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Foster Care & Adoptions

Foster Care & Adoptions

Foster Care & Adoption Services

Foster Care (Permanency Planning)

Foster Care (now called Permanency Planning) Services are provided to ensure the safety of children in an alternative care arrangement when their safety cannot be maintained in their own home. Foster care is a temporary plan of care until the child can be safely returned to their home, be placed in the custody or guardianship of another approved caretaker or adopted.

Dear Future Foster Parent Click Here

Foster Parent Job Description Click Here

Foster Care :  Eligibility Requirements

Foster Care : Foster Care and Adoption Requirements PDF

Foster Parent Starting Point: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/child-welfare-services/licensing/foster-homes    

Foster Parent Application: (Print Paper Application) http://www.harnett.org/ss/downloads/fcapp2.pdf

 

Shared parenting

Shared Parenting is a partnership between foster families and birth parents to maintain important relationships and connections to their culture, routines, and traditions. Shared parenting activities range from hosting family/sibling visits, sharing updates regarding the child’s school functioning or discussing bedtime routines. Children in families that engage in shared parenting have better outcomes related to emotional, behavioral and social functioning. When parents partner there are fewer placement disruptions and reunification rates increase. Overall, shared parenting benefits everyone. 

 

Kinship Care

What is Kinship Care?

Kinship care refers to the care of foster children by relatives or close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin). This option is the preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents, because it maintains a connection to family for the children.

Assessment process:

  • Home assessment
  • Financial assessment
  • Background checks on household residents over 16
  • CPS History checks on all caregivers

Kinship Provider Education:  

Kinship Care and Guardianship Assistance

Kinship care and Guardianship Assistance is a fund that is given to those who are caring for children while they are in the care of DSS. This fund is designed to give the care providers aid in providing the children with essential needs such as housing, food, clothing and all other essentials that the child needs while in the care of the Kinship Provider or Guardian.

 

Adoption

Adoption is the permanent, legal transfer of parental rights and responsibilities from birth parents to adoptive parents when the birth parents’ legal rights have been terminated. Adoptive parents make a commitment to become a child’s legal family and to nurture, care for and support them throughout their lives.

 

Becoming an Adoptive Parent

Harnett County works in partnership with a number of agencies to find families for our children in foster care. Families who are primarily interested in adoption will need to complete an adoption home study prior to being considered. Once you have received approval to become an adoptive home, your family can begin to look into the children available for adoption and work with the agency to find a good match for your family. Harnett County and your agency will then partner with you to transition the child into your home.

 

Children Available for Adoption:

 

Confidential Intermediary

North Carolina is a “closed adoption” state, which means that adoption records are sealed once adoptions are final. When family connections are lost, adult adoptees and birth parents can seek to find information or locate each other through Confidential Intermediary (CI) services. Confidential Intermediary services (CI) are for an adult adoptee who is 18 years or older, a birth parent, an adult sibling of an adult adoptee, an adult biological half sibling of an adult adoptee, or an adult family member of a deceased adult adoptee. 

Contact Harnett County Department of Social Services for more information 910-814-7500

 

Youth in Foster Care (LINKS)

The LINKS program is the North Carolina Foster Care Independence Program for youth and young adults who have experience in foster care. Youth 13-21 currently in foster care are eligible for this program.

 

Links Services

  • Youth Group (ages 13–15) Assessments; Goal Planning; tutoring & job exploration; mental health services; school advocacy; self-esteem building; sex education; anger management; drug & alcohol education; positive/healthy peer relationships; food & nutrition; Life Books.
  • Youth Group (ages 16–21) Assessments; Transitional planning; Post-high school education planning; Parenting; Employment; Team building; Legal issues; Vocational training; Voter registration.
  • Additional support for youth ages 18–21 After-care case management services; educational vouchers; housing assistance; After-care support group; Ongoing referrals and assessments to promote continued self-sufficiency.
  • Information on Links: NC LINKS

  

NC Reach

NC Reach – A state-funded scholarship offered to qualified applicants for up to four years of undergraduate study at NC public colleges and universities.  Available funding is awarded after other public funds and scholarships have been applied.  NC Reach provides comprehensive student support, including mentors, care packages and internships.

Eligibility

Students are eligible for NC Reach if they are:

  • Legal residents of North Carolina, eligible for in-state tuition rates
  • Adopted from NC Division of Social Services (DSS) foster care after the age of 12, OR, aged out of NC DSS foster care at age 18 (they must have been in care on their 18th birthday)
  • Exited from foster care to a permanent home through guardianship with the support of the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)
  • Enrolled in one of the 74 NC public community colleges, or universities
  • Under the age of 26 (participants remain eligible until their 26th birthday)
  • Enrolled in at least 6 credit hours

Apply for NC Reach Apply Here

 

Contact us:

Fax number 910-912-1661

Carolyn Blue / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6650cblue@harnett.org

Crystal Blue / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6691cjblue@harnett.org

Melony Cameron / Social Worker Prevention and Permanency Planning / 910-814-6634mcameron@harnett.org

Kimberly Cortes-Luna / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6824kcortes-luna@harnett.org

Mark Cote / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6660mcote@harnett.org

Brenda Foster / Adoption Assistance Payment Agent / 910-814-6606bfoster@harnett.org

Nathaline Gunn / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6680ngunn@harnett.org

Amber Jackson / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6839ajackson@harnett.org

Cathy Keever / Social Worker Adoptions / 910-814-6671ckeever@harnett.org

Emilie Leonhardt / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6679eleonhardt@harnett.org

Pam Little / Social Worker Licensing and Links Coordinator / 910-814-6677plittle@harnett.org

Thakida McDougald / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6689tmcdouglad@harnett.org

Rasandra McNeill / Social Worker Prevention and Permanency Planning / 910-814-6627rmcneill@harnett.org

Angela Montgomery / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6684amontgomery@harnett.org

Brandie Mosley / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6686bmosley@harnett.org

Deja Parks / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6134 / dparks@harnett.org

Amanda Parrish / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6884aparrish@harnett.org

Valerie Rogers / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6833vrogers@harnett.org

Melissa Rowley / Children's Services Support Agent / 910-814-6681mrowley@harnett.org

Kerry Willis / Social Worker licensing / 910-814-6803kwillis@harnett.org

Ashana Smith / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6879alsmith@harnett.org

Wendy Butcher / Supervisor Adoptions / Permanency Planning Supervisor / 910-814-6692wbutcher@harnett.org

Tim Adamaszek / Supervisor Permanency Planning / 910-814-6664tadamaszek@harnett.org 

Tyerica Newton / Supervisor Permanency Planning / Licensing 910-814-6673tnewton@harnett.org 

Virginia Smith / Permanency Planning and Adoption Program Manager / 910-814-6683vsmith@harnett.org