Adoption & Post Permanancy Services
Our goal is to always try and reunite foster children with their families, something we’ve been doing since 1884 when we were started as an orphanage. However, if this is not possible; we are able to seamlessly transition the child into an adoption setting within our own agency.
Matthew’s Adoption Story
When Matthew was a young child, his birth father had abandoned him and his siblings. As the eldest kin, he had no choice but to parent himself and his younger brothers, while being placed in the foster care system. When Jennifer and Michael adopted Matthew, he was introduced back into having a family, but this time, his new family loved, cared for, and supported him. Additionally, both Jennifer and Michael’s real-time experiences working with youth and children helped Matthew seamlessly settle into his new home.
Biggest Takeaways from CHOR’s Foster Care and Adoption Training
“One of the most striking moments for me in CHOR’s Foster Care and Adoption Program is knowing about the alarming rate of children placed in the foster care systems,” Mr. O’Neil said. Adding to her experience, Mrs. O’Neil said, “I have worked with foster children and foster families for many years as a teacher, but taking care of one changes your perspective. These children in the child welfare system carry so much trauma. They pack their whole lives in a bag as they move from one house to another. That causes so much pain, and they carry that sadness with them. There are lots of broken kids in need of families.” Thanks to families like the O’Neils, children like Matthew still have hope to envision a better life.
When adoption is an option…
We teach all of our foster families to be resource families by providing free information sessions, pre-services training on foster parenting, and adoptive parenting. This results in a smoother transition for a foster child and their resource family, should adoption become an option.
As a Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN) affiliate, our staff is trained to provide services to children and families with diverse needs and backgrounds.
CHOR’s Foster and Adoption Staff are accomplished and experienced to understand that the needs of children are unique and are required to be matched with the right families
Professional Staff.
As a Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN) affiliate, our staff is trained to provide services to children and families with diverse needs and backgrounds.
CHOR’s Foster and Adoption Staff are accomplished and experienced to understand that the needs of children are unique and are required to be matched with the right families.
Smooth Transitions.
We teach all of our foster families to be resource families by providing free information sessions, pre-services training on foster parenting, and adoptive parenting. This results in a smoother transition for a foster child and their resource family, should adoption become an option.
Support throughout your journey to adoption and after.
These services are available to any family who has adopted and lives in Pennsylvania, whether or not they adopted their child from foster care, and to those families who are providing permanency to children from the foster care system through legal permanent custodianship or former kinship care. Families self-refer by calling the SWAN Hotline at 800-585-SWAN to request these services, which can include Assessment, Case Advocacy, Respite and Support Group. The services are part of a continuum of services that strengthen and support families.
ADOPTION AND POST PERMANENCY SERVICES
Child Profile
A review and assessment of a child’s life. A child profile contains a comprehensive summary of a child’s life history, current functioning, and special needs in one document.
Child Preparation
Helps children work through the difficulties that can often become barriers for them in finding a permanent home. This process involves an intense preparation that helps children and youth transition from foster care to the permanency option (reunification, adoption, permanent legal custodianship, fit and willing relative, or another planned permanent living arrangement) selected for them.
Child Specific Recruitment
Includes all activities used to identify an individual or family who is interested in adopting or providing permanency to a specific child, whose qualifications match the specific needs of the child. Client Specific Recruitment is requested for children who have no identified family resource or permanency connections.
Family Profile
This service is available to any family who is willing to be considered as a permanency resource to a child in the custody of a children and youth services agency. Some of the components of the Family Profile are: orientation, family preparation(training), pre-placement continuing education to keep families supported through the process, annual updates, professional updates and matching referrals.
Placement
This service is available to any child in the custody of a child and youth agency with a goal of adoption. Placement services are referred when a child or youth is ready to be placed into an approved adoptive home.
Finalization
These services begin after the placement of a child, sibling group, or older youth into a pre-adoptive home. This unit of service cover the development of an Individual Permanency Service Plan, supervision of the placement by an affiliate, as well as a minimum of 3 home supervisory visits with the family and the child or youth.
Post Permanency
These services are available to any family who has adopted and lives in Pennsylvania, whether or not they adopted their child from foster care, and to those families who are providing permanency to children from the foster care system through legal permanent custodianship or former kinship care. Families self-refer by calling the SWAN Hotline at 800-585-SWAN to request these services, which can include Assessment, Case Advocacy, Respite and Support Group. The services are part of a continuum of services that strengthen and support families.
What are Client Rights?
It is the policy of The Children’s Home of Reading to respect and inform each client and their families about client rights while receiving services through the agency’s programs. Clients/families will be informed of these rights in a manner that they can understand.
Adoption Spotlight
Meet some of the incredible children looking for their forever home. Sometimes all these children and youth are someone to love and accept exactly as they are.
Love over genes.
Adopt a child and help them become the best versions of themselves.