INSTRUCTIONS TO STAFF 340:75-15-45
Revised 12-15-11
1. Placement recommendation.
(1) The Child Welfare (CW) specialist contacts the assigned adoption specialist for the county where the prospective adoptive family resides to answer any questions or help facilitate the authorization process.
(A) When there are concerns regarding the adoption placement recommendation or there is an objection to the recommendation, efforts are made to resolve the issues through communication with field staff.
(B) When no resolution is reached, the adoption programs manager requests that the Child Welfare field liaison (CWFL) and county director hold a grand staffing.
(C) When the adoption placement recommendation is denied by the Children and Family Service Division (CFSD) Adoption Services Section, the adoption programs administrator conducts a final review and approves or denies the recommendation.
(2) The resource family assessment submitted for consideration is current within one year or has a current update or re-assessment using Form 04AF029E, Bridge Resource Family Re-assessment Guide, per OAC 340:75-15-89. Attachments are current within one year for each household member 18 years of age and older and include:
(A) Form 04AD003E, Request for Background Check;
(B) Form 04AF007E, Records Check; and
(C) the national criminal history record check report based on submission of fingerprints.
(3) The resource family assessments submitted for consideration, are reviewed by the CW specialist assigned to the child who:
(A) completes Form 04AN025E, Adoptive Placement Recommendation - Supplemental Worksheet, when 10 or more resource family assessments are available for consideration;
(B) selects three families best able to meet the child's identified needs;
(C) ranks the families in order of preference;
(D) completes Form 04AN024E, Adoptive Placement Recommendation Worksheet, and submits to Children and Family Services Division (CFSD) Adoption Services Section with a copy of the resource family assessment for each family; and
(E) considers information included on Form 04AN022E, Child Profile Assessment for Adoption, when assessing the appropriateness of the prospective adoptive parent.
(4) The adoption specialist for the family is notified of the authorized recommendation and contacts the CW specialist assigned to the child.
2. Full disclosure and offer of child. Approval of the adoption placement recommendation provides the adoption specialist the authority to offer the child for placement and complete full disclosure with the authorized adoptive family, using Form 04AN006E, Affidavit of Information Disclosure for Adoption, and to determine the family's interest in proceeding with pre-placement visits.
(1) The adoption specialist:
(A) offers the child to the adoptive family within three weeks of the authorization date;
(B) completes Form 04AN006E, Affidavit of Information Disclosure for Adoption;
(C) provides to the adoptive family:
(i) Form 04AN006E;
(ii) Form 04AN022E, de-identified, when required;
(iii) copies of Form 04AN347E, Medical and Social History Report for Adoption, de-identified when required; and
(iv) medical, dental, psychological, and educational records available at that time, de-identified when required;
(D) reviews all information in OAC 340:75-15-45 Instructions to Staff 2(1)C with the family prior to initiating pre-placement visits.
(i) Non-related families who wish to proceed with pre-placement visits are referred to the local Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Child Guidance Center or therapeutic foster care agency, when applicable, for additional review of the full disclosure packet.
(ii) Upon completion of review of the disclosure information, pre-placement visits are coordinated using Form 04AN021E, Pre-adoptive Placement Visit Agreement; and
(E) proceeds with the second recommendation and promptly notifies the CW specialist assigned to the child and the CFSD Adoption Services Section placement coordinator by email when the prospective adoptive parent:
(i) declines the placement offer before or after pre-placement visits; or
(ii) fails to respond to verbal or written contact attempts.