Targeted Recruitment

Image from AdoptUsKids/Ad Council PSA. Targeted recruitment considers the unique needs of the children and youth it serves through fostering and adoption, and bases recruitment strategies and messages on their needs (i.e. race, age, location, culture, medical/mental health needs). Effective targeted recruitment uses demographic data to inform its understanding of recruiting for the specific needs of children and youth in care. Examples of targeted recruitment include community and faith-based initiatives, incentive programs for foster and adoptive families to recruit others from their communities, and posters & flyers at places where foster and adoptive families typically shop.

Promising Approaches

Adopt Cuyahoga's Kids Initiative

http://www.adoptionnetwork.org/content.asp?pageid=216

Sponsor: Adoption Network / Cuyahoga Co. Strong Families=Successful Children Vision Council

Contact: Tami Lorkovich, (216) 325-1000, tami@adoptionnetwork.org

Description: Adopt Cuyahoga's Kids is an Adoption Network (AN) program created and funded by Cuyahoga County's Vision Council to deal with the tremendous backlog of children remaining in foster care without a permanent home or plan. For the project, AN developed a practice model of child-specific recruitment with Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and fourteen partner agencies, and implemented it in January 2004. The project identified a group of 650 youth who had no one willing or able to adopt them and no permanent plan. These youth were then referred to the private agencies and DCFS. AN focused primarily on older children, especially those at risk of aging out. Currently 85% of children identified for the project are ages 10 and up. The goal for adoptive placements was to find 50 in the first year. Since the project started in January 2004, out of 650 youth who had no plan, 165 are in adoptive placements as of April 2005.

Key components of the project include: Targeted and child-specific recruitment efforts; mentoring for youth at the highest risk for aging out; Adoption Navigators, experienced adoptive parents to help potential adoptive parents navigate the system and overcome barriers; agency payment structure and rates with built-in incentives for placements of older youth; child preparation co-facilitated by older youth and young adults who were either adopted or aged out of care.

Date: January 2004 to present

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