Library: Policy

340:110-5-30. Adoptive family assessment

Revised 12-17-18

(a) An adoptive family assessment is completed for each family prior to child placement.The assessment is documented and available for Licensing staff review, and includes:

(1) an individual face-to-face interview with each parent, school-age child, and other adult household members;

(2) a joint face-to-face interview with both parents;

(3) contact with the adoptive applicants' adult child(ren) no longer living in the home;

(4) home visit documentation assessing the home environment safety and adequacy; and

(5) three written references.

(b) The adoptive family assessment written report includes information regarding the adoptive parents':

(1) family of origin, significant family experiences, and how parented;

(2) marital history and significant adult relationships;

(3) ability to handle stress;

(4) parenting experiences, parenting style, and discipline philosophy;

(5) family's adjustment to previous adoptions;

(6) adoption motivation;

(7) extended family attitudes regarding adoption;

(8) attitudes toward birth parents and expectations about openness in adoption and search issues;

(9) helping children understand adoption plans;

(10) adopted child expectations;

(11) family lifestyle, including social, cultural, and religious orientation;

(12) educational background;

(13) health information summary, including health history, medical exam date, and licensed physician's name;

(14) infertility adjustment and acceptance, when applicable;

(15) financial information, including employment, income, financial obligations, and health care services access;

(16) employment verification, income, adequate insurance, and other resources, such as subsidized adoption and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF);

(17) child care plans;

(18) family strengths and weaknesses summary;

(19) preferences regarding the child's age, gender, health, and other characteristics they request to adopt; and

(20) specific recommendations regarding the family's appropriateness, specific reasons for the recommendation, and the child's characteristics, whom the family is approved to adopt.

(c) In addition to the written family assessment, information placed in the adoptive family file includes:

(1) medical exams documentation by a health professional, dated not more than 12 months prior to the completion of the adoptive family assessment, and health histories on all household members verifying family members are healthy and free of communicable diseases or physical conditions impairing their ability to care for the adopted child;

(2) marriage verification, when applicable, income and expenses, employment, and medical insurance;

(3) three references, including names and addresses, having knowledge of applicants as a family unit; and

(4) documentation of a criminal and Child Welfare Services (CWS) background check, per the Oklahoma Adoption Code, Section 7501-1.1 et seq. of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and all applicable statutes, along with the agency findings summary.

(d) The adoptive family assessment is current within 12 months prior to child placement date.Documentation related to the updated family assessment includes:

(1) medical exams by a health professional, dated not more than 12 months prior to the completion of the updated adoptive family assessment, and health histories on all household members verifying family members are healthy and free of communicable diseases or physical conditions impairing their ability to care for the adopted child;

(2) criminal and CWS background check;

(3) at least three written references from persons who have knowledge of the applicants as a family unit;

(4) financial information including employment, income, and financial obligations; and

(5) health care services access.

(e) When a home assessment is completed by a licensed private agency in the receiving state, the sending state does not impose any additional requirement to complete the home assessment not required by the receiving state, unless the adoption is finalized in the sending state.