AGENCY SERVICES:

Adoption Services Worldwide serves birth mothers who will establish proof of pregnancy; agree to Hiv and drug screening; agree to meet all medical appointments; make application for Medicaid, if applicable; agree to receive pre-placement *counseling; provide information requested in the Birth Mother packet AND birth fathers, if known, who provide information for the Birth Father packet, participate in pre-placement counseling, and who sign a waiver of interest. The Agency provides services primarily to newborns whose parent(s) have chosen an adoption plan, however, the Agency can serve older children that are in need of adoptive placement. 

The Agency serves persons wanting to adopt who are emotionally stable; between the ages of 25 and 50; married, single or divorced; who have a medical reason to adopt; who are free of communicable disease, and in sufficient good health to raise a child to adulthood. Must have sufficient financial resources and insurance coverage; living arrangements conducive to a child's needs; no criminal background without proof of rehabilitation; no history of child abuse; physical or sexual. Must meet all eligibility criteria including a current home study or home study update and agree to participate in all pre-placement preparation. Must agree to post-placement supervision requirements.

* Counseling (General) is defined by the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services as a procedure used by professionals from various disciplines in guiding individuals, families, groups and communities by such activities as giving advice, delineating alternatives, helping to articulate goals, and providing needed information. Counseling must be provided and by a person who can demonstrate qualifications appropriate to the services provided.

The Agency has adapted this definition to describe the counseling services it will provide. Only Child Placing staff will provide counseling to clients.

The Agency will make referrals for psychotherapeutic type (counseling requiring insight into life's systemic causes) counseling providing sliding scale fees (i.e. United Way agencies, Church Centers) to birth parents, adoptees and adoptive parents at their own cost.

(Click the next links, to find out more about our services)

Services for Birth Parents...

Services for children needing adopting home placement...

Adoption Registry








Services for Birth Parents

Counseling to consider their options to parent, place their child(ren) in temporary substitute care, place with relatives, or relinquish their child(ren) for adoptive placement; with consideration of implications of each option included in this counseling.

Offered support and counseling to birth parents who choose adoption as their alternative. Should they decide not to place for adoption at any point in the adoption process, the Agency supports that decision also. Counseling related to their decision to place their child for adoption is offered in-house or on the telephone to birth parents upon request during the placement process and after consummation.

Counseling based upon "semi-open model" of adoption. If the birth parents do not want to be involved in the selection process, the Agency will choose for them.

Advisement of legal rights and responsibilities (as defined in the Texas Family Code) in regard to the Relinquishment of Parental Rights, waivers, affidavit of status, termination of parental rights, designating the father of a child as "unknown."

Inquiry, Intake, forms completion, service plans, needs and financial assistance based upon an assessment for subsistent expenses such as rent, utilities, groceries, and maternity clothes. Medical care and transportation related to the pregnancy.

Maintenance of information about the child. Any significant information discovered by the birth family such as medical or genetic which impacts the child's future is routed to the adoptive family.



Services for children needing adopting home placement

Managing conservatorship of children whose plan is adoption with no primary need for foster or residential care.

Male and female newborn infants with the exception of male and female children up to 10 years of age if they are part of a sibling group or have special needs.

Children with special needs include three years of age and older, are part of a sibling group with the goal of keeping the children together, have minor physical disabilities not requiring specialized foster care and need a minimum of ongoing medical care (e.g. blind, hearing impaired, cleft palate), are developmentally delayed but have the potential of completing school through special classes.

Assessment of children's needs for services while in placement and the development of strategies with periodic evaluation for addressing the needs.

Substitute care when an adoptive home is not immediately available. Includes an active service plan and Agency supervision.

Selecting potential adoptive families who meet the Agency's criteria and who demonstrate competence in meeting the child(s) needs.

Counseling in-house or by telephone provided or referrals made for adoptees regarding adoption related issues.

Adoption Registry

The Agency informs birth families and adoptees of the process to enlist with an adoption registry and to seek reunion when the child becomes an adult.

ADOPTIVE HOME STUDIES, PLACEMENT AND SUPERVISION:
Conducts eligibility screening and child placing decisions for acceptance into program. Conducts home studies and post-placement supervision.

Counseling to prospective adoptive couples in decision to adopt; assistance in the extent to which they want to be involved with the birth family. The Agency provides counseling to the adoptive family when requested in-house or by telephone regarding adoption related issues after consummation.

Semi-open model of adoption; persons wanting no contact with the birth parent can be linked to a birth parent who does not want contact with the adoptive parent(s). Most of the adoptions will be "designated", however, and the Agency will do some "identified" adoptions whereby placement staff will ensure that the families selected meet the Agency's criteria and that the placement is in the child's best interest.

Conducts home studies and/or does post-placement supervision for couples working with other licensed agencies; aids in the selection of birth family and child, facilitation of pre-placement relationship, sharing of all available information. Forwarding to the adoptive family any new information regarding the adoptee's medical or genetic history. Conducts adoptive home studies for couples interested in foreign adoptions.

At least six full months of post-placement supervision until the adoption is finalized. The Agency has the right to extend the post-placement supervisory period for any reason that child placing staff deem appropriate, such as, the adoptive parent(s) inability to submit the required reports and pictures. The Agency also can waive the supervisory period in special cases.

Discusses training needs of the adoptive parent(s) related to adoption issues.

A "designated" adoption is defined as one in which birth parents select an adoptive family from de-identified descriptions of prospective adoptive families provided by the placement agency.

An "identified" adoption is one in which birth parents and adoptive parents come together with the intent to effect an adoption, then contact the placement agency.