Family Builders By Adoption

Programs: Program: fost-adoptsince its inception in 1976, family builders' core program, foster to adoption, focuses on guiding families through the foster care and adoption process for children who are in foster care and waiting to be adopted. Family builders prepares and supports both couples and single parents in ten bay area counties to meet the needs of children waiting to be adopted. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, family builders served a total of 71 children/youth through the fost-adopt program, this program finalized 34 adoptions in this fiscal year. Program: adoption sfadoption san francisco has provided the adoption services for san francisco county's human services agency since 2006. We provide recruitment, preparation and home studies for families wanting to adopt and willing to do concurrent planning. Through the adoption sf program, family builders made 696 outreach contacts with potential adoptive parents, and developed 37 concurrent planning families. Program: post adoption services post-adoption services (permanency support) are available to all families regardless of where they are in the permanency continuum. Through post-adoption services, families can attend parent trainings and workshops; take part in a variety of support groups; work with experienced, "buddy families" connecting experienced and new adoptive families for mentoring and support. In the 2016-2017 fiscal year, family builders had 75 post-adoption contacts with finalized families, and provided services to a total of 41 unduplicated finalized families. Additionally, family builders hosted seven support groups; provided six trainings to finalized families through our permanency support/post-adoption program; and held two community building events. Program: older youth permanency projectfor the last 10 years, family builders has provided permanency services for older youth through san francisco county's human services agency, to ensure that youth do not leave the foster care system without a permanent family. The dave thomas foundation's wendy's wonderful kids program is part of the permanency project in sf and provides targeted recruitment to match adoptive families and older youth in foster care in san francisco. In the 2016-2017 fiscal year, family builders served 74 youth through our older youth permanency project; provided family finding for 22 youth; and saw 14 children legally exit the foster care system. Family builders served 25 children/youth through the wendys wonderful kids program, with 13 children being matched for adoption, and two children achieving finalized adoptions. Program: california kids connectioncalifornia kids connection (ckc) is an online, adoption exchange registry that has been administered by family builders for over 30 years. Additionally, ckc gathers together private and public adoption agencies throughout california to facilitate and strengthen their working relationships, in an effort to disseminate information regarding children and youth who are available for adoption. Through ckc, family builders also provides services to families throughout california who are interested in adopting. Family builders served a total of 8090 families and 406 children/youth through the california kids connection website. A total of 93 children/youth were matched with families, and 22 children/youth were placed through the website. Program: getreal californiagetreal california is part of a national getreal initiative aimed at promoting healthy sexual and identity development for children and youth involved with the child welfare system. The goal of the project is to integrate sexual orientation and gender identity/expression into current statewide initiatives throughout california by creating a framework to increase the competency and capacity in serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (lgbtq) youth in out-of-home care. Getreal california has been providing support to the resource family approval and continuum of care reform implementation in the areas of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression as they relate to child welfare best practices, training and policy. Program: youth acceptance projectsyouth acceptance projects are designed to provide a continuum of services to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (lgbt) and gender non-conforming youth and their families. The projects work with birth families, foster families, relatives, adoptive families and caregivers of lgbtq and gender non-conforming children and youth. The intervention model is psycho-educational and occurs where sexual orientation or gender identity may be the source of family conflict and of placing the family at risk. Family builders currently provides this program in alameda county and has for the last four years. During the 2016-2017 fiscal year, family builders served a total of ten youth through the youth acceptance project. In addition to individual and family support services, family builders services including family support; advocacy for lgbtq youths needs; speaking with doctors regarding medical needs related to the childs sogie; advocating for youth at school and in the community; connecting them with a variety of community resources; and providing support and guidance with any issues that arrived relating to a youths sogie. Every youth that has been helped through this program has experienced significant improvements in their well-being and a decrease in self-harming behaviors.