Post Adoptive Services

Any family who has adopted a child shall be eligible for any service offered by the Department under the same terms and conditions as any other family or individual. Commentary. Within the last decade the social work profession has come to realize and acknowledge that many of an adoptees' problems occur after legalization. In the traditional adoption, support services ceased on the day of legalization, but we now know that post-legalization services may be important for adoptive families. The Department recognizes that the provision of appropriate and timely services after the adoption legalization may make the difference between a secure permanent placement or a painful adoption disruption. The Department recognizes the difficulty of integrating a new family member into an existing family system. No one should expect the placement to be problem-free. The Department fully recognizes that for those families seeking post-legalization services, this does not in any way indicate failure on their part. In order to better service families who have adopted children a variety of services are available: routine services by a caseworker trained in the field of adoption; the option of being in a parent support group; community services such as school counseling, individual or family psychological counseling or therapy; respite care; etc.