Adoption Services

Recruitment/Licensure of Families

CRI provides specialized recruitment of families for children who have been waiting too long for adoptive families.  Services can include presenting the child to interested families and posting the child's information on CRI's web page and at public events.  Creative recruitment efforts such as informational sessions for families interested in a particular child and public adoption events have been arranged by CRI staff.  The child’s social worker works in close collaboration with support workers of potential families, DCF recruitment efforts (i.e. Wednesday’s Child, Heart Gallery, etc).  Assessments, trainings, and home studies can be provided for families who come forward.  Typically the home study and approval process is completed within 90 days.  Visits are conducted with the child to become acquainted with his/her needs and help prepare him/her for the transition to a forever family.

Life Books

Detailed, colorful life books are used as therapeutic tools to help children verbalize their feelings of loss, past trauma, multiple placements, and help prepare them for a forever family.  If appropriate, contact is made with relatives or birth parents to involve them in compiling the valuable family stories, photos and information to be shared with the child.  The life book process is viewed as an active, dynamic process in which a safe, open environment is created in which a child can ask questions and voice his/her emotions. 

Placement and Post Placement Services

Services can include transportation to and from visits between the child and new family, and ongoing clinical and case management support before and after the transition.  Ongoing assessment, parent education, assisting in accessing community services, and helping the family work through any adjustment issues are all included in this level of service.  Families are provided with on-call crisis management.  CRI can complete the adoption finalization paperwork.

Post Adoption Support

It is CRI's belief that families who receive support services on a long term basis have the least risk of adoption disruption.  The focus of post adoption support emphasizes empowering and strengthening the family unit, as well as giving families the tools and confidence to navigate various systems, address issues as they arise, and parent effectively independently.  Emphasis is placed on boosting awareness of adoption as a lifelong process for the entire family.   Services can begin at the time of or just prior to adoption finalization or anytime throughout childhood.

Intensive Family Preservation

For adoptive families in crisis or at risk of disruption, this intensive level of programming is utilized to strengthen and stabilize the family system.  Typically the social worker meets with the family multiple times per week.  Parent training, therapeutic interventions, crisis management, and guidance regarding treatment issues are offered.  Additionally, social workers can assist with such case management issues as accessing services, developing a healthy support system, budgeting, and advocating for the family's unique needs.  Treatment plans are developed with the family to identify target areas for improvement.

Services to Facilitate the Transfer of Guardianship

As with adoptive families, support services can be provided to relatives whose goal it is to have the guardianship of the child transferred to them and/or to finalize an adoption of the child.  Assessments with regard to the appropriateness of the family, parent education, case management, and assistance with adjustment issues are included.  Social workers can assist families in setting healthy boundaries with birth parents as well as support the family in their transitioning roles with one another.

Birth Parent Counseling

Social workers are available to help support birth parents through the TPR process, help them process their feelings of guilt, loss and letting go, and assist them in exploring their options with regard to what is in their children's best interest.  Assistance in preparing for a goodbye visit for both parent and child is offered if necessary. 

Sibling/Birth family Visitation

Designed to support children who need therapeutic assistance when visiting with siblings, these services offer transportation and supervision of sibling visits in a safe, supportive setting.  The children's feelings with regard to their separation from siblings are explored and processed.  CRI is further available to families who are determining whether an open adoption agreement is right for them and to assist with challenges that open contact with birth family members may present. 

All of CRI’s Adoption Services Can Include:
24 Hour On Call Crisis Management

Nursing Supports

Consultations with a Behaviorist and/or Psychologist to facilitate the development of a behavioral management action plan

Psychiatric Services