An adoption case can also be closed (without the child’s record being sealed) when the child’s current legal status is no longer "Permanent Custody" and the goal is no longer adoption.
An adoption case can be closed once the child's record has been approved and sealed. (See Secure an adopted child's record.) In addition, case service records and service authorizations must be in place for children in the adoption case who have been determined eligible for adoption assistance, SAMS, or nonrecurring adoption expenses.
An adoption case can also be closed (without the child’s record being sealed) when the child’s current legal status is no longer "Permanent Custody" and the goal is no longer adoption.
In order to close an adoption case, each child in the case must first be secured unless the child meets the following conditions:
The child’s current agency legal status is not "Permanent Custody."
The child has no current agency legal status, his or her most recent agency legal status is "Permanent Custody," and the record has a termination reason that is anything other than "Adoption Finalized."
The child has no current agency legal status, and the child’s most recent agency legal status is anything other than "Permanent Custody."
The child has no agency legal status history.
Close a case as follows:
From the Home screen, click the Case tab.
Click the Workload tab. The Case Workload screen appears.
Click the case ID Number link for the adoption case you want to update. The Case Overview screen appears.
Click the View Member Details link in the Case Actions field. The system defaults to the Members tab; the Case Member Information screen appears.
Click the Placement/Finalization/Case Closure tab.
Click the Validate Case Closure link to ensure the case is ready to be closed. This link is available only when the system determines the case is ready to be closed. The system will not allow the case closure if any of the following are true:
Any intake linked to the adoption case has been screened in and no assessment/investigation has been completed.
A pending or unapproved assessment/investigation exists on the case.
A pending justification request exists on the case.
A pending or unapproved safety plan exists on the case.
A pending case plan that has not been approved on the case.
A semiannual review (SAR) is in progress.
Adoption information has not been secured after finalization for all children in the case with a current legal status of "permanent custody."
Case services and service authorizations are not in place for all children in the case who have been determined eligible for Adoption Assistance, SAMS, or non-recurring adoption expenses. If no adoption subsidies have been started, you can still close case.
Click Submit for Approval button. This button is enabled if the case has been successfully validated and can be closed. When you click this button, the case closure request is sent to your supervisor for approval.
As a supervisor, you must never select the "Denied" value. This selection prevents the case from ever being closed.
When the supervisor approves the closure, the system does the following:
Restricts access to the original person record for each child in the case. Only workers with the appropriate security profile may access the child's original case, person profile and the closed adoption case information.
Changes the case status to ”Closed,” end-dates all assignments to the case, and removes the adoption case from all workers' workload list.
Restricts access to view the closed adoption case to only persons with the appropriate security profile.
Allows case activity notes to be recorded on the closed adoption case, for workers with the appropriate security profiles.