Making Permanent Plans for Children

Dear Parents:

There is no greater gift than to receive a child into your family. All children need a family that nourishes and loves them forever. At the Office of Children's Services, we are making this a reality for many children. A basic assumption underlying all of what we do everyday is making sure all children have the right and need to a family environment that will be permanent.

One of the division's primary outcomes is to achieve permanency for children. Permanency can mean returning to their home with the necessary protections and treatment in place. However, for some children, returning home is not an option, usually for a variety of reasons. This is when adoption or guardianship becomes an important permanent option for children who have been in state custody.

This guidebook is about choosing adoption or guardianship for a child in state custody. If you find your-self wondering whether or not to adopt a child or become a guardian for a child, this guidebook is for you. We realize that families considering such a long-term commitment need to have information and answers to their questions.

This guidebook will provide you with basic information on adoption and guardianship, the process for both options, a comparison of adoption and guardianship, and information about how the adoption and guardianship subsidy program works.

A unique feature of adoption is its long-term, permanent nature. This is quite different from the short-term focus on most foster-care. Guardianship is also a permanent, long-term commitment to a child, but it is different than adoption. You will learn about those differences in this guidebook.

I am deeply thankful for the inspiration and support from staff who made this publication possible. I am also deeply grateful for your family's consideration of becoming a permanent family for a child who today lives in a temporary situation.

Together we can create optimal circumstances for children to reach permanency successfully.