Foster Care/Adoption Unit - provides the following services:

Adoption: legally freeing children for adopting; preparing adoptive families; placing adoptive children in permanent homes; and supervising the placement until finalization in Court.

Foster Care: 24 hour care away from a child's natural family, Foster Care ideally is a temporary placement with substitute families until the biological family can be reunited. All children in foster care must go through the Court to remain in care more than 30 consecutive days. A plan must be developed for each child to reunite them with the biological family, free them for adoption, or prepare them to live independently after foster care. A foster child can be voluntarily surrendered for adoption by the natural parents or be declared abandoned or permanently neglected by the Court. Abandonment can be declared if there has been no contact in a six month period. Permanent neglect can be determined if the parents fail to visit or make a plan for the child's return in one year. All foster children must have a regular court review. Foster homes must be certified initially, then re-certified annually.

For information about adoption or foster care: www.dfa.state.ny.us
For applications call us at (607) 535-8322.