April 2004Vol. 5, No. 3Providing and Funding Post-Adoption Services
Tens of thousands of children are adopted through the U.S. child welfare system each year. While many of these children do not require ongoing supports and services after their adoptions are finalized, a significant number do. Casey Family Services and The Casey Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice recently released two white papers to assist States in promoting and supporting post-adoption services for these children and their families.
Promising Practices in Adoption-Competent Mental Health Services (http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid={6D4613B4-E919-4209-80DE-9E4EA83E2F19}) helps States address the complex mental health needs of adopted children and their families by highlighting creative services, training initiatives, and collaborations that can emerge among child welfare, mental health, and Medicaid systems. While the paper reviews relevant research on the need for adoption-competent mental health services, its primary focus is on the perspectives and experiences of adoption professionals and families who have adopted children through the public welfare system. The practices described are strengths-based and family-centered, and include public policies, funding strategies, and mental health programs. The paper also offers 10 steps that public child welfare, mental health, and Medicaid agencies can implement right away.
Creative Strategies for Financing Post-Adoption Services (http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid={CE8CE638-3745-4B61-A813-DE2D6961DF84}) provides detailed descriptions of Federal funding streams, including which post-adoption services may be funded under each program. The report then offers examples of creative ways to utilize existing Federal funds to fund specific services (e.g., using Medicaid to support respite care). Finally, the paper offers specific strategies to assist States in developing and sustaining funding for post-adoption services.
A third white paper in the series, An Approach to Post-Adoption Services, was released previously (http://www.aecf.org/KnowledgeCenter/Publications.aspx?pubguid={49ED6A2C-9AE5-4BC6-B9E9-C4904E6B1030}). As a group, these papers provide States with a road map to establishing and sustaining comprehensive post-adoption services.
Related Items
More information about post-adoption services can be found in previous issues of Children's Bureau Express:
- "Study Explores Use, Helpfulness of Post-Adoption Services" (June/July 2003)
- "Casey Family Services Releases White Paper on Post-Adoption Services" (April 2002)
- "New Study Looks at Success Rates of Adoptions of Children from Foster Care" (Nov/Dec 2001)
