1. (a) The Family Service Worker will:

   1. (1) Continue to prepare the child for adoption;
   2. (2) Prepare and support the resource family, or out-of-home placement provider, for separation and enlist their help with the child;
   3. (3) Prepare child’s school personnel, therapist, and other professionals for the proposed adoption;
   4. (4) Participate in preplacement and placement activities and remain involved until the process is completed;
   5. (5) Assess the feelings and reactions of the child and the resource parents or out-of-home placement provider, then share these with the child’s Adoption Specialist;
   6. (6) Ensure that the child’s clothing and personal belongings are appropriately prepared and packed for the move to the adoptive family’s home;

   7. (7)

      1. (A) Transfer the child’s out-of-home placement record (including in the Division of Children and Family Services’ information management system) to the child’s Adoption Specialist within five (5) working days of the placement date (after preplacement visits have been completed).
      2. (B) The child’s Adoption Specialist will assume primary case management responsibility at the time of placement; and

   8. (8) In the division’s information management system:

      1. (A) Complete the foster child’s termination of parents rights screen on each parent;
      2. (B) Update contact screen, characteristic screen, medical screen, CANS, case plan (change goal to adoption), risk assessment, and court hearing screen to document all current available information on the child; and
      3. (C) In the assign or transfer screen, assign the family’s Adoption Specialist as the primary responsible person for case.

2. (b) The child’s Adoption Specialist will:

   1. (1) Review and discuss the disclosure packet with the family’s Adoption Specialist, resource parent, provisional resource parent, relative, or fictive kin;
   2. (2) Secure signatures on the “CFS-471: Disclosure for Adoption”;
   3. (3) Prepare the child to meet the selected adoptive family, with the assistance of the family’s Adoption Specialist, after the adoptive parents have signed the “CFS-471: Disclosure for Adoption”;
   4. (4) Coordinate with the family’s Adoption Specialist times, dates, places, and activities for the preplacement visitation schedule; and
   5. (5) In the enter or exit screen, exit foster child from current resource home placement, selecting preadoptive placement, and enter the child in the preadoptive service of the adoptive family’s home.

3. (c) After the selection of an adoptive family has been approved, all the following activities will be conducted collaboratively between the child’s and the family’s Adoption Specialists (if the child and family do not have the same Adoption Specialist):

   1. (1) Continue to assist the Family Service Worker in preparing the child for adoption;
   2. (2) Prepare the child to meet the selected adoptive family (including the presentation of the family’s photograph album) after the adoptive parents have signed the disclosure form;

   3. (3) Arrange and conduct preplacement visits between the child and the selected adoptive family according to the following guidelines:

      1. (A) There must be at least three (3) preplacement visits for a child who is two (2) years of age or older;
      2. (B) No preplacement visits shall be scheduled until the selected adoptive parents have signed the disclosure form;
      3. (C) Supervise the first two (2) preplacement visits for every child; and
      4. (D) Follow a natural progression for increasing visitation, as appropriate for the child’s age and development, to include:

4. (i) Supervise first two (2) visits for every child;

   1. (ii) Complete at least one (1) all-day visit;

      1. (iii) Complete at least one (1) overnight visit that does not transition directly into a placement in the home;

         1. (iv) Complete at least one (1) weekend visit that does not transition directly into a placement in the home; and
         2. (v) Notify the child’s attorney ad litem when preadoptive visits begin and when placement is to be made;
   2. (4) Supervise visits of the child with the selected adoptive family, as appropriate;

   3. (5)

      1. (A) Review information about the child with the selected adoptive family and answer questions.
      2. (B) If adopted youth is age sixteen (16) or older, inform the family that the youth is eligible for ETV (educational training voucher), and that they may participate in youth development activities and life skills classes.
      3. (C) Refer youth age sixteen (16) or older to the TYS, if youth desires to participate in said activities;
   4. (6) Provide the preadoptive family with CFS-468: Notification of Adoptive Placement;
   5. (7) Provide support to the selected adoptive family;
   6. (8) Assess the development of the relationship between the selected adoptive family and the child;
   7. (9) Arrange any needed appointments with the family’s Adoption Specialist, for the selected adoptive family to meet with special providers (i.e., mental health counselors, doctors, school personnel, etc.);
   8. (10) Ensure the preadoptive family obtains a PCP for the child, within thirty (30) working days prior to adoptive placement, and ensure the family understands the need for completion of the “CFS-352: Episodic Form” for each medical appointment occurring prior to finalization of the adoption;
   9. (11) Document dates of preplacement visits, contacts, activities, progress, concerns, etc., and send a copy to the Adoption Supervisor, Family Service Worker, and Office of Chief Counsel attorney for the child’s initiating county;
   10. (12) Enter current resource parent or relative as an adoptive resource completing the resource screens;
   11. (13) Forward a “CFS-300-A: Attorney-Ad-Litem, Court Appointed Special Advocate and Child Notification of Changes in Out-of-Home Placement” to the Adoption Supervisor and all other parties, within five (5) working days of preadoptive placement;
   12. (14) Assume primary case management once preadoptive placement occurs;
   13. (15) Request a resident county Adoption Specialist to be assigned by completing the assign or transfer screen in the division’s information management system, as appropriate; and

   14. (16) If child is to exit current resource care placement to enter relative’s adoptive home, exit child from current resource parent placement and enter child into the relative’s adoptive home in the placement screens in the child’s protective service case.

       1. (d) The family’s Adoption Specialist will:

   15. (1)

       1. (A) Discuss and coordinate with the selected adoptive parent, resources which a child may need (adoption subsidy, counseling, medical, educational services, etc.).
       2. (B) In addition, when discussing an adoption subsidy, the family’s Adoption Specialist will be clear that they will only be screening for a determination of special needs, subsidy eligibility, and making a recommendation to the adoption unit.
       3. (C) The Adoption Specialist will notify the family of approval or denial of an adoption subsidy (see 9 CAR § 40-931, initial application for adoption subsidy).
       4. (D) The family’s Adoption Specialist must also explore other resources and assistance that may be available for the child and adoptive family when screening for a subsidy; and
   16. (2) Retrieve and properly dispose of “CFS-471: Adoption Disclosure” provided to any preadoptive resource family choosing not to move forward with preadoptive placement.

5. (e) The Adoption/Resource Supervisor will:

   1. (1)

      1. (A) Assign the child’s Adoption Specialist as the Primary Worker in the assign/transfer screen.
      2. (B) The child remains in the current resource placement until finalization;
   2. (2) Enter current resource parent or relative, as an adoptive resource, by completing the resource screens; and
   3. (3) Monitor and ensure an appropriate preplacement visitation schedule is developed and maintained while ensuring that the plan is modified according to the adjustment of the child and adoptive family throughout the preplacement process.

6. (f) The resource parent or out-of-home placement provider will:

   1. (1) Help prepare the child for adoption;
   2. (2) Participate in the preplacement and placement activities, as requested by Adoption Specialist;
   3. (3) Provide the selected adoptive family with information about the child, as requested by Adoption Specialist;
   4. (4) Assess and report the child’s feelings, actions, and reactions to the Family Service Worker or the Adoption Specialist; and
   5. (5) Encourage and support the child to accept the adoptive family.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: "01/2021"