CFSP 5 Year Plan - RI Department of Children, Youth & Families

MULTI-ETHNIC PLACEMENT PLAN
Comprehensive Recruitment Plan
June 2009 Report
I. Objective: DCYF will maintain a description of the characteristics of waiting children.
The RICHIST data base includes the following information on every child: age, race/ethnicity,
sibling group, current placement, and clinical descriptors such as sexual abuse, physical abuse
and/or neglect. Since the inception of RICHIST in August of 1997, the Department has been
incorporating Adoption related information into the system in keeping with this objective. In
2004, new reports that were requested to be created in RICHIST include:
Number of children with the goal of adoption;
Names of children with the goal of adoption;
Number of adoption disruptions (pre-finalization);
Number of adoption dissolutions (post-finalization); as well as a
Breakdown of the numbers of disrupted and dissolved adoptions to identify whether
they were foster care adoptions and stranger adoptions.
Since September of 2005, a Pending Adoptions report has been made available to staff in the
Adoption Unit. Based on this report we can state that as of June 16, 2009, there are currently 276
children with the case plan goal of adoption. Of that number, 253 had an approved adoption
registration. 0f the 253 with an approved adoption registration, 42 were going to be adopted by
their foster family, 31were going to be adopted by their relative foster family and 180 were listed
as needing an adoptive resource.
The racial mix of the 180 children needing adoptive resources is 114 listed as Caucasian, 57 as
African- American or African-American/White, 6 listed as AI/AN, 1 listed as NH/PI and 2 for
whom the race was “undetermined”.
Of the 180 listed as needing an adoptive resource, 155 are currently active with Adoption Rhode
Island for services. 53 of these children have already been placed in pre-adoptive homes, 12 are
matched and visiting, 18 are on hold for reasons having to do with the child’s needs, leaving 72
children for whom we are actively recruiting adoptive resources.
The RICHIST data base includes data on all freed for adoption and legal risk children.
Additionally, it provides the Department with ongoing statistical information which can aid in
improving adoption practice.
DCYF works with our community partners to develop or contract for placement resources in a
creative way to meet what we feel are the presenting needs of the children and youth at a particular
point in time; with now-available data and some more planful design on a systems basis, we can be
even more effective. We will soon be in a position to better target recruitment in terms of type of
placement and other resources needed in various cities and towns throughout Rhode Island.
R.I. Department of Children, Youth and Families
Title IV-B Child and Family Service Plan – 2010 - 2014
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