Library: Policy
340:75-15-87. Assessing the adoptive applicant
• 2 through 7
Revised 9-15-22
(a) Resource family assessment (RFA). ■ 1 Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) or the RFA contractor conducts an assessment into the adoptive applicant's and each household member's background and other circumstances and conditions to determine if the home is suitable and can provide a safe environment for the child in OKDHS custody available for adoption, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:75-7-18.
(b) Photographs. ■ 8 The adoptive applicant provides recent photographs of himself or herself as a component of the assessment summary.
(c) Required pre-service training. ■ 9 The adoptive applicant must complete required pre-service training designed to evaluate the strengths, needs, and challenges associated with parenting a child and meeting his or her special needs, per OAC 340:75-7-14.
Revised 9-15-22
1. Resource family assessment (RFA) process. The resource specialist ensures a safe environment, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:75-7-18 for a child in Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) custody who requires an adoptive home by:
(1) completing the initial consultation with the family in the family's home;
(2) evaluating the prospective adoptive resource home to assess the location, condition, and ability to accommodate children requiring adoption using Form 04AF004E, House Assessment, and Form 04MP061E, Water Safety Agreement;
(3) evaluating each prospective adoptive parent and adult household member's child welfare and criminal background history;
(4) enrolling the prospective adoptive applicant in pre-service training;
(5) completing and submitting Form 04AF009E, Referral for Resource Family Assessment, to the RFA contractor within five-business days of receipt of the completed application, with:
(A) Form 04AF004E, completed at the initial home visit by the resource specialist;
(B) Form 04AF001E, Resource Family Assessment Application;
(C) Form 04AF007E, Records Check Documentation;
(D) Form 04AD003E, Request for Background Check, for each application and adult household member; and
(E) other forms or documents the applicant provides to the resource specialist;
(6) reviewing and assessing information received regarding the prospective adoptive applicant during pre-service training; and
(7) determining the RFA assessment's outcome by:
(A) confirming in writing all decisions made regarding the assessment and application process;
(B) providing the adoptive applicant with an explanation of the reasons the assessment is denied, when applicable; and
(C) providing the adoptive applicant with a copy of the RFA without the reference and protected information sections when the assessment is approved.
2. Assessing the applicant through the interview process.
(1) The RFA contractor assists the adoptive applicant with:
(A) understanding the types of parenting issues faced by families who adopt children with special needs;
(B) gaining insight through feedback about the applicant's strengths, needs, and potential challenges associated with parenting the child with special needs;
(C) assessing the gender, age range, and race of child the applicant prefers to adopt, and the special needs the applicant feels he or she is capable of parenting. Special needs, per OAC 340:75-15-7, may include the:
(i) child being part of a sibling group;
(ii) child's age;
(iii) child's race;
(iv) child's mental, physical, or emotional disabilities; or
(v) child being at high risk for developing a physical or mental disability; and
(D) completing Form 04AF018E, Child Needs Information List, by explaining the conditions listed.
(2) When the applicant applies to adopt a specific child, the assessment summary addresses:
(A) the applicant's relationship to the child;
(B) the child's needs; and
(C) whether the applicant can meet the child's special needs on a permanent basis and into the child's adulthood.
(3) When assessing an applicant, the most important criterion is the applicant's ability to parent a child not born to him or her. Factors considered in relation to the applicant's ability to parent an adopted child, include the applicant's:
(A) marital status;
(B) income level;
(C) education;
(D) age;
(E) health; and
(F) commitment to parent the child on a permanent, long-term basis.
(4) The resource specialist or RFA contractor uses tools to assess the applicant's strengths and challenges related to parenting a child with special needs. These tools are used in connection with the narrative obtained through the interviews, and include the:
(A) Genogram;
(B) Family Network Diagram; and
(C) Eco-Map.
(5) The resource specialist allows the applicant to determine the pace at which the assessment proceeds. Some applicants are ready to quickly move through the assessment, while others need more time to process information.
3. Checking applicant references. Only a trained resource specialist or an RFA contractor solicits and reviews information received from references the applicant provides regarding the applicant's parenting strategies and skills. The applicant must have the three personal references in (1)(A) and the references (1)(B) through (H) of this subsection, when applicable. The resource specialist or RFA contractor:
(1) documents all information provided voluntarily and by applicant-provided references. The resource specialist or RFA contractor explains to each person contacted as a reference the program expectations and the needs of children who come into OKDHS care.
(A) Three personal references are interviewed by phone or in person, only one of whom can be a family member.
(B) When applicable, all adult children are contacted by letter, phone, or in person to complete Form 04AF015E, Resource Family Reference Letter for Adult Children.
(C) The applicant's current or most recent employer is contacted by letter, phone, or in person using Form 04AF011E, Resource Family Reference Letter for an Employer. When the applicant is self-employed, a reference is obtained from a customer.
(D) When applicable, school teachers, counselors, or administrators who have recently served the applicant's child are contacted by letter, phone, or in person using Form 04AF014E, Resource Family Reference Letter for School Personnel, to assess the applicant's involvement in educational issues.
(E) When the applicant's child is homeschooled by the applicant, a person with knowledge of the applicant's homeschooling experience is contacted by letter, phone, or in person using Form 04AF025E, Resource Family Reference Letter for Homeschooling.
(F) When the applicant currently receives or received behavioral health services in the past 10 years, the behavioral health care professional is contacted using Form 04AF013E, Resource Family Assessment Reference Letter for Behavioral Health Professionals. The resource specialist or RFA contractor uses Form 13HI003E, Authorization to Disclose Medical Records, to obtain permission from the applicant to receive his or her behavioral health information. In addition to Form 04AF013E, the resource specialist requests behavioral records from the behavioral health professional.
(G) When the applicant's child currently receives or has received behavioral health services in the past 10 years, the behavioral health care professional is contacted using Form 04AF012E, Child's Behavioral Health Reference Letter. The resource specialist or RFA contractor uses Form 13HI003E to obtain permission from the applicant to receive the child's behavioral health information. In addition to Form 04AF012E, the resource specialist requests behavioral records from the behavioral health professional.
(H) When the required references do not total at least six, the resource specialist obtains additional personal references;
(2) References may be contacted for an interview when the reference fails to respond to the reference letter request or when information contained in the response requires clarification. No additional references are contacted without the applicant's specific written permission.
(4) When voluntary references contact the resource specialist to provide information, the information is included in the assessment summary.
(5) When guarded reference information is received, the issues are fully explored with the applicant without revealing the source of the information.
4. Checking other adult references. References are obtained for any individual in the home, 21 years of age and older. When there are concerns about a younger adult in the home, references are requested. Only a trained resource specialist or an RFA contractor solicits and reviews information received from references the other adult provides about his or her parenting strategies and skills. The other adult must have the one personal reference in (1)(A) and the references (1)(B) through (E) of this subsection, when applicable. The resource specialist or RFA contractor:
(1) documents all information from voluntary and other provided references. The resource specialist or RFA contractor explains the program's expectations and the needs of children who come into OKDHS care to each person who is contacted as a reference.
(A) One personal reference is interviewed by phone or in person and cannot be a family member.
(B) When applicable, all adult children are contacted by letter, phone, or in person to complete Form 04AF015E, Resource Family Reference Letter for Adult Children.
(C) The current or most recent employer of the other adult in the home is contacted by letter, phone, or in person using Form 04AF011E, Resource Family Reference Letter for an Employer. When the adult is self-employed, a reference is obtained from a customer.
(D) When the other adult currently receives or received behavioral health services in the past 10 years, the behavioral health care professional is contacted using Form 04AF013E, Resource Family Assessment Reference Letter for Behavioral Health Professionals. The resource specialist or RFA contractor uses Form 13HI003E, Authorization to Disclose Medical Records, to obtain permission from the other adult to receive his or her behavioral health information. In addition to Form 04AF013E, the resource specialist requests behavioral records from the behavioral health professional.
(E) When the required references do not total three, the resource specialist obtains additional personal references;
(2) does not deny the continuation of the resource application process based solely on information a reference provides. When a reference provides information requiring further explanation from the other adult, the resource specialist or RFA contractor discusses the nature of the information without revealing the source; and
(3) requests consultation with the resource supervisor and field manager to determine the significance of the information a reference provides, who:
(A) has a history of abuse, neglect, or both that includes victimization by the other adult; or
(B) has other concerns about his or her ability to parent.
5. Applicant's and household members' physical health.
(1) Form 04AF017E, Resource Parent Health History, is completed by the applicant. The narrative summary, completed by the resource specialist or RFA contractor describes the applicant and household member's:
(A) health history;
(B) health insurance coverage; and
(C) assesses the applicant's ability to care for a child into the child's adult years.
(2) Form 04AF039E, Child(ren)'s Health Statement, from the family physician is required for each child in the household who is not in OKDHS custody to verify the child is free from communicable diseases. A copy of each child's immunization record, or when the child is not immunized, Form 08TA017E, Immunization Certificate of Exemption, is required.
6. Age. When the age difference between the applicant and the child is more than 55 years, the field manager and district director are consulted at the time of the local adoptive placement criteria staffing, per OAC 340:75-15-41.1.
7. Marital and significant relationship history. Documentation validating the current marriage is necessary to determine eligibility to adopt and protect the legal status of the prospective adoptive child.
(1) When there is a child from a previous marriage, the child's role in the family is discussed and financial and emotional child support are documented.
(2) The ability of the applicant to develop and sustain healthy relationships is assessed and documented in the assessment summary.
8. Photographs. The applicant is encouraged to incorporate photographs, such as those of parents, relatives, home, work-space, school, pets, activities, other children in the family, and the neighborhood into a family Life Book. The Life Book is 8 ½ X 11 inches and filed with the assessment.
9. Pre-service training. During pre-service training, information about the adoption process is provided to the adoptive applicant allowing the applicant to decide whether adoption is appropriate for the applicant's family.
(1) The dates the applicant attended pre-service training and a description of the applicant's response or reaction to the information provided is included in the Training section of the assessment summary.
(2) The resource specialist assures the adoptive applicant completes the pre-service training timely.
(3) An exception to the training requirement, per OAC 340:75-7-14, is requested from the field manager.
