Administrative Records

SOFA will maintain administrative records in a password protected, secure, electronic environment. (Or in secure file cabinets)

The Director, Adoption Support Specialist, and Program Director will have access to administrative records.  Access to administrative records will be granted to other staff as they have need, with the approval of the Director and/or Program Director.

Administrative records will be maintained as long as SOFA is in operation.

If, at some time, the agency is no longer in operation, administrative records will be deleted or destroyed.

Personnel Records: 

SOFA will maintain personnel records in a password protected, secure, electronic environment.

Personnel records are confidential.  Access to personnel records will be limited to:

Director

Program Director

Adoption Support Specialist

The Adoption Support Specialist will be responsible for the maintenance of personnel records.

Employees may have access to their own personnel records upon request

Personnel records will be maintained as long as SOFA is in operation.

If, at some time, the agency is no longer in operation, personnel records will be deleted or destroyed.

3.  Family Records, Adoptive and Foster Care

SOFA will maintain records for client families, adoptive or foster care, in a password protected, secure, electronic environment and/or in a secure file.

Family records are confidential.  Access to these records will be restricted to:

Director

Program Director

Assessor assigned to the family

Adoption Support Specialist.

The Adoption Support Specialist will be responsible for the maintenance of family records.

Family records will be maintained as long as SOFA is in operation.  

For families for which placements occurred, records will be transferred to the local Probate Court, or other Agency then authorized by law to receive and maintain such documents, should the agency cease operation.

For families for which no placements have occurred, records will be transitioned to an electronic archive when the family no longer has an active home study.  If, at some time, the agency is no longer in operation, archived records will be deleted or destroyed.  

Children’s Records

For each child in out of home care, Spirit of Faith Adoptions shall maintain a case record that shall include at minimum, the following:

The date, time, place, and circumstances of the birthparent assessment, including: 

Discussions of options available other than surrendering the child;

Advising parents of the impact of the JFS 01666

Advising parents of Ohio law regarding open adoption and open adoption procedures

Reviewing, discussing and completing the JFS 01693 “Ohio Law and Adoption Materials”

The date, time, place and circumstances under which the JFS 01666 “Permanent Surrender of a Child” was executed.

The JFS 01666 shall not be executed until at least 72 hours after the birth of the child.

Documentation of all contacts and visits for children in custody, which will address the following:

The child’s safety and well-being within the substitute care setting, including, but not limited to:

Child’s current behavior, emotional functioning and social functioning within the substitute care setting.  Evidence that the caregiver is following the reasonable and prudent parent standard in allowing the child regular opportunities to participate in age or developmentally appropriate activities should be included.

The child’s current vulnerability

Any new information regarding the child, the substitute care setting, and the impact on the substitute caregiver’s willingness or ability to care for the child, including but not limited to:

Changes in marital status

Significant changes in the health status of a household member

Placement of additional children

Birth of a child

Death of a child or household member

A criminal charge, conviction or arrest of any household member

Addition or removal of temporary or permanent household members

Family relocation

A change in the caregiver’s employment or other financial hardships

Child’s daily activities

Any supportive services needed for the child or caregiver to assure the child’s safety and well-being

The child’s progress toward any goals in the case plan as applicable from information obtained from the child and caregiver

Permanency planning in accordance with the child’s case plan

Records required under this policy will be maintained in SACWIS when possible.  Records that cannot be maintained in SACWIS will be stored electronically for a period of not less than five years.

All records for children placed in out of home care are confidential, and will be accessible only to the Director, Program Director, and such additional staff as are directly responsible for providing services.

SOFA is in the process of transitioning from hard copy records to electronic records for personnel, family, and children’s records.  During this transition, paper files will be maintained in secure file cabinets in a file room at the main office location.  Access, confidentiality, maintenance, and security will be handled as described under the section for each type of record.  When it is confirmed that the transition to electronic records is complete, hard copy records will be shredded and disposed of.

SOFA Release of Information Pursuant to OAC 5101-2-48-19

SOFA shall make its homestudies of all approved families, who have signed the authorization for release of information form, available to any other agency which requests a copy of the homestudy.  The homestudy shall be released within fifteen days after a request has been made as long as the authorization for such release has been submitted to SOFA and any agency policy requirements pursuant to this policy and the Ohio Administrative Code have been met.

SOFA shall not release or accept a homestudy when it has been determined that an application or homestudy contains a false statement knowingly made by the applicant(s) that is included in the written report of the homestudy.  If it is determined that a homestudy has been falsified, SOFA shall follow the procedures outlined in OAC 5101:2-33-13 and as outlined in SOFA’s policies and procedures.

If SOFA has released a homestudy and the agency in receipt of the homestudy determines that the homestudy contains a knowingly false statement, the agency in receipt of the homestudy shall not consider the homestudy in the matching process and shall notify SOFA in writing of the false statement within three days upon determination of the false statement.

Upon request of the approved applicant(s) to release their homestudy,  not including reference letters, to a specific agency and the execution of an authorization for release of information form, SOFA shall release all information contained in the adoption homestudy to the designated agency and if applicable, the JFS 01520 “Multiple Children/ Large Family Assessment”.  Information shall be released within fifteen days after a request has been made as long as the authorization for such release has been submitted to SOFA and any agency policy requirements have been met.

When an incomplete homestudy is received from an Ohio agency, the sending agency shall be notified in writing within ten days from the date of receipt of the incomplete homestudy.  The written notification shall indicate what type of information is needed in order for the homestudy to be considered complete as required by Chapter 5101:2-48 of the Administrative Code.  Response to the request notification shall be received within fifteen days from the date of receipt of the written notification from SOFA.

Homestudies from other agencies shall be regularly considered for potential adoption matches until the family is no longer available for adoption, a child has been matched with the family or the homestudy has expired.

The homestudy, not including reference letters, may be released to the adoptive Applicant pursuant to SOFA policy.

SOFA may charge reasonable fees for the release of the homestudy and related documents.

SOFA shall integrate all homestudy materials and related documents received from other PCSAs, PCPAs or PNAs into SOFA’s files of approved homestudies.