Foster Care & Adoptions
Foster Care & Adoption Services
Foster Care (Permanency Planning)
Foster Care (now called Permanency Planning) Services are provided to ensure the safety of children in an alternative care arrangement when their safety cannot be maintained in their own home. Foster care is a temporary plan of care until the child can be safely returned to their home, be placed in the custody or guardianship of another approved caretaker or adopted.
Foster Care (PDF): Eligibility Requirements
Foster Parent Starting Point: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/child-welfare-services/licensing/foster-homes
Foster Parent Application:(Print Paper Application) http://www.harnett.org/ss/downloads/fcapp2.pdf
Shared parenting
Shared Parenting is a partnership between foster families and birth parents to maintain important relationships and connections to their culture, routines, and traditions. Shared parenting activities range from hosting family/sibling visits, sharing updates regarding the child’s school functioning or discussing bedtime routines. Children in families that engage in shared parenting have better outcomes related to emotional, behavioral and social functioning. When parents partner there are fewer placement disruptions and reunification rates increase. Overall, shared parenting benefits everyone.
Kinship Care
What is Kinship Care?
Kinship care refers to the care of foster children by relatives or close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin). This option is the preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents, because it maintains a connection to family for the children.
Assessment process:
- Home assessment
- Financial assessment
- Background checks on household residents over 16
- CPS History checks on all caregivers
Kinship Provider Education:
Caring For Our Own: Children's Home Society -- Caring For Our Own
Kinship Care and Guardianship Assistance
Kinship care and Guardianship Assistance is a fund that is given to those who are caring for children while they are in the care of DSS. This fund is designed to give the care providers aid in providing the children with essential needs such as housing, food, clothing and all other essentials that the child needs while in the care of the Kinship Provider or Guardian.
Adoption
Adoption is the permanent, legal transfer of parental rights and responsibilities from birth parents to adoptive parents when the birth parents’ legal rights have been terminated. Adoptive parents make a commitment to become a child’s legal family and to nurture, care for and support them throughout their lives.
Becoming an Adoptive Parent
Harnett County works in partnership with a number of agencies to find families for our children in foster care. Families who are primarily interested in adoption will need to complete an adoption home study prior to being considered. Once you have received approval to become an adoptive home, your family can begin to look into the children available for adoption and work with the agency to find a good match for your family. Harnett County and your agency will then partner with you to transition the child into your home.
Children Available for Adoption:
- Harnett County children
- Adoption Information: https://adoptuskids.org/
Confidential Intermediary
North Carolina is a “closed adoption” state, which means that adoption records are sealed once adoptions are final. When family connections are lost, adult adoptees and birth parents can seek to find information or locate each other through Confidential Intermediary (CI) services. Confidential Intermediary services (CI) are for an adult adoptee who is 18 years or older, a birth parent, an adult sibling of an adult adoptee, an adult biological half sibling of an adult adoptee, or an adult family member of a deceased adult adoptee.
Contact Harnett County Department of Social Services for more information 910-814-7500
Youth in Foster Care (LINKS)
The LINKS program is the North Carolina Foster Care Independence Program for youth and young adults who have experience in foster care. Youth 13-21 currently in foster care are eligible for this program.
Links Services
- Youth Group (ages 13–15) Assessments; Goal Planning; tutoring & job exploration; mental health services; school advocacy; self-esteem building; sex education; anger management; drug & alcohol education; positive/healthy peer relationships; food & nutrition; Life Books.
- Youth Group (ages 16–21) Assessments; Transitional planning; Post-high school education planning; Parenting; Employment; Team building; Legal issues; Vocational training; Voter registration.
- Additional support for youth ages 18–21 After-care case management services; educational vouchers; housing assistance; After-care support group; Ongoing referrals and assessments to promote continued self-sufficiency.
- Information on Links: NC LINKS
NC Reach
NC Reach – A state-funded scholarship offered to qualified applicants for up to four years of undergraduate study at NC public colleges and universities. Available funding is awarded after other public funds and scholarships have been applied. NC Reach provides comprehensive student support, including mentors, care packages and internships.
Eligibility
Students are eligible for NC Reach if they are:
- Legal residents of North Carolina, eligible for in-state tuition rates
- Adopted from NC Division of Social Services (DSS) foster care after the age of 12, OR, aged out of NC DSS foster care at age 18 (they must have been in care on their 18th birthday)
- Exited from foster care to a permanent home through guardianship with the support of the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)
- Enrolled in one of the 74 NC public community colleges, or universities
- Under the age of 26 (participants remain eligible until their 26th birthday)
- Enrolled in at least 6 credit hours
Apply for NC Reach Apply Here
Contact us:
Fax number 910-912-1661
Carolyn Blue / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6650 Cblue@harnett.org
Crystal Blue / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6691 cjblue@harnett.org
Melony Cameron / Social Worker Prevention and Permanency Planning / 910-814-6634 Mcameron@harnett.org
Kimberly Cortes-Luna / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6824 kcortes-luna@harnett.org
Mark Cote / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6660 Mcote@harnett.org
Brenda Foster / Adoption Assistance Payment Agent / 910-814-6606 Bfoster@harnett.org
Nathaline Gunn / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6680 Ngunn@harnett.org
Amber Jackson / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6839 ajackson@harnett.org
Cathy Keever / Social Worker Adoptions / 910-814-6671 Ckeever@harnett.org
Pam Little / Social Worker Licensing and Links Coordinator / 910-814-6677 Plittle@harnett.org
Terry Manahan / Social Worker Prevention, Interstate Compact and Permanency Planning / 910-814-6687 Tmanahan@harnett.org
Thakida McDougald / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6689 Tmcdouglad@harnett.org
Rasandra McNeill / Social Worker Prevention and Permanency Planning / 910-814-6627 Rmcneill@harnett.org
Angela Montgomery / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6684 Amontgomery@harnett.org
Brandie Mosley / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6686 Bmosley@harnett.org
Amanda Parrish / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6884 aparrish@harnett.org
Valerie Rogers / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6833 Vrogers@harnett.org
Melissa Rowley / Children's Services Support Agent / 910-814-6681 Mrowley@harnett.org
Emilie Taylor / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6679 Etaylor@harnett.org
Kerry Willis / Social Worker licensing / 910-814-6803 Kwillis@harnett.org
Ashana Smith / Social Worker Permanency Planning / 910-814-6879 alsmith@harnett.org
Wendy Butcher / Supervisor Adoptions / Permanency Planning Supervisor / 910-814-6692 wbutcher@harnett.org
Tim Adamaszek / Supervisor Permanency Planning / 910-814-6664 tadamaszek@harnett.org
Tyerica Newton / Supervisor Permanency Planning / Licensing 910-814-6673 tnewton@harnett.org
Virginia Smith / Permanency Planning and Adoption Program Manager / 910-814-6683 vsmith@harnett.org