Welcome to the Adoption Toolkit resources page specific to Children, Youth, and Families. This repository contains up-to-date resources to support Catholic Charities agencies.

Below you will find statistics, trainings, webinars, and a host of other resources to make an impact in your communities. This toolkit is intended for internal use to support Catholic Charities agencies.

We encourage the submission and sharing of resources to benefit all our networks. Submit your resource for inclusion in the repository here to Marlesia Neloms Foreman, the Senior Director of Children, Youth & Family Strategies.

Click here to be taken to the CCUSA Adoption Practitioners Directory

1. DATA, RESOURCES, AND INFOGRAPHICS

Adoption Infographic from CCUSA: Gives an overview on adoptions within the Catholic Charities network using data from the 2020 Annual Survey. NOTE: This document contains confidential and proprietary information and is for internal use only.

Annie E. Casey Foundation Adoption Resources: The Annie E. Casey Foundation provides strategic consulting and technical assistance to child welfare agencies to keep children safe, strengthen the connections between children and their families, and improve children’s long-term success.

Exploring the Pathways to Adoption: This factsheet is an introduction to the many pathways to building a family through adoption. It provides a basic understanding of the different types of adoption and guides readers to relevant resources. It begins by describing the different types of adoption and goes on to discuss State laws governing adoption, choosing an agency or adoption services provider, completing the home study, being matched with a child, and completing the necessary legal documents.

Foster Care Infographic from CCUSA: Gives an overview on foster care activity within the Catholic Charities network using data from the 2020 Annual Survey. NOTE: This document contains confidential and proprietary information and is for internal use only.

Resources and Training from the National Council for Adoption: Non-partisan, research-based resources for everyone touched by adoption, whether you’re looking for parenting guidance, professional training, or help to navigate the legal process.

State Adoption and Foster Care Information: from Adopt Us Kids.org: Learn about local rules and resources and find agencies in your area.

2. POLICIES & REGULATIONS

About CAPTA: A Legislative History from Child Welfare Information Gateway: Summarizes the legislative history and purpose of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), the key Federal legislation addressing child abuse and neglect. CAPTA was originally enacted in P.L. 93-247 and was most recently amended on January 7, 2019, by the Victims of Child Abuse Act Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-424).

Accreditation Report from IAAME: A list of current Hague Accredited/Approved Adoption Service Providers who have indicated willingness to consider providing adoption services in foreign countries where they do not currently provide adoption services.

Child Welfare Policy Manual from the Children’s Bureau: This Child Welfare Policy Manual contains policy questions and answers applicable to child welfare programs operated by the Children’s Bureau.

Index of Federal Child Welfare Laws: From Child Welfare Information Gateway: A list of selected legislation that has impacted children, families, and the agencies that serve them.

Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity Policy and Procedure Manual: From IAAME.net.

Legal Report on Federal Adoption Laws: from the Library of Congress.

Links to State and Tribal Child Welfare Law and Policy: This publication provides web addresses for State statutes that are accessible online and lists the parts of the code for each State and territory that contains the laws addressing child protection, adoption, child welfare, legal guardianship, and services for youth. It also provides web addresses for States’ regulation and policy sites, State court rules, Tribal codes, and judicial resources. Links to sources of information about the laws and policies for all States and U.S. territories are available from the State Statutes Search page.

The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption: from Child Welfare Information Gateway: This section contains resources about the Convention for professionals involved in intercountry adoption.

USCIS Adoption Page: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for determining the eligibility and suitability of the prospective adoptive parents (individuals) looking to adopt as well as determining the eligibility of the child to immigrate to the United States.

3. FORMS AND ASSESSMENTS

Casey Foster Family Assessments: From the Annie E. Casey Institute: This free resource includes tools to help workers and families prepare for the foster family assessment process.

Foster Care Children Licensing Standards: From North Dakota Department of Human Services: Provides guidance to child welfare professionals on developing and implementing home study requirements for prospective foster parents.

Home Study: From US Department of State: Outlines the requirements for home studies for Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention countries.

Home Study Requirements for Prospective Parents in Domestic Adoption: From Child Welfare Information Gateway: Summarizes State laws and policies for approving prospective adoptive homes. The publication describes who must be included in the home study, qualifications for adoptive parents, elements of the home study process, exceptions for stepparent or relative placements, post-placement assessments of the child’s adjustment to the adoptive family, requirements for placements across State lines, and more. Summaries of laws for all States and U.S. territories are included.

Home Study Requirements for Prospective Foster Parents: From Child Welfare Information Gateway: This publication discusses State laws and policies for licensing or approving family foster homes. The topics discussed include training requirements, the process for approving homes, grounds for not approving homes, kinship placements, adopting from foster care, and inter-jurisdictional placements. Summaries of laws and policies for all States and U.S. territories are included.

4. COMMUNICATIONS

Bravelove.org: A pro-adoption movement dedicated to changing the perception of adoption by acknowledging birth moms for their brave decision.

National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search: From Child Welfare Information Gateway: The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory offers contact information for State child welfare officials, programs, organizations, and services with a focus on foster care, permanency, and adoption.

Searching for Birth Relatives/Buscando a Parientes Biológicos: From Child Welfare Information Gateway: This factsheet provides guidance to adopted persons and birth families on the search process and information access as well as resources for further help in conducting a successful search. While not a complete “how-to” guide to searching, this factsheet provides information on the different types of searches and issues that might arise during searching.

Use of Advertising and Facilitators in Adoptive Placements: from Child Welfare.gov: Describes state laws around the use of advertising and the use of facilitators in the adoption process.

5. WEBINARS AND TRAINING

Catholic Social Teaching and Adoption: CCUSA adoption experts, Msgr. Mike Boland and Father Ragan Schriver, will discuss how adoption services intersect with Catholic social teaching, including the history of Catholic Charities, human dignity, family, and marriage, and other relevant themes, to equip service providers with relevant and timely information.

Connections – Openness in Adoption: From CCUSA: An open adoption is a form of adoption in which the biological and adoptive families have access to varying degrees of each other’s personal information and it usually benefits all members of the adoption triad. Openness can vary greatly from family to family and may change over time. It has grown over the years due to the evolution of social media and adoption agencies providing education to all members of the triad. Experts will discuss ways to navigate the open adoption system and explore how adoption policy has evolved and its effects on the members of the adoption triad.

Ethical Strategies for Working with the Extended Family of Adoption: This webinar from CCUSA identifies the intersections of ethical responsibilities when working with the extended family of adoption. Ethical adoption practice is guided by mission-based agencies’ respect for life and informed by research and stories of those with lived experiences. This webinar will discuss the unique ethical challenges in adoption and will present a model for managing these dilemmas.

Social Media 1.0: Learn How to Share Your Story: Staff from the CCUSA Communications and Marketing team present Social Media 1.0, a webinar that will guide you through the basics of social media content development and more. You’ll learn valuable tips and tricks to help you effectively communicate your news and information in the exciting and ever-changing world of social media.

Understanding Trauma-Informed Care in the Context of an Adoption Program: Explore the implementation of a trauma-informed approach within an agency, and specifically within an adoption/post-adoption program with CCUSA. Build a foundational understanding of trauma by discussing underlying assumptions about trauma as well as strategies for resilience.

In addition, be sure to review these national adoption organization websites for updated resources, information, and training opportunities:

• Adoption Topics from Child Welfare Information Gateway
• Adopt Us Kids
• Intercountry Adoption and Accreditation and Approval
• National Council for Adoption
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Adoption Page