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CDSS Adoption District Offices - Chico
Counties served by the Chico District Office
Independent Adoption
Butte
Colusa
Glenn
Lassen
Modoc
Plumas
Shasta
Sierra
Siskiyou
Tehama
Agency Adoption
Butte
Colusa
Glenn
Lassen
Modoc
Plumas
Sierra
Siskiyou
Tehama
Adoption Information Meeting
Adoption information meetings are held at the Chico District Office, 520 Cohasset Road, Suite 140, Chico, California on the fourth Monday of each month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (except December). This meeting provides information about adoption for individuals and families considering adding a child to their family by adoption. The meeting is led by an Adoptions Specialist who will also explain family assessment and placement procedures, discuss the importance of openness in adoptions, and answer questions. There is no charge to attend this meeting. For more information, please call (530) 895-6143.
Adoptive Parent Support Group
Three adoptive parent support group meetings are held each month. One group meets at the Chico District Office, 520 Cohasset Road, Suite 140, Chico, California on the first Monday of each month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Another group meets in Oroville on the second Monday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the home of an adoptive parent. These groups are open to families who have an adopted child in their home. The groups provide on-going opportunities for discussion of adoptive parenting issues, and educational presentations to assist families in meeting the needs of their adoptive children. The groups are led by an Adoptions Counselor to act as a facilitator. Childcare is provided. For more information, or to be placed on the support group mailing list, please call Leslie Damschroder at (530) 879-3884.
Post Adoption Services
The Chico District Office has post adoption counselors available to provide services to families and children who have finalized their adoptions, but who have a continued need for assistance. The PAS project offers individual, family and group counseling, specialized adoption training events, regular group meetings with adoptive parents and children to offer support and guidance, respite care resources and a lending library filled with educational resources. Post adoption services are intended to serve families and children from Butte, Glenn, Colusa and Tehama Counties. For more information about resources in your area, contact Leslie Damschroder at (530) 879-3884.
Adoption Services in Siskiyou County
A full range of adoption services is available locally to children and families who live in Siskiyou County. The Chico District Office has a branch office in Yreka. It is located at the Siskiyou County Children's Services office at 1215 South Main Street, Yreka, California 96097.
- Adoption information meetings are held at the Yreka branch office, 1215 South Main Street, Yreka, California. Call for dates and times. This meeting provides information about adoption to individuals and families that are considering adding a child or children to their family by adoption. An Adoptions Specialist will be present to talk about the children who are available for adoption, to explain the family assessment and placement process and to answer questions. An informative video is also shown. There is no charge to attend this meeting. For more information about this meeting call (530) 895-6143.
Valley Exchange Matching Picnic
The Chico District Office works with other north state adoption agencies to provide a special picnic to bring together children in need of adoptive homes, and families who are seeking to adopt one or more children. Families with the appropriate clearances and approved homestudies need to arrange attendance through their adoption agency representatives. Picnics are held in Sacramento and occur in October and May of each year. For more information about the Valley Exchange Matching Picnic, please contact your adoption agency representative.
Children Available for Adoption
- The Chico District Office is always in need of additional families to provide permanent homes for children who are awaiting adoption. Available children are generally between the ages of three and twelve. Most children have experienced some forms of neglect or abuse prior to being referred for adoption. The children are usually court dependents living in foster homes. Some children have brothers and sisters who also need to be adopted. Children are placed with their siblings whenever possible. Information about adopting waiting children can be obtained by contacting your local adoption agency, or by accessing the Internet at the site listed below.
- In an effort to utilize the power of the Internet and to bring children and families together, the California Kids Connection program was developed as California's registry of children waiting to be adopted and families wanting to adopt. The program offers both a secure website accessible only to California licensed adoption agency personnel and a public site accessible to any Internet user.
- The public site is available to anyone using the Internet at www.cakidsconnection.com . Visitors to this area of the website may view and indicate their interest in specific children by sending an immediate email to the adoption agency identified for each child. This site features children for whom legal clearance has been granted by the court.
Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children
The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) establishes procedures for the adoption of children coming into California from another state and for children who are leaving California to be adopted by individuals who live in other states.
Information about ICPC forms and procedures for Agency adoptions is available at licensed public or private adoption agencies. Information regarding ICPC for Independent adoptions is available at CDSS adoptions district offices. Residents of Alameda, Los Angeles, or San Diego Counties should contact the licensed public adoption agencies in their county of residence.
To obtain a copy of licensed adoption agencies click here: " Directory of California Adoption Agencies " or call 1 (800) KIDS-4-US.
Inter-Country Adoptions
You can adopt a child from another country through California's Intercountry Adoption Program. To obtain information about the program requirements, contact a private adoption agency licensed to provide these services in the county where you reside. To obtain a copy of licensed adoption agencies click here: " Directory of California Adoption Agencies " or call 1 (800) KIDS-4-US.
For further details on Intercountry adoptions, visit the website www.uscis.gov or contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service National Customer Service Center at 1 (800) 375-5283.
Adoption Resource Directory
A resource website has been designed for families living in specific counties. You can log on to access resources for caregivers and adopted children by visiting Adoption Resources .
The online directory includes articles on adoption support groups, speaking with children about adoption, adopting older children, life books, development disabilities, drug and alcohol exposure and much more. Adobe Acrobat is required to view the directory.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard Smith
District Office Manager
Chico District Office
520 Cohasset Road, Suite 11
Chico, CA 95926
Telephone: (530) 895-6143
FAX: (530) 895-6148
Email: Richard.Smith@dss.ca.gov