Section 309.170  Post-Adoption Services

a)         Purpose of Post-Adoption Services

            Services after adoption of a child are often essential in maintaining the adoptive family unit and empowering families to be advocates in the community for their children's needs. Consequently, the Department will provide post-adoption services in order to reduce the risk of adoption dissolution and to support the goal of permanency in adoption.

b)         Post-Adoption Services

            The Department provides the following post-adoption services either directly or through purchase of service providers:

1)         Adoption preservation services will be provided to families with adopted children under age 18. These services are provided in accordance with 89 Ill. Adm. Code 302 (Services Delivered by the Department) Subpart D: Intensive Family Preservation Services, and through other contracts with service providers.

2)         Services to families receiving adoption assistance as described in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 302.310 (Adoption Assistance). These services include:

A)        assisting families to utilize and access services available to them through adoption assistance;

B)        assisting adoptive parents of children with developmental disabilities to access services available through the Illinois Department of Human Services;

C)        assisting families who are eligible for conditional adoption assistance to access benefits at such time as their children's condition warrants treatment or professional intervention.

3)         Search and on-going sharing of information among members of the adoption triad. This service includes:

A)        providing to adults who had been the legal responsibility of the Department or to biological families of adult adoptees adopted through the Department, when they have requested information in writing:

i)          non-identifying information regarding their biological background when requested;

ii)         attempts to locate biological family members for purposes of  updating social history and/or medical information, if desired;

iii)        identifying information upon the successful completion of a search, when consents that have been witnessed by an adult third party from all members of the adoption triad are received. The Department will provide names, addresses, and telephone numbers so that they may arrange a reunion  provided that consents that have been witnessed by an adult third party from all birth parents and adult adoptees are received;

iv)        updated medical and psychosocial information between members of the adoption triad, when consents from all birth parents and adult adoptees that have been witnessed by an adult third party have been received.

B)        acting as or cooperating with confidential intermediaries appointed by the court in accordance with the Adoption Act [750 ILCS 50/18.3a]. In addition, the Department will maintain a list of confidential intermediaries who have been trained and certified by the Department.

C)        providing to adoptive parents of minor children, if requested, non-identifying information on a child's background, if this information is available. The Department will also facilitate the exchange of updated medical and psychosocial information between members of the adoption triad and facilitate contact when members of the triad have signed consents that have been witnessed by an adult third party.

D)        facilitating contact between adoptees and their siblings when one or more is still in the Department's care or adopted elsewhere  with the consent of the adoptive parents of a minor child that has been witnessed by an adult third party

E)        facilitating contact, with the consent of the adoptive parents that has been witnessed by an adult third party, between adoptees who are minors and significant relationships in the minor adoptee's past when such contact has been established to be necessary to the adoptee's best interests, when all involved parties have provided written consent witnessed by an adult third party for release of such identifying information.

4)         Information and referral to services available in the community which would be of benefit to the adoption triad. These services would include, but not be limited to: adoption preservation services, therapists sensitive to the issues of adoption, education advocates to assist families to obtain special services, mental health agencies, support groups, respite care, financial services and professional search groups. The Department, through its agent, will maintain a listing of post-adoption services and will make this information available to persons upon request.

5)         The Department will also provide to any interested adult adoptee, biological parents and siblings information regarding the Illinois Adoption Registry described in Section 309.190 of this Part.

c)         Who is Eligible for Post-Adoption Services

            Post-adoption services are available to:

1)         Families who have adopted children for whom the Department of Children and Family Services had legal responsibility immediately preceding the adoption. These families are eligible for the services described in subsections (b)(1), adoption preservation services, (b)(2), adoption assistance, if they meet eligibility criteria, (b)(3), search and ongoing sharing of information, and (b)(4), information and referral.

2)         Families who adopt children for whom the Department did not have legal responsibility prior to adoption. These families are eligible for the services described in subsection (b)(1), adoption preservation services, if sufficient financial resources exists after adoption preservation services are provided to children for whom the Department of Children and Family Services had been legally responsible, and subsection (b)(4), information and referral.

3)         Biological families of children adopted through the Department. These families are eligible for the services described in subsections (b)(3), search and ongoing sharing of information, and (b)(4) information and referral.

(Source:  Amended at 23 Ill. Reg. 11098, effective September 16, 1999)