They meet on a monthly basis to discuss statewide staffing, and each area unit and their leadership have monthly meetings.
“To keep staff better informed about their progress and any upcoming events, a weekly report is produced and distributed,” Hendrick explained. “This report also serves as a reminder of any areas that may need extra attention depending on the focus at that time of year.”
But the process to move children toward adoption doesn’t happen overnight. To help prepare children for permanency and to facilitate the move toward adoption, workers have set up transition units in the Oklahoma City metro area. These transition units have played a significant role in reducing the amount of time children may spend waiting for an adoptive placement.
Hendrick noted that developing and maintaining beneficial relationships with the Child Welfare unit has been a priority for Adoption workers. They recognize the ongoing partnership between Swift Adoption and Child Welfare and that has helped the workers come together to reduce the amount of time children spend in the system.
“While these units have different responsibilities, they often work together to help children find a loving, permanent placement so they can benefit from the stability and support only a family can provide,” Hendrick said.
Managing caseloads may present a challenge, but the unit has devised a unique method to help them handle caseloads. Breakout units help the staff look at smaller groups of cases that have the goal of adoption and work within these groups to more efficiently manage the cases.
Finally, the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System plays a large part in the Swift Adoption unit’s success. SACWIS is a comprehensive automated case management tool that supports social workers’ foster care and adoptions assistance case management. SACWIS was the first case management system certified in the nation.
Because SACWIS interfaces with the state’s Temporary Aid for Needy Families and Child Support systems, it helps workers more efficiently manage case loads and identify children for adoption.
“Having such comprehensive information accessible to staff through this system is a huge benefit,” Hendrick explained. “All the information that may be needed to manage a case is right at their fingertips.”
While accolades and recognition for the Adoption Unit are appreciated, the workers know that each child waiting for adoption represents hope, dreams and brighter tomorrows, Hendrick said.
“Each day, the workers in the Swift Adoption Unit strive to fulfill the needs of these children,” Hendrick said. “It reminds us all that growing families by choice is an inspiring and compassionate event."