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EEC REGULATION REFORM – Placement Revisions

EEC REGULATION REFORM – Placement Revisions. EEC Advisory Council February 2011.

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EEC REGULATION REFORM – Placement Revisions

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  1. EEC REGULATION REFORM – Placement Revisions EEC Advisory Council February 2011

  2. What Are the Placement Regulations?EEC is the licensing authority for foster care and adoption placement agencies in the Commonwealth. Massachusetts prohibits private adoptions and requires that children be placed for adoption only through licensed placement agencies. The current regulations (102 CMR 5.00) identify the standards for licensure or approval of agencies offering child placement and adoption services, including the administrative and fiscal requirements for such agencies and the services to be provided to birth parents, foster and adoptive parents, and children. • The Placement regulations have not been revised since 1998 when the Foster Care and Adoption regulations were combined into one set. • The current regulations need clarification and expansion, particularly for adoption. • Many Massachusetts agencies work with out-of-state agencies and/or programs in foreign countries. • International Adoption was a very small % of adoptions when the regulations were written. Different sending countries have their own rules and requirements and the Hague Convention  requires that all agencies who work in international adoptions must be certified and follow its requirements. Why Revise the Placement Regulations?

  3. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED REVISIONS TO PLACEMENT REGULATIONS • Designated Financial Responsibilities (606 CMR 5.04(7)) • New regulations more clearly specify what adoptive parents can and cannot be charged for and when: • May not be charged for birth parent counseling • May not be charged for expectant parent expenses before the beginning of the third trimester • Must be given an estimate of all birthparent expenses • Services to Birth Parents (606 CMR 5.09) • Required counseling to birth parents must now be provided by a person with an advanced degree in social work, psychology or related field. This person shall not be concurrently assigned responsibility for services to prospective adoptive parents. Additionally, regulations identify specific areas that must be part of the counseling process.

  4. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED REVISIONS (cont'd): • Orientation (606 CMR 5.10(2)(g)) • Adoptive parent information must now include the agency’s criteria and procedures used to identify an adoptive family for a particular child.   The proposed regulations will stipulate that the agency must provide parent preparation and education in the following areas • Mental health issues associated with adoption • Normative parenting issues in adoptive family life • Developmental issues in adoption • Talking with children about adoption • Role of loss and grief in adoption • Identity issues in adoption • Role of the search process in adoption • Support services in adoption • On-going Training (606 CMR 5.10(13)) • On going training for foster parents has been increased from 10 • hours per year to 20 hours per year. • Post Adoption Services and Matching  • EEC is collaborating with the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute to address these two important areas

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