Te last step is paperwork, dur-
ing which time the agency com- pletes all necessary documentation and sends it to the state for review and approval to license the foster parent. Te license is active for two years and foster parents receive a per diem to help with costs. If the child’s family situation
doesn’t improve, foster parents who are in a position to do so oſten adopt the child in their care. “We believe that every child is
adoptable,” says Saros. “I’ve seen every kind of problem a kid has and they’re still adoptable. For us, it’s just a question of working hard enough and advocating for that child until we find them a home.” November is National Adoption
Month. Child and family agencies in Northeast Ohio agree, however, that it’s easier to place younger children, rather than older teens, in foster homes with the potential for adoption. According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2009, nearly 30,000 youth “age out” of the foster care system each year. While older teens can be more of
a challenge for adoption, agencies do everything possible to provide them with support. “Because it’s true that younger
kids are easier to place,” Saros says, “we start planning ahead when ours become 16 for the possibility they may not be adopted.” To help prepare older teens in
their care for living on their own when they turn 18, Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services conducts an independent living assessment with each youth to evaluate them in five key areas — housing, edu- cation, employment, personal fi- nances and mentoring, according to McCray. Agency social workers
Adoption Network
Cleveland’s ADOPTION 101: WHERE DO I BEGIN ?
Many couples and individuals hoping to become parents often look to adoption. This endeavor can be both exciting and overwhelming. There is an abundance of information available about adoption. Other area workshops are offered by specific adoption agencies or lawyers on “their” methods. Adoption 101 is not de- signed to show you one way, but many ways to pursue an adoption, and help you choose the best course to take.
The presentation includes information on:
• Getting started • Timelines • Expenses • Special issues • Infant adoption • International adoption • Older child adoption • Cultural issues
• Children waiting in Ohio • Birthfamilies and more
Information is given by an adoption professional and those with adop- tion experience in their lives. They will provide you with a wealth of resources to help you on your adoption journey. A realistic overview of the processes involved in each option will be presented. The four-hour workshop for those just beginning to look into adoption will be from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 12 at Adoption Network Cleveland, 4614 Prospect Ave., Suite 550, Cleveland. The cost is $20 per person, $35 per couple for members and $30 per person, $55 per couple for non-members. Add $5 if you pay the same day. Fee includes a resource packet per person or couple and light refreshments. Call 216-325-1000 for more information.
then help the teens achieve goals in the areas of education, employ- ment, savings, housing and com- munity mentors. “We have a social worker who
begins working with our children when they become 16 to help them learn and deal with independent living skills,” says Tetrick of Lake County Department of Jobs and Family Services. “Te social work- er also helps connect them to com- munity resources and monitors them. Once they turn 18, they have a choice to remain involved with their social worker or part ways. Tere’s no cost to the kids and we
re-evaluate them annually.” Stark County Job and Family Ser-
vices has a program to teach inde- pendent living skills to their youth beginning at age 15. “We have a 10-week program
in the summer that runs one day a week for five hours,” Bill Burgess, marketing specialist, says. “We then offer monthly workshops on differ- ent topics during the school year. We also have a college night specifically designed to inform and guide them to higher education.” Summit County Children Services
makes sure their older teens graduate from high school. “Ten we want to help them with their post-secondary education goals, whether it’s college, vocational training, military service or other options,” Saros says. Despite the fact that some children
age out of the foster-care system, agencies do report successes. In June, Stark County Job and Family Servic- es celebrated the accomplishments of 28 of its foster youth who earned high school diplomas, with nearly half of them scheduled to continue their education and one entering the military.
Continued on page 26
www.NEOhioFamily.com / November 2011
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