lizgal: Thank you Kim 

  Kim: Ms.Ms Gallaspy what is the usual time frame to adopt older children from Bethany?

  lizgal: The average time to adopt an older child is actually quicker than adopting younger children because there are more older children waiting for a placement than younger children,. The time frame is alot shorter, anywhere from 3-6 months after a family has been approved and registered.  

  Gigi: Does Bethany provide traning such as IMPACK or MAPP

  lizgal: Yes. We now provide IMPACT and we have a class starting on May 5, 2005 

  Dana: - has joined the chat -

  Gigi: Are your oldre children considered special needs?

  chatadmin: Liz, What are some advantages of adopting through a private agency versus through the state?

  lizgal: Special needs generally just a federal definition used to categorize children. For instance, just an age alone would equal special needs. It does not mean that there is something medically or physically wrong with the child or children.  

  Kim: Is there a fee to adopt?

  lizgal: An advantage of going through a private agency is the length of time in gettiing into a class or getting your home study completed. Private agencies tend to not have the same high case loads as county agencies, which is suppose to allow for quicker access to services 

  cindy: - has joined the chat -

  Gigi: Can a family adopt through Bethany if they hav taken IMPACT through another group?

  lizgal: No there is not a fee to adopt through our program. We have a contract with the State Office of Adoptions to provide a variety of services, such as home study, preparing etc... 

  lizgal: Yes, they can, but I would want to determine why the family is not staying with their current agency 

  Laveda: - has joined the chat -

  Kim: Will an older child want to have contact with their birth family?

  Laveda: - has left the chat -

  andreas: test

  cathy: - has joined the chat -

  lizgal: Most older children do know who their family members are and in some cases would like to keep in contact with them. I think that it is important for any adoptive parent to consider the importance of this extended family and how this impacts the overall continued emotional growth of the child or children in their home. This is something that needs to be discuss. I have had positive experiences with older children who wanted to be in a permanent family, but at the same time continued to have some form of positive relationshi with the birth family 

  Laveda: - has joined the chat -

  andreas: What is the success rate of adoptions of older children?

  lizgal: I have had really good experiences with older children because they "want" to be in a forever family and the family members go into with realistic expecations of what is required of them to adequately parent the older children.. The disruptions that have occured that I have been a part of, the parents expectations were unrealistic and they were not ready for an older child.  

  lizgal: I have had more successfuls older children being adopted than failed adoptions. 

  andreas: How can parents prepare to parent older children?

  lizgal: Educate yourself, be realistic about the expectations. You can not parent an older child like you would younger child. There needs are different. I think it is important to talk with other parents that have had successful experiences with older children.  

  Laveda: Good evening Liz, have you or the staff you supervise found the Lending Library materials to be helpful with your preparation of families?

  Kim: Do older children recieve Adoption Assistance when adopted through Bethany?

  lizgal: I think there are times that we forget that the needs of children in foster care are no different than the needs we experience in our younger years or our adol. years. I think that it is important to remember, if you want to know how to treat a child, put yourself in the child's position, HOW would you want to be treated?? d??

  lizgal: Hi Laveda, yes I hear of families talking all the time about the Lending Lib. Also Kim, yes they do receive Adoption Assistance. Adoption Assistance is not confine to a private agency, it is state and federal dollars to provide care for the child or children 

  Laveda: What would you say private agencies do different from public agencies in preparing families to adopt older children, if you do anything differently. There is a perception that private agencies might be doing something different to prepare their families. Would you agree with that perception?

  lizgal: I think that because private agencies caseloads are a little lighter, and we are not responsible for entire counties, we have more of a luxury to provide services in a smaller milieu. I think more individual time is given that one might not get with the public agency  

  andreas: If casework is privatized, how will that affect private agency adoptions?

  lizgal: We are already part of the privatized community. Our caseloads may get higher, but this is anticipated to make sure the needs of children are not being slighted. There are many DFCS agencies that do an outstanding job to improve the quality of services to families and children.  

  Kim: Does Bethany provide the same level of care that the state does with special needs children?

  cindy: thats where resource advisiors can help families be better prepared when the children come into the home and help them continue to meet and understands the needs of the children

  lizgal: LOC is determined by the state. This varies on foster care status because there is the agency cost that is taken out of the delivery of services. In most cases, private agencies per diem may be a little higher.  

  lizgal: I agree.  

  Kim: Our time is about up does anyone have any final questions?

  Kim: I would like to thank Ms. Gallaspy for the information she shared. Thank You and Good Night