Full Disclosure and Ethical Issues in Adoptions

Level: Advanced Practice

Credits: 3

Intended Audience: This course is intended for line workers and supervisors in Adoptions Units in Child Welfare Settings

Description of Course: This is a 3 hour course that will examine the aspects of full disclosure of information to prospective adoptive parents and caregivers, the goals, values, and ethics involved, and related policies and regulations.
Intended Objectives:

• Understand and carry out full disclosure activities within appropriate professional boundaries and ethics
• Consider the related values and goals
• Understand policies about full disclosure
• Gain insight into policy areas which are not clearly understood or about which there is a need for clarity and/or review

Topics Include:

• Value of permanency and family connections for children in foster care.
• Ethical issues and values related to adoption, permanency, family connections, concurrent planning, and relative contact/placement
• Policies and regulations related to full disclosure, including concurrent planning
• Principles of adaptive leadership, adaptive versus technical problems
• Scenarios/exercises which highlight values, issues, and to practice skills related to full disclosure activities
• Policy clarification/discussion and facilitation of areas of confusion or needing clarification