Foster And Adoptive Parent Recruitment And Support | Cuyahoga County Department Of Children And Family Services
Recruits, trains, and supports prospective foster and adoptive parents while they are going through the process of licensing/adoption approval. Assists in all phases of foster/adoptive recruitment, including marketing, working with organizations regarding their adoption/foster care recruitment plans, producing materials for recruitment and helping the recruitment department staff in performing the inquiries required for the processes that lead to licensure/ approvals of foster parents. Appears at agency and neighborhood meetings when invited to discuss the need for foster/relative and adoptive families. Provides fingerprinting services in the home and neighborhoods when needed. Staffs support groups.
Data provided by
211 Cleveland
Physical Address
3955 Euclid Ave., Jane Edna Hunter Bldg., Cleveland, OH 44115
Hours
Office hours are M-F: 8:00am-5:00pm but many services are available at other times. Recruitment phone line is monitored until 7:00pm, but message can be left 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week and will be returned promptly the next business day. Recruitment staff is available for meetings and recruitment events if a request is made for this service. Pre-service training classes are scheduled during the day, evening and selected weekends. The schedule is available on line.
Fax
(216) 432-5047
Application process
Call the Recruitment Office M-F: 8:30am-4:00pm. Applicants will receive an introductory packet and the date and location of the next training class, which will usually be within 2-3 weeks. Prospective foster and adoptive parents must complete 36 hours of pre-service training, must have a criminal background check, and a home study including fire safety, medical history, and character references. The families MAY then be recommended to be licensed by the state for foster care and become eligible for an adoptive child if desired, but this is not an automatic result of completing the process.
Fee
Free.
Eligibility
Open to interested persons age 18 or over (for adoption), age 21 or over (for foster care). Adoptive family recruitment serves those anywhere, although those outside Cuyahoga County will need to have a home study performed by their county child-serving agency. Foster family recruitment serves those in Cuyahoga County and contiguous counties (Lake, Geauga, Portage, Summit, Medina, and Lorain, provided that placing a child in an out of Cuyahoga County home doesn't create a barrier to visitation with parents of origin. Potential foster parents must also be in good health, have a stable home with room for an additional child, have sufficient income for family needs, are accepting of a child who is not their own, can provide a warm nurturing family environment, and in the case of a foster child support family reunification. Qualifying families must meet all of the requirements of the Ohio Administrative code as well as agency policies.
Service area
Medina County, Ohio Portage County, Ohio Lake County, Ohio Summit County, Ohio Geauga County, Ohio Cuyahoga County, Ohio Lorain County, Ohio
Agency info
Cuyahoga County Department Of Children And Family Services
Provides whatever services are required to protect and care for any child whose family cannot or does not provide them that care and protection.