Foster Care/Adoptive Care

Wayne County Department of Social Services
77 Water St., Lyons
315.946.4881
www.co.wayne.ny.us
www.mybenefits.ny.gov

Adoption Services - are defined as assisting a child to secure an adoptive home (through counseling with biological parents concerning the surrender of a child for adoption); assisting a parent unwilling or unable to care for a child to surrender such child for adoption or instituting legal procedures to separate a child from his/her parent or parents under appropriate circumstances and arranging for and providing legal services to accomplish this purpose; the recruitment, study and evaluation of interested prospective adoptive parents; training for prospective and approved adoptive parents, evaluation of placement need, pre-placement planning, selection and placement of available children; counseling for families after placement; supervision of child and family for up to twelve months following legal adoption including the counseling of the child and adoptive parents during the period.

Foster Care Services - are defined as assessing the need for, arranging for, and providing for placement services to individuals under the age of 18 (under 21 in cases of children in foster care prior to age 18) in a foster home or appropriate group facility as a result of a judicial determination to the effect that continuation of care in a child's own home would be contrary to the welfare of such child, or at the request of the parent or legal guardian. A foster care home or facility used for the care of children shall be licensed by the state in which it is suited or have been approved by the agency of such state for licensing or certifying homes or facilities of this type as meeting the standards of such licensing.