When the home assessment is completed by the assigned adoption social worker and approved by a supervisor, the recommendation about licensure and appropriateness of the home will be mailed to the referring state, accompanied by a letter summarizing the findings of the home assessment. When the home assessment is approved, the social worker may be assigned to provide case management services for a special needs child placed from another state into the approved adoptive home in Wisconsin. The regional adoption supervisor will then screen-in the services intake and assign the child's case to an adoption social worker within 2 working days. The social worker will provide the same special needs adoption services as would be provided for a child placed within Wisconsin. Pre-placement visits may occur in the state of the child's residence but an actual adoptive placement may not occur prior to the approval from the receiving state.
Communication is especially important in interstate adoptive placements.
Because of the potential for misunderstandings due to different laws and procedures and the possibilities that workers may change, it is recommended that conversations and verbal agreements be documented in a written confirmation letter and forwarded through ICPC channels. Adoption social workers in BPP and contract partners of BPP will obtain the approval of the regional Adoption Unit Supervisor before initiating an ICPC request.