DCF 51.07(4)
(4) Suspension of home study. Home study of an applicant may be suspended and the application placed on hold at any time the department determines that the applicant temporarily fails to meet the eligibility criteria under
sub. (8) or is not ready to proceed with the study or placement but there is a likelihood that the reasons for suspending the home study may be remedied within 6 months. The department shall notify an applicant in writing of a decision to place the home study on hold, along with the reasons for the decision and the conditions under which the home study may be resumed. If the reason for placing a home study on hold is resolved within 6 months after placing the home study on hold, the department shall resume the home study. If the reason for placing the home study on hold is not resolved within 6 months after placing the home study on hold, the department shall notify the applicant in writing that the home study application is closed.
DCF 51.07(5)
(5) Notification of results. Applicants shall be notified in writing of the results of the home study assessment process. The department shall notify an applicant who does not meet the eligibility criteria under
sub. (8) of the reasons the applicant is not approved for placement. An applicant who meets the eligibility criteria in
sub. (8) shall be notified of that finding, including recommendations about the number and type of children that will be considered for placement, but that a positive home study assessment does not guarantee placement of a child.
DCF 51.07(6)
(6) Updating. An applicant approved and waiting for placement shall be contacted at least twice annually by the department for updating of information about the applicant. Updated information shall be added to the home study record at least annually.
DCF 51.07(7)
(7) Notification of changed circumstances. Applicants shall notify the department immediately of any change in their circumstances such as arrests or convictions, death, separation, divorce, foster care or adoptive placements or significant changes in health, income or child care arrangements. Applicants approved for placement and licensed as foster parents shall also comply with the notification requirements of
ss. DCF 56.05 (1) (c) 1. d. and
56.06 (1) (a),
(b), and
(f). The department shall consider the updated information and may revise the home study findings. Applicants shall be notified in writing of any change in home study findings and the reasons for the change.
DCF 51.07(8)
(8) Eligibility criteria. The department shall use the following criteria in making a home study and in determining whether to approve an applicant for placement of a special needs child:
DCF 51.07(8)(a)
(a) Foster home licensing rules. The applicant shall meet the requirements of
ch. DCF 56. An exception to a requirement in
ch. DCF 56 requires the approval of the bureau director or that person's designee.
DCF 51.07(8)(b)
(b) Financial. The applicant shall provide documentation that the applicant's income is sufficient to meet the applicant's family obligations without reliance on adoption assistance payments received for the care of children placed for adoption, and reasonable assurance of provision for meeting future needs following adoption.
DCF 51.07(8)(c)
(c) Health. The applicant shall complete a health examination form provided by the department to meet the requirements of
s. DCF 56.05 (1) (e) and to verify that the health of the applicant is such that he or she is physically able to parent a special needs child and that there is reasonable assurance that the applicant is physically, mentally and emotionally able to raise a child to 18 years of age. Upon request, the applicant shall authorize release of information to the department concerning results of any medical or mental health evaluation or treatment or any assessment or treatment for alcohol or other drug abuse. The department may require a second medical opinion or a psychological or personality test of the applicant or other family member at the department's expense.
DCF 51.07(8)(d)
(d) Family functioning. The department shall gather family and child information during the home study process and document this information in a family assessment. An applicant demonstrating significant risk to children does not meet eligibility criteria. The assessment shall consider at least the following information: functioning of children in the home; vulnerability of children in the home; how an applicant views the applicant's children; an applicant's level of functioning; social, educational and health history of family members; parenting practices and philosophy; interpersonal relationships; demographic factors; family member roles and communications; extended family considerations; an applicant's views about maltreatment; an applicant's views about adoptable children; an applicant's views about birth parents; preparation of all family members for adoption; an applicant's motivation and commitment; resources available within the family; and external or community resources.
DCF 51.07(8)(e)1.
1. Adult married couples, living together, who are residents of Wisconsin and married for at least one year on the date of application.
DCF 51.07 History
History: Cr.
Register, December, 1995, No. 480, eff. 1-1-96; corrections in (1) (e), (3) (a) 1., (7), (8) (a) and (c) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register November 2002 No. 563; corrections in (1) (e), (3) (a) 1., (b), (7), (8) (a) and (c) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register November 2008 No. 635;
corrections in (1) (e), (7) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register August 2011 No. 668.
DCF 51.08(1)(1) A team which includes the child's social worker, the applicant's social worker and a unit supervisor shall make all decisions to place a child with an applicant approved for placement.
DCF 51.08(2)
(2) The team shall attempt to place siblings together unless it is determined not to be in the best interests of the children.
DCF 51.08(3)
(3) Social workers with responsibility for placement of children shall seek out studied and approved homes by regularly checking listings of approved homes, by requesting and reading home study assessments, and by consulting with the staff who conducted the home study. Social workers may contact approved applicants to obtain additional information and to discuss the needs of a particular child needing adoptive placement.
DCF 51.08(4)
(4) A applicant studied and approved for adoption by the department or another adoption agency may contact a department social worker to request additional information about a child registered with the adoption information exchange or to indicate the family's interest in adopting a particular child. The social worker may request the approved applicant to authorize in writing the release of a home study assessment, including any updates to the home study assessment, to the department.
DCF 51.08(5)
(5) Pregnancy of an applicant after a child is placed for adoption and before the adoption becomes final in court is not sufficient reason for the department to remove the child placed for adoption unless requested by the applicant.
DCF 51.08(6)
(6) After placement of a child but before the adoption is final the department may remove the child from the home if the department determines that it is in the best interests of the child or there is reason to be concerned about the safety of the child.
DCF 51.08(7)
(7) Persons shall complete the legal adoption of a child placed with them before they may request a screening for a subsequent adoption.
DCF 51.08 History
History: Cr.
Register, December, 1995, No. 480, eff. 1-1-96.
DCF 51.09(1)(1) Inquirers who are screened out by the department or applicants who are placed on hold or whose home study is terminated or for whom a negative home study assessment is made by the department shall be notified in writing of the reason for that determination and of the opportunity to appeal that decision.
DCF 51.09(2)(a)(a) A person under
sub. (1) desiring to appeal a decision of the department regarding a screening or an application may, within 30 days after the date of that notice, do one of the following:
DCF 51.09(2)(a)1.
1. Request a review by the manager of the division's section which conducted the screening or home study.
DCF 51.09 Note
Note: To request a review by the section manager or bureau director, write:
Director
Bureau of Permanence and Out-of-Home Care
P.O. Box 8916
Madison, WI 53708-8916
DCF 51.09(2)(b)
(b) If the inquirer or applicant requesting the review under
par. (a) 1. or
2. is not satisfied with the finding of the review, he or she may request in writing a review by the division administrator. A finding by the division administrator is final.
DCF 51.09 Note
Note: To request a review by the division administrator, write:
Administrator
Division of Safety and Permanence
P.O. Box 8916
Madison, WI 53708-8916
DCF 51.09(2)(c)
(c) A review under
par. (a) or
(b) shall be completed and the finding communicated in writing to the person requesting the review within 30 days after the request for review is received by the department.
DCF 51.09 History
History: Cr.
Register, December, 1995, No. 480, eff. 1-1-96; eff. emerg. am. (2) (a) eff. 4-1-07;
CR 07-028: am. (2) (a) 1.,
Register July 2007 No. 619, eff. 8-1-07.
DCF 51.10
DCF 51.10 Preadoption preparation training. DCF 51.10(1)(1)
Who must receive preadoption training. As required under s.
48.84 (1), Stats., all of the following individuals shall receive preadoption preparation training before the adoption is finalized:
DCF 51.10(1)(a)
(a) The proposed adoptive parent or parents of a child placed for adoption under s.
48.833, Stats., if the proposed adoptive parent or parents have not previously adopted a child.
DCF 51.10(1)(b)
(b) The proposed adoptive parent or parents prior to petitioning for placement of a child for adoption under s.
48.837, Stats., if the proposed adoptive parent or parents have not previously adopted a child.
DCF 51.10(1)(c)
(c) A proposed adoptive parent or parents prior to bringing a child into this state for adoption under s.
48.839, Stats., if the proposed adoptive parent or parents have not previously adopted a child.
DCF 51.10(1)(d)
(d) A proposed adoptive parent or parents prior to receiving department approval of the placement for an international adoption under s.
48.97, Stats.
DCF 51.10 Note
Note: A proposed adoptive parent or parents who adopted a child in a foreign jurisdiction before April 1, 2007, and that adoption is recognized by the State of Wisconsin, will not be considered a first-time adoptive parent or parents for purposes of DCF 51.10.
DCF 51.10 Note
Note: A proposed adoptive parent or parents who adopted a child in the court of any other state or nation, while the parent was a resident of that state or nation, and then seeks to adopt a different child in a Wisconsin court will not be considered a first-time adoptive parent or parents for the purposes of DCF 51.10.
DCF 51.10(2)
(2) Who may provide preadoptive preparation training. As required under s.
48.84 (1), Stats., preadoptive preparation training shall be provided to a person identified in
sub. (1) by any one of the following entities:
DCF 51.10(2)(e)
(e) A state-funded foster care and adoption resource center.
DCF 51.10(3)
(3) Content and number of hours of preadoption preparation training. DCF 51.10(3)(a)(a)
Orientation. The training shall include a minimum of 2 hours of orientation for the adoptive parent or parents to the purpose and function of the agency through which the child is being adopted and a description of the support and services available to the adoptive family by that agency and other postadoption services available to the adoptive family through other agencies.
DCF 51.10(3)(b)1.1. Training on the core competencies identified in this paragraph shall consist of a minimum of 16 hours. Any training provided to meet the requirements of this section by any of the entities described in
sub. (2) shall include the attainment of specific knowledge by the adoptive parent or parents through the development of the following competencies:
DCF 51.10(3)(b)1.i.
i. Issues of children being adopted from an institutionalized care setting.
DCF 51.10(3)(b)2.
2. The training on the competencies shall assure that the adoptive parent or parents are provided with information appropriate to the needs of the child to be adopted.
DCF 51.10(3)(c)
(c)
Format of training. The preadoptive preparation training may be provided using a variety of formats including, but not limited to, face-to-face individual or group training, audio-visual means, and printed material. In all methods, there shall be an opportunity for the adoptive parent to discuss, in person, with a representative of the agency arranging the adoption the material presented and an opportunity to present and receive answers to any questions. The agency through which the adoptive parent or parents are adopting the child shall also determine through in person contact with the adoptive parent or parents whether the adoptive parent or parents have learned the competencies identified in
par. (b) 1. a. to
j.
DCF 51.10(4)
(4) Exception to the preadoption preparation training. DCF 51.10(4)(a)(a) If the preadoptive parent or parents held a foster care license and received foster parent training within the 12 months prior to the application to adopt a child, the preadoptive parent or parents shall do all of the following:
DCF 51.10(4)(b)
(b) The agency through which the preadoptive parent or parents have applied to adopt a child shall compare the competencies included in the foster parent training received by the preadoptive parent or parents under
par. (a) with the core competencies identified in
sub. (3) (b). The adoption agency shall require the preadoptive parent or parents to participate in the preadoptive training to the extent that is necessary for the preadoptive parent or parents to have received 2 hours of orientation training under
sub. (3) (a) and 16 hours of core training that includes all of the core competencies under
sub. (3) (b) through either the previous foster parent training or the preadoptive preparation training.
DCF 51.10(5)
(5) Documentation and record of the receipt of the preadoption preparation training. DCF 51.10(5)(a)(a) Documentation of the receipt of the preadoption preparation training shall be maintained in the preadoptive parent's or parents' record for at least 5 years, unless otherwise required by statute or regulation, by all of the following:
DCF 51.10(5)(a)2.
2. The agency through which the preadoptive parent or parents have applied to adopt a child.
DCF 51.10(5)(a)3.
3. The agency which granted the foster care license under
ch. DCF 56 to the preadoptive parent or parents.
DCF 51.10(5)(a)4.
4. The agency which provided the preadoptive preparation training to the preadoptive parent or parents.
DCF 51.10(5)(b)
(b) The documentation of the training received and competencies learned by the preadoptive parent or parents shall be provided by any of the entities under
par. (a) 1. to
4. to any county, state, or federal entity which is authorized to determine compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
DCF 51.10 History
History: Emerg. cr. eff. 4-1-07;
CR 07-028: cr.
Register July 2007 No. 619, eff. 8-1-07; correction in (5) (a) 3. made under s.
13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register November 2008 No. 635.
