County agency responsibilities for permanency services and activities are to:
- Collaborate with all network participants to remove systemic barriers that impede the timely permanency of waiting children;
- Comply with applicable laws, regulations and guidelines for all adoption services;
- Use state funds as available to fund permanency services;
- Actively recruit adoptive families, according to the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act, MEPA, and its amendments;
- Cooperate with legal counsel to facilitate termination of parental rights to assure a child is legally free for adoption;
- Request where appropriate, the court to set a goal of adoption for children in county custody;
- Complete, submit and regularly update the SWAN Eligibility Report/Update Form, CY-890, http://adoptpakids.org/Documents/CY890SWANEligibilityRpt.pdf
- Comply with PAE registration requirements (see Attachment C of OCYF Bulletin);
- Make case-specific referrals to the SWAN prime contractor for appropriate services as defined in the Needs Based Budget Bulletin;
- Cooperate with contracted agencies by providing access to information in case records that will allow affiliates to fully complete the tasks for which they are responsible;
- Assure that a Child Profile is completed within 90 calendar days after the goal of adoption is established (see page 16, Child Profile and Attachment B of OCYF Bulletin); or to make a referral to the SWAN prime contractor within 10 days to have a Child Profile completed by an affiliate;
- Cooperate in the development of a child preparation plan for every child for whom such a plan is deemed necessary to prepare the child for permanency (see Attachment E of OCYF Bulletin);
- Determine whether or not to accept Family Profile documents within 30 days of receiving them from the affiliate agency (see Attachment F of OCYF Bulletin);
- Ensure Child Specific Recruitment activities are provided for children without identified families;
- Share the Child Profile with the prospective family’s agency (see Attachment B of OCYF Bulletin);
- Review Family Profiles and make a timely decision in selecting a family for child placement (see Attachments C and G of OCYF Bulletin for greater detail of the process of family selection decisions);
- Assure that families are aware of community resources and supports, as well as benefits available through the Pennsylvania Adoption Opportunities Act, the Federal Adoption Tax Credit (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607) and the Adoption Assistance Regulations (see Attachments D and D-1 of OCYF Bulletin);
- When an affiliate agency is involved, the county agency will cooperate with the agency supervising the prospective family to ensure smooth placement transition toward permanency for the child and family;
- Remain informed and collaborate with the affiliate agency on the child’s progress after placement; and make reasonable efforts to promptly finalize adoptions (see Attachment H of OCYF Bulletin);
- Determine whether to consent to the adoption, based on supervisory reports, and, if so, to provide consent and other necessary legal documents for timely finalization (see Attachment H of OCYF Bulletin);
- Provide or arrange for post-permanency services, as appropriate to meet the needs of the child and his or her family.