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Policy
Manual
ADOPTIONS
48-10-2
Registration and Photo Listing
| Policy | A child whose parental rights have been terminated must be
registered with the Adoption Resource Exchange (ARE) pursuant to statutes and regulations.
Legal Reference: CONN. GEN. STAT. §17a-46; Department Regulations 17-444. |
| Child Registration | Each child legally free for adoption shall be listed with the photo listing service within ten (10) working days of becoming legally free [see Child Registration (DCF-336)]. |
| Photo Listing Requirements | A child will be photo listed, unless deferred, for the
following circumstances: 1.The child is in an adoptive placement but is not legally adopted. In this instance, the child's Social Worker shall monitor the progress of the adoption. The child shall be listed on the Exchange within ten (10) days if the placement disrupts, or the child becomes available for adoption for any other reason. 2.The child's foster parents or other individual are now considering adoption. At the end of the ninety (90) day period, the child shall be photo listed if the adoptive parents have not made the decision to adopt the child. 3.Diagnostic study or testing is required to clarify the child's situation and provide an adequate description. 4.The child is currently in a hospital and continuing need for daily professional care will not permit placement in a family setting. 5.The child is fourteen (14) years of age or older and will not consent to an adoption plan. 6.Long term foster care is the plan. In this situation, the child must be age twelve (12) or older and have been in a foster home for five (5) years or more. A long term foster care agreement needs to be written between the foster parent and the Department. Note: A careful evaluation needs to be made of the reason(s) why the foster family is not adopting the child. |
| Important Note | Approval of a request to defer photo listing for any of the reasons specified in items #2 and #3 above shall be valid for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days. There shall be no subsequent deferrals for the requirement that the child be photo listed. |
| Recruitment Plan | The adoption specialist in conjunction with the ARE worker will develop a recruitment plan which will include photo listing, if there are no families registered on the Adoption Resource Exchange (ARE) that appear to be potential resources for the child [see Checklist For Recruitment Plan (DCF-2038)]. |
| Photo Listing Inquiries - ARE Responsibilities | When an inquiry is received, a preliminary screening will be
done as to appropriateness, i.e., that the family is working with a licensed or approved
agency. If the child has been placed or is on hold, the person inquiring will be given this information. If the child is still available, those inquiring who seem to be a possible resource will be given the name and telephone number and/or address for the child's Social Worker. |
| Photo Listing Inquiries - Child's Worker's Responsibilities | When a child is photo listed, the child's worker (adoption
specialist or treatment worker) will reply to all calls or letters forwarded by the ARE
within one week. As long as the child is available for adoption, the worker will talk with each person who inquires and answer any questions concerning the child as long as questions do not compromise confidentiality. When a "hold" is placed on inquiries, the child's worker will notify the assigned ARE worker immediately. The child's worker will also inform the ARE worker of the expected length of time a "hold" will be needed and the reasons(s) for the "hold". When the child is placed, the child's worker will notify ARE within one (1) working day by submitting a Withdrawal/Placement Notification (DCF-335). When the child is placed, the child's worker will return those home studies received along with a DCF-335 informing them of the child's placement. |
| If a Child is Photo Listed on Another Exchange | For some children, a photo listing in the CARE Book will not be enough to find a permanent family. Working together, the ARE worker and the child's worker will decide when photo listing with other exchanges is appropriate. |
| Twelve Month Update | Children remaining photo listed for a period in excess of
twelve (12) months shall have their photograph and written description updated within
fifteen (15) working days of the twelve (12) month period. This should be done annually
thereafter. Legal Reference: CONN. GEN. STAT. §17a-43c. |
| Reasons for Withdrawal | The child's Social Worker shall notify ARE, on the DCF-335, to withdraw the child's listing if the child has been adopted, has reached his fourteenth (14) birthday and will not consent to an adoption plan, or has died. |
| Procedures for a Child for Whom Adoption Is Not the Plan | If a child is deemed not appropriate for adoption, there must
be a clinical evaluation in the child's Uniform Case Record to support such determination
and subsequent reevaluation every one-hundred and eighty (180) days. If the child is in a foster home where he has been for five (5) years or more, and is twelve (12) years or older, and such placement is appropriate but adoption is not an option, then a written agreement to long term care shall be executed and placed in the child's Uniform Case Record. |
Connecticut Department of Children and Families Issued: March 1, 1994
