Foster Care
And Adoption

February Resource Parent Training Calendar 

Sometimes, it becomes necessary to remove a child from their biological family while issues related to child abuse, neglect, and/or homelessness are addressed. When this happens, a Turning Points case manager works closely with the biological and foster family, relative caregivers, the Department of Human Services, the courts and other agencies to help the biological family address its challenges and reunify the child with the biological family as soon as possible. When that is not possible, Turning Points works to find another permanent family relationship for the child, either through adoption or permanent legal custodianship.

Foster parents provide temporary care in their own homes to bring stability to a child during a time of often severe trauma. Children enter foster care because of child abuse, neglect or special family circumstances requiring that the child receive out-of-home care. Foster care services are intended to provide temporary care for a child until he or she is reunited with their biological family or until another permanent living situation is found.

The goal of the foster care program is to provide a safe environment which is supportive of the child's development. The program assists the child's parents in resuming responsibility and custody or to attain an alternative permanent placement for the child as soon as possible.

Adoption Services

Turning Points for Children is an affiliate of SWAN (Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network) and provides the following services to children and families who are moving towards permanency goals:

• Family Profile

  Family Profiles are completed once a family has been identified as a permanency resource for adoption. A history of the family is gathered including the family’s background, clearances, character references, medical history, employment history, and other information related to the family’s motivation to pursue permanency.

• Child Profile

  Child Profiles are summaries of a child’s life history. It provides details from the child’s birth through current history, including birth family information, medical information, placement history, education, social-emotional history, and background leading to the current permanency goal.

• Child Preparation

  Child Preparation helps the child process reasons that may have led to their placement in foster/kinship care and allows the child to gather some family history and answer their questions.

• Child Specific Recruitment

  Child Specific Recruitment services help to connect children who are waiting for a permanent home with families who are waiting to adopt. This service assists older youth and youth with special challenges to be included in the process of finding a permanent family.

• Finalization

  Adoption finalization services are utilized by families who are in the last step of the adoption process. This service monitors the adoptive family and child until the adoption is finalized. The permanency worker completes monthly home visits, ensures that the adoption attorney is selected and has all necessary documents.

Updates and Resources:

Important Update Regarding Stipend Payments & Direct Deposit

We are a Proud Supporting Member of the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth, and Family Services (PCCYFS)