Community

Adoption

The Broome County Department of Social Services has contracted out its Homefinding and part of its Adoption Services to the Children's Home. The Children's Home will be responsible for all Home Finding activities including recruitment, home studies, certification and recertification, training, fire and safety inspections, foster parent support and retention.

The Children's Home will also be responsible for the case planning for children who are free for adoption and are residing in Broome County and Children's Home foster homes. Adoption Services include preparing children for adoption, recruiting adoptive homes, and placing children in adoptive homes.

For further information, e-mail Aliscia at agaucher@chowc.org or call 607-772-6904 ext 285.

Wendy's Wonderful Kids

The Wendy's Wonderful Kids Adoption Program is a unique program specifically for children in the foster care system. The children must be free for adoption or have a permanency planning goal of adoption.

Our program follows the parameters of Wendy's Wonderful Kids, a signature program of The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

The Children's Home follows the Wendy's Wonderful Kids model of child-focused recruitment activities. This model fits our philosophy of focusing on the child, the needs of the child, and the significant adults in the child's life. According to the model, the Adoption Recruiter is expected to be an agent of change in the lives of the children on their caseload by employing an intensive and exhaustive child-focused recruitment strategy.

Child-Focused recruitment is a process that focuses on each child's individual history, experiences, and needs in order to find the appropriate adoptive family. The Recruiter works closely with each child and their caseworker to develop trust and first-hand knowledge so that a customized recruitment plan can be developed and carried out for each child. The Recruiter conducts a diligent search for potential adoptive families.

The goal of the program per WWK is "For each child waiting in the foster care system, to find an appropriate, permanent and loving adoptive family." The program is grounded in the following beliefs: Every child deserves to live in a safe, loving and permanent family. No child should linger in foster care or leave the system at age 18 without a permanent family of their own. No child is unadoptable.

Any child in the foster care system who is free for adoption is eligible for our adoption services.

Children are referred by their Department of Social Services caseworkers for our adoption services. Children can be in placement in a foster home, group home, or residential treatment facility.

For further information, e-mail Pam at pharding@chowc.org or call 607-772-6904.