1.   Protocol for placing a child in an adoptive placement.

(1) Within five days of the Child Welfare (CW) worker's determination that the child's permanency plan is adoption, the CW worker notifies the area adoption supervisor by e-mail or memo of the need for an adoption consultation.  The CW worker does not wait for a court hearing, a finding of reasonable efforts have been made and failed, or until parental rights are terminated.  This process begins as soon as the CW worker determines that the plan for reunification is no longer feasible.

(A) The e-mail or memo includes the child's name, date of birth, KK#, and legal status, briefly summarized; and whether there is an identified adoptive placement resource for the child. 

(B) Upon receipt of the e-mail or memo, the area adoption supervisor assigns an adoption specialist to assist the CW worker and the child in the adoption matching and placement process. 

(2) No later than 30 days after notification, the CW worker and adoption specialist participate in an adoption consultation to discuss:

(A) legal status, and any barriers to termination of parental rights;

(B) whether there are siblings, placement of the siblings, and whether there is a need to request separation of siblings, per OAC 340:75-15-43;

(C) results of diligent search and availability of relative placement;

(D) prospective adoptive caregiver, if applicable;

(E) date for criteria staffing and persons to invite to the criteria staffing;

(F) plan for copying the biological case;

(G) referral for Child Profile; and

(H) referral for medical records from Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

(3) Before the criteria staffing, the CW worker and CW supervisor fill out sections of Form 04AN020E, Adoptive Placement Criteria Staffing.  The entire form is completed during the criteria staffing. 

(4) A criteria staffing is held per OAC 340:75-15-41.  The CW worker is a mandatory participant in the staffing.

(A) If a prospective adoptive parent is identified during the criteria staffing, and no placement concerns are noted, the adoption specialist completes the steps necessary to obtain an adoptive home assessment, per OAC 340:75-15-88.

(i) No later than five working days after receipt of the approved adoptive assessment, the CW worker initiates authorization of the selected prospective adoptive placement, per OAC 340:75-15-45.

(ii) If the prospective adoptive parent is not approved, the CW worker refers the child to the next Statewide Adoption Staffing available after receipt of the unapproved family assessment, per OAC 340:75‑15-14.

(B) If a prospective adoptive parent is not identified during the criteria staffing, the CW worker refers the child to the next Statewide Adoption Staffing available after receipt of the Child Profile, per OAC 340:75‑15‑14.

(5) A Statewide Adoption Staffing is held per OAC 340:75-15-14 for a child with no identified prospective adoptive parent.

(A) If a prospective adoptive parent is identified, the CW worker:

(i) reads each resource family assessment no later than ten working days after the staffing, if there are ten or fewer prospective adoptive parent identified; or

(ii) contacts the adoption specialist for assistance in screening the families and reads the selected family assessments no later than one month after the staffing, if there are more than ten prospective adoptive parents identified ; and

(iii) no later than five working days after selection of the prospective adoptive placement, initiates authorization of the selected prospective adoptive placement per OAC 340:75-15-45.

(B) If no prospective adoptive parent is identified, the CW worker:

(i) refers the child no later than ten working days after the staffing for child specific targeted recruitment, per OAC 340:75‑15-82;

(ii) works diligently to find a prospective adoptive parent for the child; and

(iii) no later than five working days after selection of the prospective adoptive parent by review of adoptive assessment(s) received through the recruitment process, initiates authorization of the selected prospective adoptive placement, per OAC 340:75-15-45.

(6) During the search for an adoptive placement, the child's worker ensures that the child is emotionally and psychologically prepared and ready to accept a new family.  The child's worker prepares the child for adoptive placement through a series of steps and activities and enlists the child's current caregiver in facilitating the preparation process.  The child's worker discusses with the child:

(A) the child's understanding of why the child is in foster care.  This helps the worker determine if the child's understanding is based upon accurate information.  It is important that the child has accurate information based upon the child's ability to process the information.  The worker solicits assistance from professionals if the need is indicated;

(B) what termination of parental rights means for the future and why it was necessary in the child's situation.  The worker is realistic in explaining why the child's parent(s)' rights were terminated;

(C) a person's ability to love more than one person and be a part of different kinds of families;

(D) the emotional hurt, loss, and pain the child has experienced and may experience in the future;

(E) what the child would say to the birth parents now if the child could;

(F) other children and their situations and feelings as examples to explain separation, loss, and acceptance of a new family if the child will not discuss his or her specific situation or feelings;

(G) the questionnaire, "My Feelings about Adoption," if the child is age 13 or younger or "The Adoption Guidebook," if the child is older than age 13, with consideration of the child's emotional and maturity level.  These are available from the State Office Adoption Section.  The worker:

(i) assists the child to complete the questionnaire;

(ii) attaches the completed questionnaire to Form 04AN022E, Child Profile Assessment for Adoption so it is available to the Adoption Selection Committee when the child's case is staffed;

(iii) asks the resource parent or caregiver to complete Form 04AN026E, Assessment of Child by Caregiver, when possible, and attaches it to Form 04AN022E; and

(iv) solicits assistance and information, as needed, from other professionals, including psychologists, therapists, and others who have seen the child or to whom the child needs to be referred prior to placement;

(H) the child's concerns and fears of the unknown and explains that the new family has fears and concerns too;

(I) that if everything goes well and if this is the right family, the child will not have to move again.  The worker gives the child reasons to hope for success, but does not use terms like "forever home" and "forever placement";

(J) that there are things the worker cannot personally guarantee, such as visits or contacts with former friends, relatives, resource parents, or siblings, because only the adoptive parent can make those decisions; and

(K) the new family and the transition that will take place.  The worker explains the plan for placement, including visits with the adoptive family.

(7) After notification of authorization of the prospective adoptive placement, the CW worker and adoption specialist begin the steps to transition the child to the trial adoptive placement, per OAC 340:75-15-59.

(8) Within five working days after a child has been placed in the authorized trial adoptive placement, the supervisor of the primary county worker completes the appropriate assignment of the biological case, per OAC 340:75‑15‑103.  The CW worker in the county of jurisdiction:

(A) maintains monthly contact with the assigned adoption specialist by phone, e-mail, or in person;

(B) prepares the appropriate court or progress report(s);

(C) attends the juvenile court hearing(s);

(D) advises the adoption specialist by phone or e-mail of the date of the juvenile court hearing at least ten working days prior so the adoption specialist can give notice of the hearing to the adoptive family, per OAC 340:75-6-85, Instructions to Staff 3;

(E) obtains court consent to the adoption, if the court has retained the right to consent, and provides the original to the adoption specialist no later than five working days after notification of the need for the consent by the adoption specialist;

(F) advises the court of jurisdiction and requests dismissal of the court case within five working days of notification by the adoption specialist of the adoption finalization; and