Adoption
Family Assessment System
A Tool
for Evaluating Potential Adoptive Homes
In
response to the need for a rigorous approach for studying
and approving adoptive homes, ACTION for Child Protection
has developed an assessment tool which provides an organized,
systematic and standardized methodology. The Adoption Family
Assessment (AFA) System provides an agency with a comprehensive
understanding of families applying to be adoptive families.
It examines all aspects of the family functioning, including
motivation for and commitment to becoming an adoptive home.
Features of the System
The Adoptive Family
Assessment System uses a force field analysis methodology
to examine the strengths present in a home. It evaluates
the significance of strengths from the perspective of positive
family functioning and parenting The Adoptive Family Assessment
System evaluates information such as:
- Child,
adult and family functioning
- Adoptive
parents' perceptions of children, history, parenting
and interpersonal relationships
- Adoptive
parents' demographics and extended family relationships
- Understanding
of issues in biological families and understanding the
needs of children requiring care
- Preparation
to be an adoptive home
Program Benefits
- Standardizes approval of adoptive homes
- Organizes information collection
- Establishes criteria for assessing
- Identifies strengths of adoptive homes
- Matches needs of children with available
homes
- Provides supervisory tool to assess
workers' strengths and areas needing improvement
- Increases uniformity of decision-making
- Promotes accountability
The Adoption Family
Assessment System Provides
Thorough study of a
potential adoptive home to identify
- Potential
for placement stability
- Likelihood
of enhanced child development
- Identification
of "capacity to provide care" present in the
potential adoptive home
- Identification
of the needs and expectations present in the potential
adoptive home
- Determination of
whether a potential adoptive home should be approved
