Becoming an Adoption Photolisting and Child Specific Recruitment Provider
The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) is the agency responsible for the delivery of health, human/social and related regulatory services for the state of Georgia. The major service divisions within DHS are Aging Services, Child Support Services and Family & Children Services. In partnership with local communities, DHS assists individuals and families in achieving safe, healthy, independent and self-sufficient lives. Many DHS programs have seen record numbers of enrollment in this recent economic downturn. Please refer to the DHS website at dhs.georgia.gov for more information about the agency, its responsibilities/functions and organizational structure, etc.
The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) State Adoption Unit is charged with promoting, developing and supporting quality adoption services for Georgia’s children and adoptive families. Over the years, the unit has impacted the number of children adopted through; (a) Increased adoptive placements of children who were in the custody of DHS and (b) increased collaboration with non-profit and for-profit organizations to serve children and families with adoption services.
The State Adoption Unit consists of three internal teams. The first team, Regional Adoption Coordinators, act as liaisons between the state office, county (DFCS) offices, private adoption agencies and local communities. The second team, Adoption Exchange Consultants, are primarily responsible for the provision of child-specific recruitment for children with no identified adoptive family. The third team, the Post Adoption and Guardianship Consultants, are primarily responsible for providing support to adoption and guardianship families post legalization.
With the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, DHS is mandated to provide recruitment services for children with no identified adoption resource. These children are usually older, members of sibling groups or have medical, emotional and/or behavioral diagnoses. In addition to being federally mandated, both local and national photolisting websites are critical to the recruitment process.
At any given time, there are approximately 300 children in the permanent custody of the State of Georgia without an identified adoptive family. The Adoption and Safe Families Act mandates states to conduct child-specific recruitment for waiting children through adoption exchanges, state and national photolistings and other recruitment activities. The DHS State Adoption Unit is committed to ensuring that every waiting child has a safe and loving home to call his/her own.
The initial term of the contract(s) shall be from the date of award until the end of the state’s current fiscal year. Georgia's fiscal year is from July 1through June 30. The state entity shall possess four (4) one (1) year option(s) to renew, which shall be exercisable at the sole discretion of the state entity.
Minimum Requirements
To have its proposal considered pursuant to this Statement of Need, a Supplier must meet the following minimum qualification:
- Have experience in providing child-specific recruitment through the management of a state photolisting in accordance with federal statute and guidelines.
*If the supplier cannot substantiate its experience in providing child-specific recruitment through the management of state photo listing recruitment with federal statute guidelines in Section 4, the supplier will be disqualified and its proposal will not be considered.
Becoming an Adoption Photo Listing and Child Specific Recruitment Provider Related Files
Adoption
Photolisting Statement of Need
If you require any additional information about becoming an Adoption Service Provider, email [email protected]