Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services

About This Program

Target Population: Adoptive or Subsidized Guardianship families having children in the home under age 18, who have experienced abuse and neglect in their birth homes; these children generally have Reactive Attachment Disorder as well as a multitude of other mental health issues

Program Overview

Keeping the Promise is provided by The Baby Fold, not-for-profit organization affiliated with The United Methodist Church and is licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Keeping the Promise is a program available to any family with a child under 18 years of age who is presenting a special challenge and joined the family through adoption or subsidized guardianship. Keeping the Promise provides mental health counseling and support to adoptive/guardianship families residing within over 20 counties in Central Illinois. In-home therapy services are provided to families on an approximately weekly basis. The program also offers weekend camp services to children ages 6-14. Camp is staffed with teacher/therapists from Baby Fold's school for children with behavioral, emotional, learning, and autism spectrum disorders. Support groups and therapy are also provided as client groups/needs are identified as well as psychoeducation classes such as Trust-Based Relational Intervention classes for parents. Often when families seek services they are contemplating dissolving their adoption or guardianship. Services are intended to provide support to keep the family intact.

Program Goals

The primary goal of Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services is:

  • Keep adopted families intact

Logic Model

The program representative did not provide information about a Logic Model for Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services.

Essential Components

The essential components of Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services include:

  • In-home individual and family therapy
  • Respite weekend camp
  • Support groups for parents, children, and teenagers or "Family Fun Night" activities
  • Advocacy with schools and other community resources like child care, medical, educational, and psychological services
  • 24-hour crisis counseling
  • Resource library for families and professionals
  • Referral services
  • Parent training focused on developing a therapeutic parenting style, using the Trust-Based Relational Intervention parenting program when working with attachment disordered children

Program Delivery

Child/Adolescent Services

Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services directly provides services to children/adolescents and addresses the following:

  • Reactive attachment dsorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, sensory integration problems, and/or autism spectrum disorders

Parent/Caregiver Services

Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:

  • Parenting an adopted child with history of abuse or neglect

Recommended Intensity:

From 1-3 hours per week, depending on the needs of the family

Recommended Duration:

Up to 1 year, though sometimes the service period is shorter; if longer than a year, extensions from Illinois DCFS at 4-month intervals up to 2 years required

Delivery Setting

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

  • Adoptive Home

Homework

Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services includes a homework component:

Literature, audio CDs, DVDs, Theraplay activities, journaling assignments, etc., to be completed between sessions and with follow-up at next session

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

  • Offices in a central location, equipped with computers & phones
  • Occasional available meeting space at the agency (most sessions in client's home)

    Manuals and Training

    Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

    Master's Degree in Psychology, Social Work, or related field plus 2 years post-graduate experience

    Manual Information

    There is not a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

    Training Information

    There is training available for this program.

    Training Contacts:
    Training Type/Location:

    Informal consultation with training materials available from the Illinois State University Center for Adoption Studies

    Number of days/hours:

    Varies with program

    Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

    Currently, there are no published, peer-reviewed research studies for Keeping the Promise Adoption/Subsidized Guardian Preservation Services.

    Additional References

    Zosky, D. L., Howard, J. A., Smith, S. L., Howard, A. M., & Shelvin, K. H. (2005).  Investing in adoptive families: What adoptive families tell us regarding the benefits of adoption preservation services. Adoption Quarterly, 8(3), 1-23.

    Contact Information

    Kathleen Bush, LCPC
    Agency/Affiliation: The Baby Fold
    Website: www.thebabyfold.org/what-we-do/family-community-services/adoption-preservation
    Email:
    Phone: (309) 557-1066
    Fax: (309) 454-9257

    Date Research Evidence Last Reviewed by CEBC: February 2015

    Date Program Content Last Reviewed by Program Staff: June 2019

    Date Program Originally Loaded onto CEBC: February 2009