Caring For Kids Inc

Programs: Foster care program - cfk is a network foster care provider for children in the custody of summit, cuyahoga, stark, portage, medina, and surrounding counties in northeast ohio and for franklin county in central ohio. Foster care is, by definition, temporary care provided to a non-relative child, lasting from overnight to a year or more. Children are removed from their homes when they are abused, neglected or are identified as being dependent and their parents are incapable of safely providing care for them at the time of placement. Foster caregivers provide a safe, stable and loving home for children of all ages including newborns and toddlers, brothers and sisters who should remain together (sibling groups), physically, developmentally, or emotionally challenged children and teenagers. The goal of foster care is reunification of the child(ren) with their biological family. Cfk certifies families to be foster caregivers by conducting the home study and pre-service training classes. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year cfk certified 104 new foster care families. The total of children served in cfk foster caregiver homes during the fiscal year was 147 children. Sometimes, children do not return home, and foster caregivers are needed to not only foster but to adopt children who are placed with them. 32 of the 147 placements switched from foster to adoption status. There is a constant need to recruit and certify new foster caregivers. This is becoming an even greater need due to the increase in opioid addiction and related overdoses/deaths plaguing ohio families. Cfk's goal for the upcoming year is to increase our recruitment efforts and educate the public of the increased, emergent need for foster caregivers.

adoption programs - adoption provides a permanent plan for a child and represents a lifelong commitment. Children of all ages are available for adoption through private domestic adoption or the public child welfare system. -private domestic infant program: as a licensed custodial agency, cfk works with birth mothers who are interested in making an adoption plan for their newborn. Cfk provides pre-and post-adoption counseling, supportive services, education on the state of ohio adoption laws and prepares the social and medical history of the birth parent(s). Cfk works with birthparent(s) and pre-adoptive families to create a plan respectful of everyone involved, as well as provide counseling and support services. Cfk is committed to a thoughtful process and offers extensive support for the adoptive parents, the birthparents, and the children. Cfk believes working together allows for the best possible match which will benefit all members of the adoption triad. Cfk placed 58 newborns during the 2016/2017 fiscal year. Cfk's goal for next year is to increase our recruitment/education efforts to birth mothers in ohio who may be considering making an adoption plan. We see far too many birth mothers seeking assistance from out-of-state agencies that do not share our philosophies on ethical practice, support services during and after placement of the baby and the importance of openness. -public adoption - cfk offers a search service for families that have an approved ohio home study. Cfk conduct searches throughout ohio and the united states for children available for adoption that meet the characteristics desired by the pre-adoptive family. Children are matched with adoptive families based upon the ability of the family to meet the child's needs. Cfk places approximately 7 children in adoptive homes each year through this program.

wendy's wonderful kids recruitment - cfk has an ongoing partnership with the dave thomas foundation for adoption (dtf). Dtf has awarded cfk nine grants creating a presence of 10 wendy's wonderful kids recruiters on our staff recruiting families for those children who have been waiting the longest for an adoptive family and home. This social work staff provides services to over 125 children at any given time. Children represented by a wendy's wonderful recruiter are 3 times more likely to be adopted than children that are not. This program was successful in finalizing 17 adoptions, placing 3 children in legal custody and making 27 adoption matches. Our goal for next year is to conduct more family search and engagement work and to build stronger relationships with the county case workers through education and assistance in preparing the youth for adoption readiness.