Adams County Children Services

Adams County Children Services is a public children services agency based out of Wilson Children's Home, in West Union, Ohio. Adams County Children Services is the agency responsible, by law, for helping children who are at risk of being abused, neglected or dependent. Whenever possible, our goal is to keep the children in their homes. However, when necessary, the children may need to be placed in an alternative setting until they can be reunified safely with their family.

Foster/Adoptive Process: The Homestudy Process - After an inquiry is made and an application is submitted to our office, a Homestudy Assessor will be assigned to help guide you through the process. The homestudy is an exploration of the applicant’s history, characteristics and strengths that will lead to successful foster/adoptive placement. In addition, many documents must be completed and available for review by your assessor. These documents include but are not limited to: Physical exams and Medical statements, Financial statements, Verification of marital status, Verification of employment, Criminal background checks, Safety audit of the home. The homestudy process can take up to six months to complete, however, many families complete the process more quickly. Prospective foster/ adoptive parents must complete 36 hours of "Pre-Service" training in order to complete the requirements to become a licensed foster parent/approved adoptive parent. This training is designed to enhance your understanding of foster/adoptive parenting issues and to increase knowledge about the needs of children whose lives have been impacted by abuse and neglect. The upcoming class schedules are located under the "Foster/ adoption Training" tab. Foster/ adoptive parents must also become certified in Adult/ Child/Infant CPR & First Aid within the first two years of certification; however, we welcome anyone who is already certified in these areas with proof of certification. Matching Children and Families - Adams County Children Services will evaluate the characteristics of children you are approved for in your homestudy when considering placement matches for your family. The length of time it takes to be matched with a child largely depends on the characteristics of children that you are willing/ able to parent. A family who demonstrates the ability to parent a child with many needs may not wait long for a child to be placed with them. When a child has been identified for your family, yo