Caring For Kids Inc

DURING THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR CFK SERVICED 448 FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE FAMILIES, 238 INFANTS AND CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE/ADOPTIVE PLACEMENTS AND 116 EXPECTANT PARENTS. CARING FOR KIDS (CFK) HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE 1996 CERTIFYING FOSTER CAREGIVERS AND APPROVING PRE-ADOPTIVE PARENTS TO ADOPT. CFK IS A FULL-SERVICE FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION AGENCY LICENSED BY THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES (ODJFS). CFK HAS MULTIPLE PROGRAMS SERVING THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN THE CUSTODY OF THE PUBLIC CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM, FOSTER CAREGIVERS PROVIDING CARE FOR THESE CHILDREN, PRE- ADOPTIVE PARENTS HOPING TO ADOPT A CHILD OR SIBLING GROUP, AND BIRTH MOTHERS (AND BIRTH FATHERS) WHO CHOOSE TO MAKE A VOLUNTARY ADOPTION PLAN FOR THEIR NEWBORNS. OVER THE PAST FOURTEEN YEARS, CFK HAS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND EXPANSION IN THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES AND THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THE AGENCY SERVES.

FOSTER CARE PROGRAM - DURING THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR, CFK PROVIDED CARE FOR 208 CHILDREN. FOSTER CARE HAS BEEN THE FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM OF CFK FOR OVER 20 YEARS BY CERTIFYING FOSTER CAREGIVERS AND THUS, PROVIDING SAFE AND NURTURING HOMES FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN IN THE CUSTODY OF CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN COMING INTO FOSTER CARE RESULTING IN A CONSTANT NEED TO RECRUIT AND CERTIFY NEW FOSTER CAREGIVERS. OHIO CHILDREN ARE ENTERING FOSTER CARE AT A RATE NEVER BEFORE SEEN, HITTING 16,154 IN 2018, AN INCREASE OF 3,500 OR 28 PERCENT IN FIVE YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE PUBLIC CHILDREN SERVICES ASSOCIATION OF OHIO. THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS OF CHILDREN COMING INTO CARE REVOLVE AROUND PARENTAL DRUG ADDICTION AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. SOMETIMES, CHILDREN DO NOT RETURN HOME, AND FOSTER CAREGIVERS ARE NEEDED TO NOT ONLY FOSTER BUT TO ADOPT CHILDREN WHO ARE PLACED WITH THEM. 28 OF THE 208 PLACEMENTS SWITCHED FROM FOSTER TO ADOPTION STATUS.

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: DURING THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR CFK PROVIDED SERVICES TO 116 EXPECTING PARENTS IN OHIO. THESE PARENTS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT MAKING AN ADOPTION PLAN FOR THEIR NEWBORN OR PREVIOUSLY MADE AN ADOPTION PLAN. 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 EXPECTANT PARENT(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 EXPECTANT PARENTS, AND THE CHILDREN. CFK BELIEVES WORKING TOGETHER ALLOWS FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE MATCH WHICH WILL BENEFIT ALL MEMBERS OF THE ADOPTION TRIAD. CFK PLACED 30 NEWBORNS DURING THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR. PUBLIC ADOPTION - CFK MATCHED 14 CHILDREN AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION FROM THE PUBLIC CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM DURING THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR. CHILDREN ARE MATCHED WITH ADOPTIVE FAMILIES BASED UPON THE ABILITY OF THE FAMILY TO MEET THE CHILD'S NEEDS.

WENDY'S WONDERFUL KIDS RECRUITMENT - THIS PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFUL IN FINALIZING 30 ADOPTIONS MAKING 64 ADOPTION MATCHES DURING THE 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR. CFK HAS AN ONGOING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION (DTF). DTF HAS AWARDED CFK THIRTEEN GRANTS CREATING A PRESENCE OF 13 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. THESE 13 SOCIAL WORKERS PROVIDE SERVICES TO OVER 250 CHILDREN COMBINED AT ANY GIVEN TIME.