Research on post-adoption instability?

PENNSYLVANIA

RESPONDENTS: Carrie Keiser, Human Services Program Specialist Supervisor Lorrie Deck, Director of Program Division

Department of Public Welfare, Office of Children, Youth and Families

I. General Information (Background on State Service System)

 County-based vs. statewide system

Pennsylvania’s child welfare system is state-supervised and county-administered. There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

 Uniformity of services across the state

In 1992, Pennsylvania established the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) as an initiative to decrease the barriers that impede special needs adoptions. SWAN is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW), Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF). The network is composed of public and private child welfare agencies, adoption agencies, the legal community, parents, organizations and individuals working together on behalf of children. To accomplish this important work, OCYF contracts with a prime contractor , known as Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, in partnership with Family Design Resources (FDR), who in turn contracts with approximately 80 private foster and adoption agencies, referred to as SWAN affiliate agencies, across the state to deliver the direct services provided through SWAN including post-permanency services.

 Children on subsidy as of June 2013

In state fiscal year 2012-2013, there were 9,118 children receiving a subsidy.

 Are public child welfare adoption (county) workers expected to provide post-adoption services?

County agencies can provide post-adoption services,but most of these services are provided through SWAN, and these services are separate and distinct from county child welfare services.

II. Post-Adoption Services Funded by the State for Adoptive Families

The SWAN contract, which is administered by Diakon/FDR, funds three categories of services: Advocacy (case assessment process requires using several assessment tools: CAFAS, or Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale, and the FACESIII), Support Groups and Planned Respite. Other services that adoptive families might be in need of (e.g. psychotherapy) may be available to them in their local county and are paid for with insurance.

Diakon/FDR contracts with the state to administer services statewide. As stated above, Diakon subcontracts with 80 private providers, known as affiliate agencies, to provide post-permanency services. The specifics of the post-permanency services to be provided are established in the contract and benchmarks are set and tracked for all affiliate agencies to follow. Diakon/FDR is responsible for monitoring service delivery among subcontracted agencies within the three categories identified.

Information and Referral

The SWAN Helpline is available for information and referral for all families in Pennsylvania. Families self- refer through the SWAN Helpline for SWAN post-permanency services. Pennsylvania families who have adopted, whether or not they adopted a child from the child welfare system, formal kinship and permanent legal custodianship families who step forward to provide permanency to a Pennsylvania foster child are

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provide additional information and referral information. Together as Adoptive Parents, Inc. (TAP) is a grassroots, non-profit, adoptive, foster and kinship parent support group based in Montgomery County Pennsylvania. TAP, offers a resource website, TAPlink, for adoptive, foster and kinship families that provides post-adoption/permanency support materials: http://pa.taplink.org/.

Educational Programs or Materials

The SWAN Helpline distributes educational materials at the request of families. Affiliate agencies provide a variety of educational support services for adoptive families including lending libraries, newsletters and trainings on topics such as attachment, transracial adoption issues, educational issues and parenting the sexually abused child.

Support Programs

This is one of the three post-permanency services offered through SWAN. SWAN affiliate agencies provide support groups as part of their contract. A variety of support groups are provided to meet the needs of the adoptive families in their region. These include support groups for adoptive parents, adopted teens, younger adopted children and birth children for families who qualify for post-permanency services.

Therapeutic Interventions

Individual and family psychotherapy is provided by local therapists and paid for through insurance re- imbursement. Pennsylvania has recognized the growing need for adoption competent mental health providers and has formed a workgroup to look at providing training on adoption issues to local therapists, particularly those who accept Medicaid.

Advocacy

This is one of the three post-permanency services offered through SWAN. SWAN affiliate agencies that provide post-permanency services, provide advocacy to permanency resource families as part of their contract. This includes educational advocacy as well as advocacy with providers to meet local needs of families.

Respite

This is one of the three post-permanency services offered through SWAN. SWAN affiliate agencies that provide post-permanency services, provide planned respite as part of their contract. Respite services are open and flexible to meet the child and family needs and are committed to doing careful assessment and matching for respite care. Respite can be either inside or outside the family home and can also include camperships for the children.

Residential Treatment

 Does the state pay for residential treatment for children adopted from foster care? What is the process for obtaining this?

The state does not pay for residential treatment. If it is deemed a medically necessary treatment, insurance will pay for it (Medicaid or private). The state behavioral health care system manages this.

 If yes, what is required to obtain this?

The treatment needs to be deemed medically necessary.

 Does the child have to re-enter state custody?

Pennsylvania

III. Qualifications for Post-Adoption Services

A. What are the eligibility criteria for receiving services?

Any Pennsylvania family who has adopted, whether or not they adopted a child from the child welfare system, is eligible. In addition, formal kinship and permanent legal custodianship families who step forward to provide permanence to a Pennsylvania foster child are eligible to receive SWAN post-permanency services. Families self-refer by calling the SWAN Helpline: http://www.diakon-swan.org/.

B. Under what circumstances, if any, are these services provided to children who were not adopted through the state system?

Always (see above).

IV. Support for Post-Adoption Services

A. What is the total annual budget for post-adoption services (excluding Adoption Assistance)?

In PA state budget for 2013: $4.6 million; counties do not have post-permanency budget needs, but they are expected to provide post-permanency services if SWAN does not offer what is needed. Counties are expected to inform families about SWAN’s services.

B. What are the primary sources of funding for post-adoption services? (Please order from 1=top funding source to the source that the lowest amount of funds is used.)

Title IV-B, Part 1, Child Welfare Services 2

Title IV-B, Part 2, Promoting Safe and Stable Families for “Adoption Support & Promotion"

Title IV-B, Part 2, Promoting Safe and Stable Families from categories other than adoption

4 Adoption Incentive Funds

Early Periodic Screening and Diagnostic Testing Title XX, Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Title IV-A, TANFF

Federal grants such as Adoption Opportunities 1 Other federal funds-specify: Title IVE

3 State child welfare funds

Other state funds-specify: __________________________________________

C. Which, if any, of these services is legally stipulated in state law? If any post-adoption services are included in state law, please describe:

None.

D. Have there been significant cutbacks in post-adoption services or adoption subsidies in the state in the past 10 years? If so, please describe:

There have not been cuts to funding. In fact, funding has increased in response to increased needs for post permanency services in the state. Pennsylvania recognizes that providing post- permanency services is the right thing to do, and it can have a cost savings as it keeps children from re-entering care.

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V. In your state, are there noteworthy practice models or research reports related to adoption support and preservation that you could share with us?

A. Please describe practice models:

The SWAN model is a family driven service. The state conducted a needs assessment and identified the three categories of services, which are identified in contract the state holds with Diakon/FDR. Those post-permanency services include: advocacy (which includes assessment), support and respite.

B. Significant findings of program evaluations or other post-adoption studies conducted in the State in the past 10 years:

A university in Georgia has just entered into conversations with Pennsylvania to do an impact evaluation of the service delivery model in the State.

C. Contact persons who could give us more information about noteworthy practice models or research and their phone number:

Brenda Lawrence, SWAN Program Administrator, at 1-888-793-2512 ext. 5351 or 717-231- 5351; [email protected]

VI. Please share any strategies that you have used to successfully advocate for post-adoption services in your state.

None noted; they have not needed aggressive strategies, as adequate funding has been forthcoming.

VII. Research on tracking post-adoption instability: Does your state track adoption dissolutions and/or adoption disruptions?

There is no data collection for disruptions or dissolutions. This information is reported in the federal Annual Progress and Service Report, but Pennsylvania does not see it as an accurate reflection of data in the state.