What is SWAN?
The Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) is a collaborative effort among public and private child welfare agencies throughout Pennsylvania to expedite the adoptions of special needs children. Pinebrook Family Answers is an “affiliate” agency; we provide direct adoption services to children and families under the auspices of the SWAN program.
Some of these services include:
- Training of prospective adoptive parents
- Completing Family Profiles (home studies)
- Completing Child Profiles
- Recruiting adoptive homes for waiting children
- Matching and placement of children with approved adoptive families
- Supervision of adoptive placements, including casework services and completion of documents for finalization
- Post-adoption follow-up and services, if indicated
Who Can Adopt?
Perhaps more important than an adoptive parent’s age or income is his or her ability to commit to parenting a special needs child. Research has shown that successful special needs adoptive families possess flexibility, patience, a sense of humor, and a strong support system. We look for parents and families who can commit to a child for a lifetime and who have a firm sense of entitlement to the child who has been placed in their home.
What is Special Needs Adoption?
In Pennsylvania, a child is considered a “special needs” child if he/she meets one of the following five criteria:
- Age 5 years or older
- A member of sibling group
- A member of a minority group
- Has a physical, intellectual, or emotional disability
- Has a predisposition to develop a physical, intellectual, or emotional disability due to genetic or environmental factors
Children who are in need of permanent adoptive homes may have been victims of abuse, may have behavior difficulties due to early childhood trauma, and may have lived in several different homes. Some have been voluntarily placed in foster care by parents who are having difficulty parenting them. Others have been placed in foster care by the court system after it has been determined that they are not safe in their parents’ care. The good news is that our children can heal. They deserve to belong to a family who can provide safety, security, and a commitment to parenting them.
What is a Family Profile?
The Family Profile is a formal document developed between the family and the agency, which describes the family’s (or individual’s) history, home life, and strengths. It is a tool that helps both you and the agency determine what type of child would do well in your family unit. It is not meant to make you anxious; rather, it is to help everyone involved in the process assess the family’s readiness to adopt as well as what type of child would be most appropriate based on the family’s strengths.
If you are interested in learning more about SWAN adoption, please call Pinebrook at 610-432-3919 or email Melissa Lichtfus, Director of Permanency, .
