Report of the Citizens' Task Force on Adoption for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

242 Pages·1996·5.9 MB·English

by  Citizens' Task Force on Adoption

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REPORT OF
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THE TASK FORCE ON
CITIZENS'
ADOPTION
FOR
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
JANUARY
1996
8,

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND
SECTION TWO: THE W.K. KELLOGG INITIATIVE:
MASSACHUSETTS FAMILIES FOR KIDS
(MFFK)
SECTION THREE: AGENCY INDEPENDENT
VS.
ADOPTIONS
SECTION FOUR: THE LICENSING OF ADOPTION
AGENCIES AND OFFICE FOR CHILDREN
SECTION FIVE: DEVELOPING A DATA BASE FOR
ADOPTION THE COMMONWEALTH
IN
SECTION THE PROCESS OF ADOPTION THROUGH
SIX:
THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
SERVICES INCLUDING JUDICIAL
PROCEDURES
SECTION SEVEN: LAWS TO FACILITATE ADOPTION
SECTION EIGHT: TRANSRACIAL ADOPTION
SECTION NINE: DISSEMINATING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
ADOPTION TO PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE
PARENTS: developing an information booklet
on adoption in Massachusetts
SECTION TEN: DEVELOPING A "CENTER FOR
ADOPTION RESEARCH AND POLICY" AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS

SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE
prepared by
The Citizens' Task Force on Adoption

Governor William F. Weld announced the formation of the Citizens' Task Force on Adoption on
March 7, 1995. His stated goal was "to help identify what we in government can do to speed up the
adoption process and give every child a caring and permanent home. . ." The Task Force consisted
of 13 members and was chaired by Aaron Lazare, M.D., Chancellor/Dean of the University of
Massachusetts Medical Center and father of eight adopted children.
BACKGROUND
All non-relative adoptions in Massachusetts are conducted by approximately 55 private agencies and
the Department of Social Service (DSS), the state's public agency. DSS currently places for
adoption approximately 1,100 children per year and the private agencies collectively place
approximately 1,500 children per year. Currently, DSS has about 1 1,500 children in foster care,
4,417 of whom were in the adoption process (as of July 1 1, 1995), 3,315 of whom were not yet
legally freed for adoption.
THE W.K. KELLOGG INITIATIVE: THE MASSACHUSETTS FAMILIES FOR KIDS
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation in 1994 funded a Massachusetts organization, Massachusetts
Families for Kids (MFFK) with $3.7 million "to eliminate the backlog of children in foster care
and reform the child welfare system. " This was part of a $41.8 million national effort involving 10
MFFK
states. The is a partnership initiative established by Children's Services of Roxbury, Inc.,
the Special Needs Adoption Network, and DSS. The Kellogg Foundation also funded two
programs for legal and policy reform. The Task Force believes the Kellogg Foundation, by this
initiative, is making a significant social contribution to this nation. Its goal for the welfare system
in the U.S. is the same as the Governor's charge to this Task Force.