Foster Care, Adoption, and Post Permanency Services

Most children never think that not being raised by their birth parents would be an option. For the children we work with each and every single day, they know that due to circumstances beyond their control, they are not able to permanently live with their birth parents.  

Many of the children we work with who are in need of an adoptive family have spent time in foster care. For a variety of reasons, they are not able to be reunified with their birth parents and are in need of a permanent place to live and a family to take care of them.  Whatever the child’s background and situation may be, our staff is committed to finding every single child we work with a permanent home that is safe, stable, and loving.   We work to identify, secure, and support families who wish to pursue adoption and post permanency. Whether you think you would be able to adopt an infant, young child, or teenager, we will work with you every step of the way.

Additionally, we are a member of the Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) and we help to provide adoption and permanency services on behalf of the state’s child welfare agencies. The Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) is offered to all Pennsylvania families who have adopted, whether they adopted a child from the child welfare system, internationally, or privately; and to kinship and permanent legal custodianship families.  These services can ensure that families are provided the support they need for the long term and to encourage a positive life-long experience.

Once a family contacts the SWAN Helpline, personnel ask questions, gather information from the family and then explain the process for a family to receive the services. The family is provided with the contact information of local affiliate agencies, in addition to Wesley Family Services, who offer the services they select. When our organization or another chosen by the family, the referral is made and the process begins.  During the Post Permanency Case Assessment phase, one of our master’s level therapist meets with all members of the family to help identify their needs and how to strengthen and support the existing relationships/connections within the family unit.  The initial assessment will last approximately one month (30 days) and will consist of the post permanency worker gathering information needed to complete formal assessments and to assist in developing the family’s Family Support Plan. Through this program we offer:

• Case management
• Respite care which provides families with planned breaks or periods of respite so that parents  are able to maintain a consistent level of parenting
• Support groups which help families to build relationships, form a community of mentoring, provide education and offer socialization and recreational activities for families and their children. These groups provide adoptive families with the opportunity to share with others the difficulties and successes of adoption or providing permanency to a child

Please note that a referral is required to receive these kinds of services through SWAN and can be made through the helpline at 1-800-585-SWAN.