After the endless amounts of paperwork, waiting, travel, waiting, and finally more travel, you are home to start settling in with your new family member. Just when you think those paperwork days are over, there is one last requirement to finish. Assuming, of course, you dutifully took care of all other post-adoption paperwork, like a new birth certificate, social security number, passport, and Certificate of Citizenship (this is automatic for most adoptions now). It doesn't sound terribly appealing to have to complete yet another report.
Post-placement reports are required after each adoption placement. Post-placement reports are a short overview of the life of the child since he or she was placed in your care. Each sending country determines the frequency that the reports are due. Usually around the 3, 6, 12, 18, or 24 month mark. Sending countries can require both parent prepared reports and social worker prepared reports. Parent prepared reports are prepared solely by the parents and the social worker reports require a visit with a social worker, the report is written and submitted by the social worker. Each type of report will also require multiple snapshots of the child.
While it might seem like yet another hoop to jump through, it is a necessary piece of the overall process. From the sending country's point of view it is only natural that they have an interest in how your child is adjusting to a new home life. If it is a social work prepared report, it is a chance to meet with your social worker. You have the opportunity to introduce your new family member to your social worker. It is a great time to share your joys as well as concerns. Your social worker is a wealth of information and can help you to determine if a particular issue is adoption related or simply a normal part of the development process.
Unfortunately, at times agencies have run into the issue of parents failing to submit the required post-placement reports. Once you are home the agency doesn't have a whole lot of recourse to force you to comply, except for the fact that as part of your contract at the beginning of the adoption you agreed to submit any and all post-placement reports. Unfulfilled post-placement reports can greatly impede subsequent adoptions and needlessly impact future families. This article explains further the importance of post-placement reports.
Enjoy your new family member, adoption is such a blessing! but don't forget to complete the process ❀
5 comments:
Oh yes post placements are so important! I always feel we are like ambassadors for the adoption program we complete and it is a must we continue to do what we can to ensure that country/program stays open and allows future adoptive parents to adopt from there! Loved that article too. Thank you again for sharing. You have such fantastic insight into adoption. I hope that one day we'll be to the post placement phase! Right now I am enjoying the no paperwork phase since dossier is out the door and we are just waiting for referral!
Oh my goodness! It's so funny that you posted this today, because that's what I've been trying to work on!
I'm trying to get my bearings on what I need to do first and how to do it. With Cali's adoption we were able to have her American name on all of her documentation even in China. This time many things were still in Sami's Chinese name.
With Cali, we never physically went in front of a judge, but I remember filling out some paperwork and sending it in to the court when we returned home. I think this is what I need to do first, so I can get a birth certificate issued.
If you have any pointers on where to start, I'm all ears!
Cari- for some reason I usually start with the social security number, then passport, and then birth certificate. I am not sure why I do it that way! sometimes I think the post-adoption paperwork is more frustrating than the pre-adoption paperwork.
Cari- for some reason I usually start with the social security number, then passport, and then birth certificate. I am not sure why I do it that way! sometimes I think the post-adoption paperwork is more frustrating than the pre-adoption paperwork.
Oh my goodness! It's so funny that you posted this today, because that's what I've been trying to work on!
I'm trying to get my bearings on what I need to do first and how to do it. With Cali's adoption we were able to have her American name on all of her documentation even in China. This time many things were still in Sami's Chinese name.
With Cali, we never physically went in front of a judge, but I remember filling out some paperwork and sending it in to the court when we returned home. I think this is what I need to do first, so I can get a birth certificate issued.
If you have any pointers on where to start, I'm all ears!
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