Running head: SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS.

THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 1

Social Workers in Adoption Services: Private Agencies vs. the Department of Family and

Protective Services

Alejandra Garcia

Professor Sidouane Patcha Lum

The University of Texas at El Paso

SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 2
Abstract

This research is based on how social workers handle the adoption process and who they

impact during this process. Due to the fact that adoption is extremely broad and there are

different types of adoption, this paper’s main focus will be on the perspective of two types of

agencies found in the state of Texas. One will be the perspective of social workers who work in

private agencies and those who work in the Texas system, the Department of Family Protective

Services, or formally known as Child Protective Services (CPS). Social workers who work in

adoption, have an ultimate goal: to make sure that the children who are placed in adoption are in

an appropriate and stable home, and that the adoptive parents can adjust accordingly to a child’s

physical, mental, and emotional needs. However, a social worker’s role in this process will vary

based on where he or she is working.

SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 3
Social Workers in Adoption Services: Private Agencies vs. the Department of Family

Protective Services

Introduction

Social Workers who work in adoption face many challenges and must follow certain

procedures. Overall, social workers must follow the laws and certain protocols that are set by the

state that their agency or system resides in. The following protocols and procedures that will be

shown, will be based on the state of Texas. Even though social workers in adoption work towards

a common goal, finding an appropriate, stable home for children, the way they reach that goal

varies based on where the social worker works. The responsibilities, how to choose an

appropriate adoptive family and impact that a social worker makes can vary between a social

worker who works at a private agency and one who works for the Department of Family

Protective Services (DFPS), formally known as Child Protective Services (CPS).

In order to better understand a social worker’s role in adoption, it is important to know

important facts about private adoption agencies and about the Department of Family Protective

Services. According to Daena Magallon, an adoption social worker at Hope Cottage who has a

Bachelors in Social Work and a Master Degree in Mental Health Counseling, a domestic private

adoption agency is a medium where a birth parent(s) voluntarily places their child in adoption.

Most of the time, the birth mother is still pregnant when she decides to put her child in adoption.

Therefore, it provides social workers with more time to find a family for the child (personal

communication, March 30, 2018). The Department of Family Protective Services, takes a child

away from a parent who was declared unfit by the court. Due to the fact that these cases happen

spontaneously, the child or children are usually placed in foster care until a family adopts them.
SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 4
Responsibilities of Social Workers

As a whole, social workers have similar responsibilities during and after the adoption

process. Some of the general responsibilities of social workers, according to the Social Work

Policy Institution (2010), in adoption services include:

“evaluating the suitability of homes and families that wish to adopt children,

assessing the developmental, social, cognitive, and cultural needs of children available

for adoption in order to match them with an appropriate adoptive home, working with

birth families to determine their capacities to continue to parent and to be involved in

their children’s lives and/or to potentially deal with termination of parental rights, helping

with placement transitions, proving for post-adoption services to ensure lasting and

strong adoptive families.” (para. 3).

In addition, the most important responsibility a social worker must do is to document the entire

process.

These general responsibilities will ensure that the child is placed in an appropriate home

and that he/she is safe. In addition, all social workers in the state of Texas must follow the

minimum standards. These standards include three hundred and fifty pages of what an agency

can and cannot do, what their responsibilities are, proper child placement, etc. (Texas

Department of Family and Protective Services Licensing Division, 2017).

Most domestic private agency focus not only on the child and adoptive parents, but also

on the birth parents, whereas, the DFPS does not. As a social worker in a domestic private

agency, it is important to form a trusting relationship with the birth parent, usually the birth

mother. A social worker must listen, show their client that their story matters, and make the

person feel comfortable (personal communication, March 30, 2018). This is important, due to the
SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 5
fact that the birth mother is most likely nervous and it may have taken her a lot of courage to

meet with the social worker and discuss the possibility of putting her baby up for adoption. Some

of the birth parents may need extra counseling or support, such as spiritual support. A social

worker is not allowed to give this form of support. Therefore, the social worker must find

someone who is certified or allowed to provide this form of support for the birth parent (personal

communication, March 30, 2018). Another responsibility that a social worker in a domestic

private agency must be aware, is if the mother is properly taking care of herself during her

pregnancy.

Of all the responsibilities that a social worker has regarding the birth parent, it is most

important for the social worker to verify that he/she has given the proper information to the birth

parent. For example, at Hope Cottage Mrs. Magallon must verify with her client that she has

informed them of their rights (minimum standard and writing information regarding appeal

process), “Hope Cottage Notice of Privacy Practices, and the services that Hope Cottage

provides (personal communication, March 30, 2018). This is done so that the social worker can

proceed with the adoption process, and so that the birth mother knows her rights during the

process. After the adoption process and the birth parents have terminated their rights, the social

worker should follow up with their client to make sure that they are well.

The social workers who work in the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

(DFPS), help the children in foster care find a home. Usually, they first try to seek a relative who

will be willing and able to adopt the child, however, if a relative is not available then social

workers will have to look elsewhere. As the social worker finds a permanent home for the child,

he/she must “develop and update service plans and maintain direct contact with the child and the

foster parents or other caregivers” (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, 2017).
SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 6
In addition, the DFPS social workers must provide any type of support services for the foster

parents or other caregivers while they are taking care of the child. These social workers will also

be responsible to make sure that these children are healthy and have the required attention if the

child has special needs. In addition, they will be finding an appropriate home for that child.

Choosing an Appropriate Adoptive Family

When social workers are choosing appropriate adoptive families, they must do a

background check and conduct a home-study. This is an evaluation, done by a social worker, to

determine if the potential adoptive parent(s) home environment, financials, and family stability is

suitable. Each state and agency’s requirements may be stricter than others. The following are

some of the general requirements provided by the U.S Department of State-Bureau of Consular

Affairs that all agencies and states must follow: Potential adoptive parent(s) must be interviewed

along with any other adults living in the potential parent(s) home, an “accurate evaluation of

physical, mental, and emotional capabilities of prospective adoptive parents, a detailed

description of the finances of prospective adoptive parents, a description of counseling provided

to adoptive parent(s) or plans for post-placement counseling,” and a criminal history of potential

parent(s) and any other adults living in that household (U.S Department of State, n.d.). The main

goal for these social workers is to find a nurturing, stable home for a child.

According to the minimum standard of the DFPS, social workers will deny any potential

adoptive parent(s) when they have any criminal history of sexual and/or child abuse, and if they

suspect that potential parent(s) are not disclosing their full criminal history. The age that the

DFPS social workers will allow individuals to adopt is twenty-one. Social workers are more

lenient when evaluating potential parent(s) who are renting an apartment/house vs. the ones who
SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 7
are home owners. As long as the potential parent(s) can provide the necessary medical attention

and living stability for a child. A social worker can consider an individual who uses food stamps,

on a daily base, for adoption. A potential parent(s) who have a disability, are a same-sex couple,

or single can adopt a child as long as a social worker investigates thoroughly, and observes that

the family is financially, emotionally, and socially stable. One must recognize, that the DFPS

social workers are the ones who not only investigates potential families, but also chooses a child

for that family. In addition, social workers in the DFPS do not need to investigate if an adoptive

parent(s) is willing to have an open adoption, which is when the birth parent can see and/or

receive pictures and/or updates on their child.

Social workers who work in domestic private agencies, must follow stricter requirements.

For instance, according to Mrs. Magallon, at Hope Cottage, an individual must be twenty-five

years of age to be considered to adopt. Potential adoptive parents must go through an orientation

to educate themselves on what happens when they adopt a child. Mrs. Magallon states that

during this orientation, potential adoptive parents hear statements about other adoptive parent(s)

experiences. These social workers are required to follow all the other general background check,

financial, emotional, and social stability. However, financially, some private agencies, such as

Hope Cottage, requires potential adoptive parent(s) to be home owners or are currently paying a

mortgage on a home. Most domestic private agencies try to find a child a home in the local

region. If it is not possible, then social workers must expand in finding an adoptive family in the

state and as a last resort, they try to find a family anywhere in the nation. In these agencies,

social workers allow the birth parent to select any adoptive family that the agency has approved.

Therefore, if the birth parent(s) want to give their child to a same-sex couple, the agency will

provide them with a list of these types of families. However, it is most commonly known that the
SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 8
birth mother will choose a heterosexual couple than a same-sex couple. In addition, social

workers can help find a family who is willing to provide the birth parent with pictures and/or

updates on their child, once the adoption process is complete.

Impact of Social Workers

Overall, social workers make a positive impact in our society. Social workers have helped

through counseling adoptive parents, to make sure they are adjusting well with their new

addition to the family, and by making sure a child who has special needs is in a family who will

help address those needs. In addition, they help provide any sort of support a birth mother and/or

adoptive parent(s) may need before, during, and after the adoption process, and provide the birth

parent with counseling if she/he feels any sort of grief due to the tremendous loss of giving up

their child for adoption.

According to Daena Magallon, she believed that through her work with expecting

mothers, she is able to give unborn children a voice and an opportunity for a life. In addition, she

believes that she impacts our society by nurturing families so they can make a decision whether

adoptive parents can fully commit to an adoption. In addition, she nurtures through educating

these families about the reality of adopting and what may or may not happen. Mrs. Magallon’s

main role as a social worker is working with the birth parent so that the birth parent can feel

certain of the decision she/he is making.

Social workers working for the state, or DFPS, make a tremendous impact in the life of a

child who has been abused and/or neglected. They give that child, an opportunity to be loved by

a family. If a child is neglected, it can lead to major problems such as social withdrawal, self-

punishment, low academic achievements, low self-esteem, etc. Even though these children are in

foster care, social workers are giving them a better chance of excelling in society. They will be
SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 9
“able to form secure attachment relationship with their caregivers and make dramatic gains in

their ability to express emotion” (Weir, 2014). These social workers form a close bond with the

children and adoptive parent(s), leading to impacting their entire lives by giving them a family.

Conclusion

As a social worker, there are certain responsibilities that need to be met, they must choose

an appropriate family, and they make a major impact in our society and the people that they

meet. The requirements that need to be met depend on the agency or State that the social worker

is working in. For instance, domestic private agency social workers focus on the birth parents,

child, and adoptive parent(s). In addition, their requirements in choosing an adoptive family are

stricter. In the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services social workers focus more on

the child and adoptive parent(s), and their guidelines in choosing a family can be more lenient.

Even though the role of an adoption social worker varies depending on the agency and

system he/she works in, the outcome is ultimately the same. Their role is to find a nurturing

home for a child, who’s birth parents can not take care of them. In addition, they impact all

parties who are involved in the adoption process. A social worker contributes in making a

healthier society, whether it is through counseling, listening to their story, or making their dreams

come true by allowing a couple or individual receive a new addition to their family.
SOCIAL WORKERS IN ADOPTION SERVICES: PRIVATE AGENCIES VS. THE
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES 10
References

Magallon, D. (2018, March 30). Interview with House of Hope Social Worker [Personal

Interview].

National Adoption Center. (n.d.). Who Can Adopt. Retrieved April 1, 2018, from

http://www.adopt.org/who-can-adopt

Our Lady of the Lake University. (n.d.). The Social Worker and Child Advocacy. Retrieved

March 30, 2018, from https://onlineprograms.ollusa.edu/msw/resources/the-social-

worker-and-child-advocacy

Social Work Policy Institute. (2010, January 21). Adoption. Retrieved March 30, 2018, from

http://www.socialworkpolicy.org/research/adoption.html

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Licensing Division. (2017). (pp. 1-350).

Retrieved March 30, 2018, from

https://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Care/documents/Standards_and_Regulations/749_CP

A.pdf.

U.S Department of State-Bureau of Consular Affairs. (n.d.). Home Study Requirements.

Retrieved March 31, 2018, from https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Intercountry-

Adoption/Adoption-Process/home-study-requirements.html

Weir, K. (2014). The Lasting Impact of Neglect, 45, No. 6, 36. Retrieved April 1, 2018, from

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/06/neglect.aspx