28.6 Conducting the Staffing
Although operating as a team, at least one (1) person must be designated to lead the meeting. Normally this would be the adoption specialist, but it could be the child's worker or case manager. The leader should do the following:
- Restate the purpose of the meeting, and review and remind the membership of the importance of maintaining confidentiality of the information shared.
- Begin by presenting information about the child including a recommendation regarding characteristics of the type of family who can best meet the needs of the child. This information should be concise and provide adequate information about the child's needs, behaviors, background, etc. Answer any questions about the information provided.
- Share information about each prospective family and obtain the recommendations of each team member with the reasons they selected a specific family as their first, second and third choices.
- Discuss questions and comments to achieve consensus on the first, second and third choices. Voting on the choices should be avoided whenever possible.
- Make plans to implement the recommendations and obtain the consensus of all mandatory members of the committee.
- Before adjourning the meeting, obtain all the copies of the adoptive family assessments shared with the membership. Destroy all copies except one set of those considered and retain this set in the child's file.
NOTE: If the juvenile judge requires participation in determining the family selected, obtain his/her opinions before proceeding to implement movement toward the adoptive placement.
Although, the committee should reach a decision within one (1) meeting, in unusual circumstances it may be necessary to reconvene another staffing for a specific child to arrive at a final recommendation of the families considered.
NOTE: This process should be repeated as often as necessary until the child is placed or the child's case plan no longer is adoption.