Press Release
Over the past few days, it has come to my attention that some do not understand the heart of New Beginnings. In 1982 and 1985, Debbie and I adopted our beautiful daughters from South Korea. I was a home-builder (construction) in Wisconsin at the time, and when I changed full-time careers after moving to Mississippi, child welfare and adoption work was the natural direction to take. After graduating from the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi, and after many years of child welfare work in various settings, I joined New Beginnings as the President in 2002.New Beginnings was founded in the mid-1980′s, and in 2003 we made the decision to develop international adoption programs so that other children could find safe and loving homes…just as our daughters found with us.
International adoptions are complicated and often involve more than one adoption agency, as well as facilitators, attorneys, government entities and others. International adoption agencies typically work in specific countries. The “top” agency or attorney (some countries allow attorneys or even facilitators to be involved) in each case is usually referred to as the “primary provider.” The primary providers operate the programs, have the overseas contacts, handle the application process, handle the dossier process, communicate with the families, help coordinate travel and visa approvals, are responsible to verify that post-placement or post-adoption reporting requirements are met, and “hold the adoptive applicant’s hand” through the process. New Beginnings is a Primary Provider in Poland, Nepal and the Ukraine and has never been a Primary Provider in any other country, including Guatemala or Russia.
In international cases, other than those where New Beginnings is acting as the Primary Provider, we typically provide only home study and post-placement work under the direction of the Primary Providers and the within the parameters established by the child’s country of origin.
We believe that New Beginnings has an excellent and well-trained team of social work service providers. Our workers are required (under Hague guidelines) to have a minimum of 30 hours of adoption-related training every two years, in addition to their other social work training. These trainings emphasize the requirements for home studies, post-placement reports, USCIS and Hague guidelines, and all other information that is a part of the adoption processes.
Below you will find the statements I provided Daily Journal, along with the very comprehensive guidelines our agency follows when conducting a home study.
Sincerely,
Tom Velie
PRESS RELEASE – JUNE 8-9, 2010, PROVIDED TO DAILY JOURNAL
“6/8/10
Whether we wanted to or not, as a licensed and accredited adoption agency, New Beginnings is not free to confirm or deny who may be clients of the agency. This is standard, licensed adoption agency practice.
While it seems that cases involving adoption often make the news, child abuse or neglect for any child, whether adopted or biological and whether it occurs in public or private situations, is tragic and deplorable.
Good adoption agencies and professionals continually reexamine their procedures and policies. For example, because of past issues across the country involving adoption facilitators, we do not provide certain services to them. Procedures to promote and improve adoption for the benefit of children are constantly evolving through the positive efforts of the U.S. State Department, the Council on Accreditation and excellent organizations such as the National Council for Adoption.
Research shows that adoption is of tremendous benefit to children; as a group, adoptive children are shown to have better opportunities and to live in better circumstances than biological children. Research also shows that adoptive families have above average strength in family dynamics.
In fact, adoptive parents are the only parents who must endure a very stringent investigative process prior to becoming parents. The home study process, no matter how thorough, conscientious and accurate, covers only a space in time, and unfortunately, there is no investigative process that is perfect, whether it is adoption, pastoral searches in churches, screening Sunday school teachers or substance screening for employees.
Within the State of Mississippi, New Beginnings actively promotes laws and processes to improve adoptions. In fact, New Beginnings, with the assistance of Representative Holland and Senator Nunnelee, was the primary proponent of the law that requires a basic home study for adoption in Mississippi–something that was not required until 2008.
6/9/10 – Journal
My previous statement was written to provide the Journal with a positive and truthful statement about adoption and the adoption process. I’m sorry, but I cannot comment further, and would certainly hesitate to respond to any allegations about a particular case, whether we were or were not involved, that were made under the emotional circumstances that we have read about in the Journal.
We are hopeful that the Journal will continue to investigate the complicated scenario of intercountry adoption you have presented in past articles, as it undoubtedly involves many adoption agencies, facilitators, attorneys, government entities and others. It certainly seems that it would have been impossible for anyone to have legally adopted several children, particularly in the same age group, through the international adoption and governmental process without an extremely extensive network of those parties involved.
As a Hague accredited agency through the Council on Accreditation, New Beginnings requires all adoption workers to acquire a significant amount of ongoing training on an annual basis.
Tom Velie
President”
9.04: GENERAL HOME STUDY INFORMATION
A. NBICFS shall require an adoptive home study to assess the applicant’s appropriateness to be adoptive parents. The home study process shall include at least three face-to-face visits for a domestic adoptive home study and four face-to-face visits for an international adoptive home study, individual interviews with each member of the household and one visit with the entire family for final approval. The period of time between the first visit and the final visit cannot exceed six months. Mississippi Code 1972 Annotated, 93-17-12 and 93-17-13 document that an international home study is considered current for a period of 18 months from the date of approval.
9.05: HOME STUDY OUTLINE [H96.47(a)(3)]
A. The following guidelines outline information and requirements for home studies. In addition, USCIS may from time-to-time issue more specific guidelines and rules. In all cases, USCIS requirements apply and supersede the following policy. ALL HOME STUDY WORKERS MUST REVIEW THE CURRENT “USCIS HOME STUDY GUIDELINES – HAGUE ADOPTION CONVENTION” PRIOR TO CONDUCTING THE HOME STUDY.
B. International home studies must be completed by a worker who complies with all Hague Convention training requirements. This applies to both Hague and non-Hague countries.
C. NBICFS shall require the following criteria for each home study on the prospective adoptive parent(s), which shall be recorded in the adoptive record (all-relevant data will become a part of the official home study report). All initial reports, and any supplemental statements, submitted to Mississippi ICPC, USCIS or the Department of Homeland Security, must include the following [H96.47 (a)]:
1. Record interviews including time spent, dates, where held and who involved. Also include all dates of additional contacts and with whom.
2. Motivation for adoption and, for international, why they chose that
country [H96.47 (a)(1)]. Must be country-specific in all cases.
3. Adoptive parents and all household members’ identity names, alien registration numbers (if applicable) and birthdates to be verified by birth certificate. The birth certificate number and the issuing state will be noted in the home study [H96.47 (a)(1)].
4. Background of parents, siblings, description of relationship and frequency of contact [H96.47 (a)(1)].
5. Social environment, including brief description of hobbies, community-spiritual-family support networks, extended family support and their attitude toward the applicants’ adoption plans [H96.47 (a)(1)].
6. Education and employment history.
7. Date of marriage compared with marriage certificate, including couple’s feelings toward one another, decision-making and process of problem resolution.
8. If previously married, list names, dates of marriage and divorce, and reason for divorce.
9. Medical history and exam, doctor’s name and date of exam, general health, documentation that each family member has no communicable diseases, specific illnesses or disabilities which would interfere with the family’s capability to care for a child, including HIV test, TB test, and VDRL testing. Also applies to children already in the home [H96.47 (a)(1)].
10. Documentation that the adoptive couple is eligible (child’s country of origin requirements) and suitable (physically, mentally, and emotionally stable) to adopt internationally [H96.47 (a)(1)(2)].
11. Children in home, including child’s name, age, if they live in the home, hobbies and educational level. Opinion of adoption, based on child’s level of maturity.
12. Health insurance and if it will cover adoptive child at the time of placement.
13. Identified guardians, their names, addresses and profession.
14. Description of home and neighborhood.
15. Income, assets, liability, net worth, life insurance, monthly/annual
budget.
16. Parenting experience.
17. Adjustment of birth children or previously adopted children.
18. Child-rearing patterns, including discipline (verify no plan for the use of corporal correction).
19. Child-care plan.
20. Verification of the home’s compliance with all city, county and state guidelines pertaining to water and sanitation system, fire codes, etc. Home must have suitable number of smoke detectors and at least two fire extinguishers (one in the kitchen).
21. For every adult member of the prospective adoptive parents’ household, a Criminal Background Check, Child Abuse Registry check and any other pertinent information that may affect the final determination must be provided [H96.47 (a) (4)] [H96.47 (h)]. USCIS-specific guidelines for securing information will be followed and the results documented within each home study.
a. Definition (8 CFR 204.3): As per 8 CFR 204.3 (e) “Adult member of the prospective adoptive parents’ household” means an individual, other than a prospective adoptive parent, over the age of 18 whose principal or only residence is the home of the prospective adoptive parents. This definition excludes any child of the prospective adoptive parents, whose principal or only residence is the home of the prospective adoptive parents, who reaches his or her eighteenth birthday after the prospective adoptive parents have filed the advanced processing application (or the advanced processing application concurrently with the orphan petition), unless the director (USCIS) has an articulable and substantive reason for requiring an evaluation by a home study preparer and/or a fingerprint check.”
b. Verbatim questions to be answered “Yes” or “No” by all applicants:
(1) Do you have any history of alcoholism?
(2) Do you have any history of drug addiction?
(3) Do you have any history of substance abuse?
(4) Do you have any history of domestic violence?
(5) Do you have any history of sexual abuse?
(6) Do you have any history of child abuse?
(7) Have you ever been arrested?
(8) Is this your first home study?
(9) Have you ever received an unfavorable home study?
(10) Have you ever begun a home study and stopped the process for any reason?
(11) Have you ever been rejected as prospective adoptive parents or foster parents?
c. Include a certified copy of documentation showing the final disposition of each incident which resulted in arrest, indictment, conviction, and /or other judicial action for anyone subject to the home study, including a written statement giving details, including any mitigating circumstances surrounding each arrest, signed, under penalty of perjury, by the person to who the arrest relates.
d. Include the agency involved in each prior terminated home study, along with dates, locations and reason for termination.
22. Comments from personal references (minimum of four).
23. A full and complete statement of all facts relevant to the eligibility and suitability of the prospective adoptive parent(s) to adopt a child under any specific requirements identified to the Secretary by the Central Authority of the child’s country of origin [H96.47 (a)(5)].
24. A statement regarding counseling and training provided to the prospective adoptive parents. Note: Acceptable training models include (1) National Council for Adoption’s (NCFA) online course, (2) the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s “Preparing for International Adoption” Clinic course, or (3) courses provided by Supervised or Exempt Providers (must meet H96.48 standards, P7.3) [H96.47 (a)(3)].
a. The NCFA course, entitled “The Inter-country Adoption Journey: Hague-Compliant Training from the National Council for Adoption,” is outlined below:
(1) Module 1: Hague Overview Objectives
(2) Module 2: The Inter-country Adoption Process Abroad Objectives
(3) Module 3: General Characteristics and Needs of Children Objectives
(4) Module 4: Referral Information Objectives
(5) Module 5: Multiculturalism Objectives
(6) Module 6: Post-Adoption and Post-Placement Reporting Objectives
(7) Module 7: Wrap-up and Certification Objectives
25. Child desired including gender, age, and desired health status.
26. Determination/assessment and recommendation for adoption including age of child, medical conditions, male/female, twins, siblings, etc. Specify if willing/able to provide care for a child(ren) with special needs and any other recommended restrictions on the characteristics of the child to be placed in the home [H96.47 (a)(1)(2)].
27. Applicants’ plan for discussing adoption with the child and how they plan to maintain the child’s ethnic culture.
28. Document all referrals for additional assessment, the outcomes of the assessments and the impact on the potential adoption.
29. Any other information requested or required by the Secretary, the Central Authority of the child’s country of origin, USCIS, ICPC or other regulatory entity.
30. A statement in each copy of the home study that it is a true and accurate copy of the home study that was provided to the prospective adoptive parent(s), Mississippi ICPC or DHS [H96.47 (a)(6)].
31. Include the following statement: “New Beginnings International Children’s & Family Services received Hague Accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (expires March 18, 2014).”
32. The home study preparer must personally sign the home study, and any updated or amended home study. The home study preparer’s signature must include a declaration, under penalty of perjury under U.S. law, that :
a. The signer personally, and with professional diligence reasonably necessary to protect the best interests of any child whom the applicant might adopt, either actually conducted or supervised the home study.
b. If the signer did not personally conduct the home study, then the person who actually conducted the home study must be identified.
c. The factual statements in the home study are true and correct, to the best of the signer’s knowledge, information and belief, and the home study preparer has advised the applicant of the duty of candor, specifically noting the ongoing duty of disclosure of new events or information, which may require an updated or amended home study.
33. The home study must be submitted to USCIS within 6 months of its completion.
[Policy Manual: 2/22/10]