At Children's Aid and Family Services, we believe that every child deserves to grow up in a loving, devoted family, surrounded by warmth, compassion, and security. Every child needs a chance to thrive and experience the best that life can offer, with parents who are committed to his or her well-being. Adoption gives a child a new beginning, a positive foundation upon which a successful future can be built. Since 1899, Children's Aid and Family Services has been bringing children and families together.
We help adoptive children and parents form new bonds and strengthen the family unit by providing a wide range of pre- and post-adoption services. Intrinsic to all that we do is our philosophy to put the child's best interests at the center of all discussions, planning, and placement decisions.
Our network of experienced professionals includes licensed clinical social workers, child psychiatrists, family life educators, licensed family counselors, and early childhood educators. We provide adoption services for families in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, and Passaic counties.
Children's Aid and Family Services supports openness in adoption. We are committed to considering all available options for birth parents and prospective adoptive parents. Carefully weighing all alternatives and actively listening to those involved in this delicate process ensures that a mutually agreeable adoption plan will be developed and implemented.
Infants
Counseling with a certified social worker is provided to both the birth parents and/or prospective adoptive parents to help them make a fully informed decision about whether they want to proceed with an adoption plan. This service is provided at no cost to birth parents.
Fees for adoption services are based on a sliding income scale. Adoption fees include home studies for prospective adoptive families, foster care for the infant, the placement process, post placement supervision, and preparation for finalization of the adoption.
If you are interested in adopting an infant you undoubtedly have many questions and may be looking for information and resources, Children's Aid and Family Services offers extensive pre-placement training to meet the needs of families seeking to adopt infants.
The curriculum is interactive and invites families to role-play, provides concrete exercises, and addresses the multitude of issues that confront adoptive families throughout their lives. Adopting and raising a child is a major commitment - adoptive parents need knowledge and tools to answer the questions and meet the challenges that will come up along the way. Thus, training highlights include presentations by speakers with different perspectives on adoption. Prospective adoptive parents will come away with a better understanding of how it feels to a child to be adopted. They will also understand the importance of openness in adoption and the vital role of their child's birth family and that family's history in the adoptive family's life.
Materials provided include a training manual, informative articles, a complete adoption bibliography, and a comprehensive list of helpful websites.
The Fost-Adopt Program
For some infants and toddlers the plan is Fost-Adopt. In these cases the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) has determined that the birth parents or family members will be unable to care for the child and the goal most likely will be adoption. In these instances, a foster family who wishes to become an adoptive family is sought for the child. The child is placed in this Fost-Adopt home which becomes the adoptive family when the child becomes legally free.
To find out more about the training, schedule and fee, please call Marcia Fisher at 201-226-0300 x224.
School-Age Children
Children's Aid and Family Services has developed an innovative program, the first of its kind in New Jersey, called Path to Adoption. This program gives prospective adoptive parents the option of adopting or becoming a foster parent to a school-age child. The majority of the school-age children awaiting adoptive families have special needs, due to a history of abuse and neglect because they have been exposed to substance abuse, or because they face physical or health challenges. As a result, these children exhibit emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges.
Path to Adoption offers specialized 27-hour P.R.I.D.E. training with an adoption specialist, discussing the entire continuum of adoption issues. Another program component is an 8 week internship at one of the agency's group homes for young children who need therapeutic treatment and require permanent families. During that time, prospective adoptive parents have the opportunity to meet and spend time with the children in our care, participate in recreational activities with the children, observe individual and group therapy sessions, learn parenting techniques and talk with the PATH team about the unique needs of each child.
Home study, adoption placement, and adoption supervision for school-age children are provided at no cost to the prospective adoptive parents. Due to the special needs of these children, the state of New Jersey offers adoptive families a monthly financial stipend as well as Medicaid for the adopted child. These continue after the child's adoption is finalized.
Children's Aid and Family Services was chosen by the State of New Jersey to develop and administer a one-stop adoption information and resource service called The New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House (NJ·ARCH). This site provides adoption advocacy, support, education, information, and referral services to adoptees, adoptive and pre-adoptive families, families interested in adoption, and professionals and community members interested in adoption issues. To find our more, visit us at our website, www.njarch.org.
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Every child needs a stable, loving family and home in which to grow and develop. Children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and have been removed from their home situations may never have this chance without the loving intervention of foster parents. Emotionally disturbed children can blossom with the assistance of dedicated individuals who become vital parts of treatment and rehabilitation plans. Children's Aid and Family Services is always seeking foster families willing to open their hearts and their homes to a child.
Common Questions About the Boarder Baby/Toddler Program
Who are the infants and toddlers in need of foster families? CLICK HERE
Children's Aid and Family Services is searching for foster families for infants who have been born exposed to drugs and/or alcohol and are in need of a temporary home until their birth family is able to care for them or an adoptive family can be found. The toddlers referred to our program have suffered from neglect and abuse. These children may also have been born prenatally exposed to drugs and alcohol. They are in need of a loving, stable environment where all their needs can be met.
How can I make a difference as a foster parent? CLICK HERE
As a foster parent, you have the opportunity to teach, guide, and nurture an infant during the all important first year of life.
You also have the personal satisfaction of knowing that the time a child has spent in your home will positively impact that child for the rest of his or her life.
Is financial assistance available for foster parents to help with the care of the infant? CLICK HERE
Yes. A monthly stipend is provided and the infants receive a clothing allowance. Medicaid covers medical expenses. Free formula is available through the Government funded WIC program.
Is training provided for foster parents? CLICK HERE
Yes. Training is provided during the application and home study process. Additional training and support services are provided on an ongoing basis. The training is designed to acquaint you with the basic issues involved in infant/toddler care and development. Information specific to the care and development of drug and alcohol exposed children is also presented.
If I am interested, what is the first step? CLICK HERE
The first step is to call the agency at (201) 226-0300 and ask to speak to the Recruitment Specialist, who will give you information about our children, our services and the application process. The Recruitment Specialist can answer any questions you may have about the program.
What does the home study process involve? CLICK HERE
An application in which we gather information about you and your family. The application includes a request for personal and medical references.
After completing the application, you will begin the home study. The home study is a written document about you, your family and your interest in providing foster care. It is completed through a series of interviews with a social worker. Training also takes place during this period. This process takes place from two to four months.
If the child becomes available for adoption, will my family be considered as the adoptive family for that child? CLICK HERE
Most foster children are reunited with their birth families. However, if the child in your care becomes available for adoption, your family would be assessed as a potential adoptive family for the child.
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Boarder Babies/Toddler Programs
A boarder baby is an infant who has been given medical clearance to leave the hospital after birth, but whose birth family is unable to provide a safe stable environment. These infants have complicated backgrounds, usually resulting from being born with some degree of drug exposure. They are not infected with HIV/AIDS. On any given day there may be more than 40 babies languishing in New Jersey's hospitals, missing the love, nurturing, and gentle guidance that is critical to their healthy development.
Our Boarder Baby/Toddler program seeks foster parents who can provide a healthy foundation for these vulnerable children. Foster parents provide a temporary, loving, and stable home for an infant while Children's Aid and Family Services works with the Division of Youth and Family Services to obtain a permanent home for a child, either through reunification with the birth family, or placement with an adoptive family.
Support for Foster Parents We Provide The Following:
Services to help build a healthy foundation for the baby and to assist foster parents in the crucial, life-altering work they have undertaken include:
- A monthly stipend and financial assistance for clothing
- Medical coverage for foster child
- An assessment by a nurse, who will be one of the primary sources of support.
- The in-home Early Intervention Program, whereby the foster parents participate in physical, occupational, and speech therapy with the child
- Case management by a worker, who provides comprehensive, individualized support to foster parents. Workers are the link between the foster parents, the birth family, and the Division of Youth and Family Services. They also coordinate visits with the baby's relatives.
- Assistance with a reunification plan. If the baby returns to the birth family, we involve the foster parent in the plan, e.g., teaching specific parenting skills to the birth mother or relative. If reunification cannot occur within one year, termination of parental rights will be pursued, and the agency will assist in the adoptive placement of the child. The foster parents' input is utilized in this process.
- Pre-Service Foster parent training
- On going monthly foster parenting training
Infant in Care
Children's Aid and Family Services foster families provide short-term care for infants while their birth parents test separation from them and consider whether to make an adoption plan for child. Foster parents receive a monthly stipend and Medicaid coverage for the child.
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Post-Adoption Counseling Services
Adoption is a lifelong process. Families need support at various critical stages of their children's development to enhance relationships and to prevent disruptions and crises. Our Post-Adoption Counseling Services include
- Counseling for birth parents at any stage of the adoption or post-adoption process
- A support group for birth parents
- Individual, family and group counseling for the adoptive family
- Counseling for adoptees
- Counseling for families preparing to adopt an older child or adolescent
Those eligible to receive PACS services include: adoptive families seeking help with post adoption concerns; families preparing to adopt a child; and children who are preparing to transition into a pre-adoptive home. In addition to post adoption counseling services, we offer home studies and adoption placements, pre-placement counseling and search and reunion services.
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Options Counseling
Counseling with a certified social worker is provided to birth parents to help them make an informed decision as to whether they wish to make an adoption plan for their child. Options counseling is provided at no cost to the birth parents. A certified social worker helps them to face the variety of emotional issues surrounding adoption, such as separation and loss, grief and mourning, guilt, and depression. There is no time limit on these sessions. When appropriate, counseling is also offered to grandparents and other significant persons.
Foster Care
Children's Aid and Family Services' foster families provide short-term care for infants while the birth parents test their separation and consider their decision for adoption.
The Adoption Process
If the birth parents decide to place their child for adoption, every effort is made to comply with their specific requests, including race, religion, etc., of the adoptive family. The birth parents are encouraged to be fully involved in the adoption process. They may elect a traditional adoption placement, or they may wish to design a more flexible adoption plan, which might include choosing and meeting the adoptive family. In some instances, maintaining contact between families is facilitated by Children's Aid and Family Services.
Birth Parent Support Group
We offer an ongoing support group for birth parents in all stages of the adoption process, including those who are contemplating adoption, have placed their child for adoption, or are in the process of search and reunion. The group meets every other month on Wednesdays, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Children's Aid and Family Services, 240 Frisch Court, Paramus. There is no fee. For further information, call Shea Campbell at (201)261-2800, ext. 240 or email us at info@cafsnj.org.
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While adoption is a joyous way to build a family, it is a lifelong process. Children in adoptive families experience a variety of issues regarding their placement. Adoptive parents must be willing to understand how adoption will impact their child's emotional growth and development. They must learn how best to address these issues when they arise. People interested in adoption can be single or married, own or rent a home, work outside the home, and have other children.
Orientation Meetings
Prospective parents attend group meetings with other families interested in adoption. These meetings give families an opportunity to learn more about children waiting to be adopted and how the process works. For meeting dates and information, go to our events calendar.
Home Study
A home study is a participatory assessment of the prospective adoptive parents, their family, and their commitment to parent a child that has not been born to them. A written report is completed through a series of interviews with a social worker and 10 hours of training on adoption issues. Through this comprehensive process, which is required of all prospective adoptive parents, the agency's social workers get to know the applicants and help them to understand the impact the adoption will have on each member of the family. This assessment process helps the agency determine which child will best fit into the family, based on the child's needs and potential and the family's expectations and desires.
Home studies are available to couples wishing to adopt domestically through private sources.
Training
Adoption applicants attend 10 hours of training, during which they discuss a variety of adoption issues. These include separation and loss issues, motivation for adoption, raising a child born to someone else, writing a "Dear Birth Parent" letter, the impact of adoption on the child and family, meeting the birth parents, relating to the child's feelings about his or her background, and search and reunion services that are available for adult adoptees and their families.
Post-Placement Supervision
Once the child is placed with a family, a social worker visits for six months or more to assist in the parent-child adjustment, to continue the educational process about adoption issues, and to prepare the family for the legalization of the adoption in court.
Post-Adoption Counseling Services
Click here to learn more.
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Search and Reunion Services
Children's Aid and Family Services provides background and search services to adoptees who are interested in obtaining information about their medical and social histories, and/or who are interested in establishing contact with their birth families. The agency also conducts searches on behalf of birth parents who would like to meet the adult children they placed for adoption through this agency. People interested in these services can call the South Orange office at 76 S. Orange Ave, Suite LL01, South Orange, NJ 07079 Tel: 973-762-5887. Gloria T. Smith, L.C.S.W., coordinator of the program, will be happy to give you information about the agency’s Background and Search Services.
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 Children's Aid and Family Services was chosen by the State of New Jersey to develop and administer a one-stop adoption information and resource service. The New Jersey Adoption Resource Clearing House (NJ·ARCH) provides adoption advocacy, support, education, information, and referral services to adoptees, adoptive and pre-adoptive families, families interested in adoption, and professionals and community members interested in adoption issues. Services are provided via the NJ·ARCH website, www.njarch.org and a toll-free Warm Line which is staffed 40 hours per week. Click here to visit the NJ·ARCH website or call the toll free number at 877.4.ARCHNJ or 877-427-2465
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