Chapter 5 : Section 19
Services After Certification
Policy
After a prospective adoptive family has been certified by the court, the Department shall work actively to match the family with a waiting child whose needs the family can successfully meet.
The Department shall initially help families to consider adoption of children listed on the Adoption Registry. If no appropriate children are available, the Department shall help families identify children listed on the National Adoption Exchange (NAE) or other state or regional exchanges.
Families may want to register with the AdoptUSKids if:
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they wish to adopt a child over age six;
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they wish to adopt a child with a moderate to severe disability; or
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they are of minority ethnic status.
If a family seeks to adopt a child from another country, the Department shall cooperate with the international agency to provide necessary pre-placement information and may provide assistance and services to the family if resources are available to do so.
When the Department receives adoptive home studies with court certification from private agencies, the court or out-of-state authorized entities, these families will be considered for placement in the same manner as families that applied for adoption through the Department.
Court certification remains in effect for 18 months and can be extended for additional one year periods.
A certified adoptive family may petition to adopt more than one child during a certification period.
A family may remain on the Provider Adoption Registry as long as they are certified to adopt.
Adoptive families certified by the court in a specific county and relocating to another county in the state may remain available on the Provider Adoption Registry until the certification expires.
Procedures
Services After Certification
Certification Specialist
Establish a review file that will be used to present the prospective family to DCS Specialists of children awaiting adoption. It should include:
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a copy of the completed Initial Application Worksheet, CSO-1236A;
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a copy of the Court Certification;
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a copy of the initial Family and Home Evaluation Report; and
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if possible, a picture of the prospective adoptive family and their home.
Upon request, send the review file to the DCS Specialist who has identified the family as a possible match for a waiting child.
If a family has not received a child within 18 months, extend the certification by completing the Family and Home Re-evaluation, and submit the report to the court for extension of certification no later than 30 days prior to certification expiration.
National Adoption Exchange
If a family chooses to be registered on the National Adoption Exchange, the Adoption Specialist can provide information on registering families on AdoptUSKids.
If a family is interested in a child listed on a state or regional exchange, obtain a release from the adoptive parents before sending their home study or other confidential materials to that state.
Documentation
Certification Specialist:
Document the court’s order of certification, ensuring the family is entered into the Provider Adoption Registry by updating the Provider record in Guardian.
If an extension of certification has been approved by the court, update the Provider record in Guardian:
For families referred by the Division of Developmental Disabilities, private agencies, the court or out-of-state authorized entities, the Central Office Adoption Specialist will enter the family on the Provider Adoption Registry and establish two hard files: a permanent Registry file and a duplicate file available for field office review.
Enter approved out-of-state and private agency adoptive families referred directly by the agency into the Provider Adoption Registry.
Update the appropriate fields of the Provider Adoption Registry at the following points:
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whenever there is a change in the family's circumstances (for example, changes in address, family composition, income, preferences and special capabilities of child desired, etc.);
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after the family's certification has been extended; or
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if the family chooses to withdraw from consideration.
Legal
A.A.C. R21-5-306. Department Recruitment Effort
A.R.S. §8-105 Preadoption certification; investigation; central adoption registry
