POLICY ON DISRUPTED ADOPTIVE PLACEMENTS
All children in the legal custody of Catawba County
and for whom adoption is the plan are placed with an individual
or family whose selection has been approved by the Adoption
Selection Committee.
This committee is composed of at least three professional
social workers, a supervisor, and the child's
social worker or his designee. If there is a Guardian ad litem
assigned to the child, the Guardian Ad Litem Coordinator will
be invited to attend the adoption selection committee meeting
and may give input or discuss but may not have a voice or vote.
Utmost care and consideration are given to the
selection of the most appropriate family presented for the child.
The child has been prepared for the placement as well as the
family who is to receive the child. Other professionals (agency,
therapist, doctor, school personnel, etc.) are provided with
needed information to assist in the child's transition into his
adoptive family and community.
Ongoing supervision of the placement is provided
by the placing agency when placement occurs in county or
requested to be completed by another agency, public or
private, when placement is made out of county with written
reports of the child's progress provided.
When it appears that the placement is in difficulty
with problems surfacing which are unable to be resolved, it is
recommended that therapy and the use of available resources be
put in place to assist the family and child. If they do not wish
to continue the adoption after support and resources are provided,
the adoption is considered disrupted.
When the adoptive placement disrupts, Family Builders
of Catawba Valley attempts to locate another placement as soon
as possible. If the child is emotionally disturbed to the point
of needing residential treatment, that will occur first before
another adoptive placement is sought. If the child can be placed
and the current family will work with Family Builders of Catawba
Valley to transition the child's
placement into another adoptive home, attempts will be made to
put that plan in action unless the child's
safety or well-being are in jeopardy.
If the child must be moved immediately, placement
will occur in a foster home with continuing efforts made to obtain
an adoptive placement.
In either situation, Family Builders of Catawba
Valley will ensure that counseling on an intensive level will
be provided to the child. These services are also offered to
the family if they choose to be engaged.
