PROGRAMS

FOSTER CARE

Share Homes receives children from various different agencies. Share Homes has 6 different types of foster placements: 1) Respite; 2) Reunification; 3) Emergency placement; 4) Long-term; 5) Adoption; and 6) Concurrent planning.

1) Respite – Respite foster homes for Share Homes need to be certified and meet all of the foster care and state requirements. Respite care is usually done on a short-term basis and is sometimes used by foster parents who need temporary help in caring for their foster children. Respite care can include transportation or other special needs.

2) Reunification – The reunification child has different placement needs than the other foster placements. Reunification sets up a plan for the birth parents to “get their act together”. This plan could include: counseling, drug rehabilitation, drug testing, housing concerns, living arrangement concerns, etc. The goal for these children is to reunify or to be returned to their birth family members. (This type of placement often has weekly visits with the birth family.)

3) Emergency Placement - These placements occur with very little notice. Placements usually occur within 24 hours. Share Homes works diligently to get the children out of shelters and receiving homes and into foster homes. These children usually come with very few clothes and personal belongings. Foster parents are responsible for whatever emergency items might be needed, such as necessary clothing and hygiene items.

4) Long Term - Long term foster placements usually are older children in the foster care system. These children may have had numerous foster placements or have graduated from a higher level of care in the foster care system.

5) Adoption - All adoptive placements start in the foster care system. Share Homes facilitates foster/adoptive placements in foster homes. While the prospective adoptive child is in the foster home, it is an opportunity for the child to receive treatment (medically or psychologically) before being considered for adoption. The adoptive process requires a higher level of clearance in order to be considered for adoption. Foster children who reside in foster homes that are not approved for adoption may be moved to homes that are already adoption approved. Share Homes urges the foster parent to be certified for both adoption and foster care.

6) Concurrent Planning - These placements are foster children who have two plans (from the court) running at the same time, thus the term concurrent planning. Concurrent planning homes are foster homes that are able to reunify children if the parents fulfill the reunification plan. If the parents don’t meet the plan, then the foster parents would be approved for adoption. This program cuts down on foster placement moves and it has more permanency for the foster children.

ADOPTION PROGRAM

Share Homes was licensed as an Adoption Agency in 2001. All potential adoptive parents must go through the Share Homes foster care program and become a certified foster home.

The potential adoptive parent can receive adoptive placements through two different methods as listed below.

Some potential adoptive children will be placed within the certified home and remain foster children until their birth family parental rights have been terminated. The adoptive home study for this particular child is known as a Conversion Home Study.

Other adoptable children will already have their parental rights terminated upon placement in the certified foster home. The adoptive home study for this particular child, who is already freed for adoption, is known as a Placement Home Study.

The Share Homes adoption workers attend Adoption Exchange meetings and adoption fairs where the social workers match up adoptable children with potential adoptive parents.