............................................

Catholic Social Services is a licensed, non-profit foster care and adoption agency serving families throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Our experienced foster care and adoption specialists will    provide you with personal and professional services at all times.   Foster Care      Sometimes issues arise in a family and they can no longer live together.  It then may be determined in a child’s best interest to enter temporarily into foster care.      Foster parents are very special individuals whose genuine desire is to help children who are in need.  Foster homes are needed for children of all ages, sometimes for two or more children from the same family.  Some of the children entering into placement may have certain physical or emotional problems that    will need love and patience.      The primary goal of foster parenting is to reunite the child with his or her biological family when it is in the child’s best interest.  This is accomplished through a team effort with involvement from parents, foster parents, staff   members and supportive social services.      The need exists for families who would be willing to consider short term and   or respite care along with more long-term homes.  Extensive training and support is provided to the families. Click here for the Pennsylvania State Foster Parent Association and information regarding being a foster parent.   Adoption       Infants:      Catholic Social Services provides an infant adoption program.  This is    primarily for childless, married couples who may qualify in providing a stable, nurturing home for an infant.        Foster-Adopt:     If a child remains in Foster Care for an extended period of time, and the circumstance warranting placement has not changed, the placing agency may change the goal to adoption.  This change of goal is always done to serve the best interest of the child.       In that case, Foster Parents who have been caring for the child are asked to consider being an adoptive resource.  The percentage of children adopted    through Foster Care continues to increase.       International Adoption:       Our agency provides a variety of pre- and post-adoption services and home   studies to families throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, regardless of the              international agency one chooses to complete the adoption.        Home Studies Services:       Completing the home study process is a necessary first step as a family begins the adoption journey.        CSS adoption staff are happy to provide home study services to     Northeastern Pennsylvania families adopting domestically or internationally,    using our agency or other placement agencies throughout the United States.          Statewide Adoption & Permanency Network                                    (SWAN):       The agency is also a service provider for the Pennsylvania State Wide   Adoption and Permanency Network.  There are numerous children with special needs throughout the state that need permanent homes.  Families are needed to provide permanency for these children who have been languishing within the system.  These children may be older or have some special needs, but still need   the nurturance of a permanent family.      If a child remains in foster care for an extended period of time, and the circumstances that warranted placement have not changed, the placing agency    may then change the goal to adoption.  In that case, the foster family where the child has been residing is asked to consider being an adoptive resource.  The percentage of children adopted through foster care continues to increase.      The agency provides ongoing supportive services to adoptive, kinship and   legal custodian families through support groups and individual services.  As part  of our adoption services, the Agency conducts home study services for those individuals who are adopting privately or internationally.  Post Placement supervision and services are also available.   SWAN Services Offered through CSS: * Child Profiles *Child Preparation *Child Specific Recruitment * Family Profiles/Preparation *Placement *Finalization *Post Permanency Services ܀܀܀ Post Permanency Services Whether your adoption is recent or took place years ago; whether your adoption was through the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN), International or Private; whether you are a kinship family or a  legal custodian (including grandparents); parents may require a continuum   of support services to ensure success as permanent families.  There are several services offered to those who have are providing permanency for children:  · Case Advocacy  · Case Management · Support Group · Respite   ܀܀܀ To find out more about our Foster Care or Adoption Programs or to schedule an orientation  with a foster care or adoption specialist, please call us Toll-Free 1-800-465-0578   On Call Service is available to our foster parents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. or e-mail us: Community Based Care Local Offices serving your Local Community: Hazleton Wilkes-Barre Scranton Stroudsburg Williamsport Milford Tunkhannock   kristin@csshazleton.org   ܀܀܀ Website Links:                   www.diakon-swan.org                 www.adoptpakids.org   Northeastern Pennsylvania Intergenerational Coalition (Informational Website for Grandparents) www.raisingourgrandchildren.org

Catholic Social Services - 214 W. Walnut Street - Hazleton - PA - 18201  ♦  Phone: 570-455-1521  ♦   Fax:  570-455-2707
If you have any questions about the website, please email the editor.