1-800-US CHILD
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450 North Syndicate Street, Ste. 380
St. Paul, MN 55104
tel : 651-228-0117
fax: 651-228-0038Email : stpaulmn@downeyside.org
Current Staff
Deborah Erickson- Regional Director. Deborah Erickson joined Downey Side in July 2009. She holds undergraduate degrees in Social Work and Communications/Theatre from the College of St. Catherine. In addition, she holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the College of St. Catherine/University of St. Thomas School of Social Work. Prior to joining Downey Side, Deb had the opportunity of working with all members of the adoption triad. Her social services experience includes birth parent counseling, as well as work with pregnant and parenting teens, adoptive families and licensed foster care providers. Deb is firmly committed to Downey Side’s mission of finding permanency and stability for our waiting children through adoption and is pleased to have become part of the Downey Side family.
Denise Kendellen- Family Life Advocate. Denise is the adoptive parent of two boys and has been involved in the adoption community for over 20 years. She was on the Board of Directors of Northwest Adoptive Families Association in Portland, OR, a volunteer at Adoptive Families of America in St. Paul, MN and has been a volunteer at DowneySide's St. Paul office for over five years.
DOWNEY SIDE INQUIRY INFORMATION
ABOUT THE CHILDREN:
Are under state guardianship because their parents rights were terminated
They have been traumatized during their critical developmental years
Most will need additional educational, medical or psychological help
Most have suffered abuse or neglect
Most have special needs due to physical, emotional or behavioral difficulties
Some are siblings who need to be adopted together
Some are children of color
Most are 6-18 years oldWHAT WE DO:
Recruit adoptive parents
Provide an 18 hour training seminar
Complete adoption studies and updates for families
Provide services for families before and after adoption
Locate and place children in adoptive homes
Prepare documents for the court to finalize adoption
Provide 18 months of services following adoption finalization
Provide advocacy for adoptive parents and their children
Provide referrals to community resources for parents and children
24-hour availability to Family Life Advocate in case of emergencyWHAT IS THE PROCESS:
Attend training and decide if this kind of adoption is right for you
Get licensed: complete application, complete home study, Background studies, possible fire marshall inspections. The licensing process can take up to six weeks once your application is complete. At that time Downey Side has 20 days to submit your application to DHS for your license.
Search for children (MARN book, internet, referral from worker)
We work with social workers to find a match (send home study)
Meet children and arrange transfer (set up school, medical, etc.)
Placement (get subsidy, paperwork in order, services, etc.)
Legal adoption (3 months to 1 year after placement)WHAT IS THE COST:
There are no fees to parents adopting children under state guardianship
Need to have a current physical *
Transportation (mileage) to meet child *
Hotel and meals when meeting with child *
Phone calls you may make to us or social workers
$325 filing fee to court during finalization *
Judgment and Decree and new Birth Certificates during finalization *
TIME AND ENERGY* Denotes that costs may be reimbursed after adoption finalization is completed.Amount will vary depending on state finalizing through.
Exploring Adoption Class ScheduleOrientation & Information Meeting
MN Public Private Adoption Initiative
Pre-Adopt TrainingFriday – July 30, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday – July 31, 2010
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Pre-registration is required. To register, or with any questions, please contact Denise Kendellen at 651-228-0117.
Downey Side....Families for Youth
Bigelow Building
450 No. Syndicate Street - Suite 380
St. Paul, MN 55104
_____________________________________________________________________________Downey Side Family Support Meetings
Open to all Adoptive Parents and Prospective Adoptive Parents.
Location: Downey Side Family Life Center
450 North Syndicate, Ste 380
St. Paul, MN 55104Please RSVP to stpaulmn@downeyside.org or call (651) 228-0117
Downey Side MN is proud to work in collaboration with the MN Department of Human Services on the Public Private Adoption Initiative (PPAI), a partnership between the public and private agencies throughout the State. One of our primary focuses is to find permanent families for the over 500 waiting children in our state. Downey Side families also have the opportunity to search for children in states other than Minnesota. We have established many successful working relationships throughout the country.
©2005-2008 Copyright of Downey Side Inc.