Child & Family Services

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Wanted: Foster and Adoptive Families

Must have broad shoulders, strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to rock a sleeping child.

Child & Family Services offers four programs to fulfill the most basic need of any child - the need for family. Child & Family Services Foster Care, Therapeutic Foster Care, Family Based Treatment and Special Needs Adoption programs work to help children in the short term, and strengthen existing families for a lifetime.

Who Are Foster Children?

They are children of all ages, from infancy to adolescence, including brothers and sisters who need to remain together. Most have experienced abuse, neglect and other serious problems in their birth families. As a result, many foster children have significant emotional or behavioral problems.

Who Can Be Foster Parents?

Is it the stay-at-home mom who can juggle soccer practice and counseling appointments? Is it the single person living in the suburbs who has no children, but has a great dog and a deep sense of responsibility? Is it the retired couple living in a rural community who have the time and experience to give to foster children? The answer is all of them and more. People who make great foster parents are those who enjoy children, can handle change, manage stress, have a sense of humor and are flexible. They welcome challenge and can provide children with structure. They can help children with emotional and behavioral problems and can work with counselors to help birth parents improve their relationships with their children.

Are Birth Parents Involved?

The goal of Child & Family Services Foster Care Program is to strengthen families and help them gain the skills they need to succeed. Throughout the time a child is in foster care, a relationship with his or her birth family is important. The frequency and duration of contact varies in each family, and our staff works with individual birth families and foster families to establish specific visiting arrangements.

Children with severe social, emotional and behavioral problems are served in supervised home settings in Child & Family Therapeutic Foster Care Program. Children in this program have been placed by the court in the custody of the Erie County Department of Social Services. The program is an alternative for children between the ages of three and 12 who might otherwise be placed in more restrictive settings such as residential treatment centers. Children in Therapeutic Foster Care live in the community in supervised family settings with specially-trained foster parents.

Voluntary Care For Children With Severe Problems

Child & Family Services offers the Family Based Treatment Program as a voluntary option for birth families whose children have severe social and behavioral problems. Children in this program live with foster families in supervised home settings. Family Based Treatment is an alternative for children aged five to 12 who might otherwise be placed in more restrictive settings such as residential treatment centers.

Both the Therapeutic Foster Care and the Family Based Treatment Program offer specialized training, monthly support groups, weekly case management, planned and emergency respite care and 24-hour supportive professional staff services. Because there are significant demands in parenting the children in these programs, certified families receive generous stipends to help them meet the needs of the children in their care.

A Team Approach To Care

All of our foster care programs use a treatment team approach. Foster parents work closely with a behavioral specialist, case worker, program supervisor and a consulting psychiatrist. We use concrete behavior management and positive teaching skills to encourage healthy behaviors in children. The programs emphasize the importance of effective communication and relationship building capabilities.

Is Adoption Different From Foster Care?

Adoption is for life. It's a permanent commitment to a child who has experienced loss, separation and rejection. That's why each match is carefully considered to ensure that it will be a lasting one.

Is Support Available To Me?

We provide foster and adoptive families with special training. Prospective families also participate in a home study process of interviews and reference checks prior to certification. Because there are significant demands in parenting the children, a stipend is provided to certified families. Child & Family Services works closely with foster and adoptive families to ensure that they will receive the help necessary to succeed. We offer a variety of supportive services including a mentoring program, behavioral specialist, ongoing training, evening and weekend case worker availability, a team-work approach, and a support group for families who adopt.

WANTED: Foster and Adoptive Families

Are you willing to share your home and life with a child who desperately needs you? You can make a difference in the life of a child! Please become a foster parent or consider adopting an older child who needs a forever home.

If you would like additional information regarding Child & Family Services Foster Care, Therapeutic Foster Care, Family Based Treatment or Special Needs Adoption programs, please contact Child & Family Services Children's Services Department at (716) 882-0555.

The Adoption and Medical Information Registry

The Adoption and Medical Information Registry offers assistance to adoptees, their birth parents and biological siblings. While adoption and birth records remain confidential and under court seal, an adoptee who was born and adopted in New York State, their birth parents or biological sibling can register with the Adoption Information Registry to obtain information.

Non-identifying information about birth parents such as appearance, religion, ethnicity, race, education, occupation and the circumstances relating to the adoption is available to adoptees 18 years of age and older. Identifying information is available only if both adoptees and birth parents register and give final consent. Birth parents can give medical information any time after the adoption and it will be shared with the adoptee if/when he registers. Medical information updates must be certified by a licensed health care provider.

The Adoption and Medical Information Registry cannot search for missing registrants, release copies of birth certificates or adoption records, nor release non-identifying information to birth parents.

Forms to register can be obtained from the agency that originally placed the adoptee or from the Adoption Information Registry, New York State Department of Health, PO Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602 518-474 9600. Web site www.health.state.ny.us

Adoptees and birth parents whose adoption was handled by Children's Aid Society, now Child and Family Services, can call the Children's Service Department 716-882-0555 for help registering.

Child & Family Services Children's Services
844 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14209
Telephone: (716) 882-0555 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
Fax: (716) 882-1451