Procedure for Withdrawing a Referral – 96.49k
Approved by the Board of Directors on 10/15/07
Effective Immediately

WIA provides prospective adoptive parents up to 14 days from the day the referral information is received by the prospective adoptive parents to make a decision regarding the acceptance of a referral. In rare instances, there may be extenuating circumstances that prohibit a prospective adoptive family from making the decision to accept or decline a child referral. In the event that a prospective adoptive family has a legitimate reason to postpone the decision to accept or decline a referral, WIA will offer support and assistance to the client whenever possible and accommodate their needs as much as possible. There may be circumstances in which this is not possible, but all consideration will be given when extenuating circumstances impact the time line given to families.

Reasons for withdrawing a referral are listed below but are not limited to:

• The circumstances of the prospective adoptive family changes, such as:
  • Divorce
  • Death of a spouse
  • Loss of employment
  • Serious or life threatening illness
  • Criminal charges against one or both of the prospective adoptive parents
  • Discovery of misrepresentation from one or both of the prospective adoptive parents.
  • Any other type of dramatic change in the prospective adoptive parent’s lives that would impact the placement of a child in the home.
  • Extended time by one prospective adoptive parent (spouse) who is away from the other prospective adoptive parent (spouse) due to work commitment out of the area or out of the country.
• Change in the health status of the child referred.
• Availability of the child is withdrawn, i.e. birth parent reclaims child.
• Death of the child.

If any of the above circumstances take place, WIA’s Director of Social Work shall:

• Contact the family and discuss the reason for the withdrawal of the referral with the prospective adoptive family and the options for continuing the adoption process the family might have in the future.
• Summarize the discussion with the adoptive family, noting the response and feelings of the adoptive family.
• Sign and date the summary and file the summary in the client file in the appropriate file section.
• Draft a formal letter of understanding outlining the reasons for the withdrawal of the referral and the options for continuing the adoption process the family may have in the future. This letter to the prospective adoptive parents will be sent registered mail and will require a signature from the receiver of the letter. A copy of this letter will be retained in the appropriate client file.

When a family is considering a referral, the following shall take place:

• All available information for the child referred will be given to the prospective adoptive family and the family will be told at the time the referral is issued that there is a 14 calendar day time frame in which a decision must be made to either accept or decline the child referred.
• At day 12, if a decision has not been made by the prospective adoptive family, the Dossier Specialist will contact the family to let them know the time limit for a decision is imminent. If the family has concerns, the Dossier Specialist will assist the family in obtaining further information if possible. If there are questions regarding special needs or other types of medical issues, the Dossier Specialist will ask the WIA social worker to contact the family and discuss those issues.
• At day 14, the Dossier Specialist will contact the family again to ask if a decision has been made. If a decision has not been made, the Dossier Specialist will outline the options for the family. In some cases, it may be possible to delay the acceptance. If this is the case, the Dossier Specialist will assist the family to set a deadline that both the prospective adoptive parents and the agency agree is reasonable.
• If the family is unable to make a decision after counseling, the Dossier Specialist will inform the family that the time limit has expired and the referral is withdrawn. Options for receiving a new referral will be discussed.
• The Dossier Specialist will then send a registered letter to the prospective adoptive family informing the family that the referral has been withdrawn. Options for obtaining a new referral will also be outlined in the letter. A copy of this letter will be retained in the client file.
• The Dossier Specialist will continue to work with the prospective adoptive family to obtain a referral that will be acceptable.