Whitfield Home Study Update- For Portfolio

Consortium for Children, © 2008 all rights reserved – Structured Analysis Family Evaluation

SAFE HOME STUDY UPDATE/RECERTIFICATION

This Home Study Update

was completed by:

Jessica Hipchen FL, Maitland 29 West Smith Street Winter Garden, FL 34787

Family Name(s): Jason Whitfield

Evelyn (Dena) Whitfield

Address: 1502 Alligator Street City: St. Cloud State: FL ZIP Code: 34771

E-Mail Address: [email protected] Home Phone: 407-593-8183 Cell Phone: 407-697-3189

DATES OF FACE-TO-FACE CONTACTS

Date Person(s) Interviewed Location

July 10, 2015 Jason, Dena, Abigail, Lilly, Madeline, Hope Family’s Home in St. Cloud

CHILDREN CURRENTLY PLACED IN THE HOME

Include children or youth in regular foster care, permanent foster care, or pre-adoptive placement.

Name DOB Gender Placement Status

N/A

CURRENT SITUATION

X Upcoming Placement

The Whitfields are returning to Bethany Christian Services of Winter Garden Florida for their second adoption. The Whitfields application stated that they were open to a child of any race and ethnicity as well as special needs.

UPDATED CRIMINAL/CAR RECORDS CHECK

The required updated criminal records and background checks were completed for each foster or adoptive parent and any other adults in the home. Any negative findings will be elaborated on the Psychosocial Evaluation History section of this report.

Jason Whitfield Local Law Enforcement Check 7/7/15: Cleared/No Record

Central Abuse Hotline Record Search 7/9/15: Cleared/No Record Found

FDLE/FBI Criminal Check 7/10/15: Cleared/No Record

Evelyn Whitfield Local Law Enforcement Check 7/7/15: Cleared/No Record

Central Abuse Hotline Record Search 7/9/15: Cleared/No Record Found

FDLE/FBI Criminal Check 7/9/15: Cleared/No Record

PSYCHOSOCIAL EVALUATION UPDATE

HISTORY:

mailto:[email protected]


For the period of this review there were no allegations of abuse or neglect involving either Pre-Adoptive parent. A SAFE Update Questionnaire was conducted for both pre-adoptive applicants and no issues of concern were noted. This worker discussed the SAFE Update Questionnaire with the applicants of who indicated that none of the issues noted on the questionnaire affected them as a family due to firm boundaries with extended family members. This worker also contacted three prior references, excluding their pastor. One new reference was contacted, Chuck Carter, who is the pastor of the church that they currently attend (Canoe Creek Christian Church). There were no areas of concern. All references were overwhelmingly positive and continue to strongly recommend the Whitfields without reservations for adoption. During this psychosocial evaluation update process nothing was reported, detected or observed that resulted in the revision of any of the most current determinations recorded for this section. This section does not contain any issues of concern that were not erased through mitigation.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

During this psychosocial evaluation update process nothing was reported, detected or observed that resulted in the revision of any of the most current determinations recorded for this section. This section does not contain any issues of concern that were not erased through mitigation. The state of Jason’s overall health and physical stamina were carefully considered. Based on Jason’s self-report and a medical report from Dr. Calvin Gibson, M.D., Jason is in excellent health. The report was received and dated 07/08/2015. He indicated that Jason is in great physical and mental health. At the time of the examination, Jason was measured at 5’7’’ and weighed 170 pounds. A 10-panel drug screen was administered to the applicant on 07/08/2015, as well as a tuberculosis test. Those results were reviewed on 07/08/2015. Both tests were negative. The medical report indicates that the applicant has not had any significant health concerns within this reporting period. Jason is prescribed the same medications as in the previous home study. This list includes Flonase Allergy Relief (sprayed twice daily), Losartan Potassium (100 MG daily) for blood pressure regulation, Sertraline HCL (100 MG daily) for mild anxiety and depression, Strattera (60 MG daily) for Attention Deficit Disorder, SUMAtriptan Succinate (100 MG as needed) for migraines/cluster headaches. The health report states that there are no medications or physical/emotional conditions noted that would jeopardize a normal parental role or shorten life expectancy. Jason is free from communicable diseases, and there are no medical concerns to report at this time. The state of Dena’s overall health and physical stamina were carefully considered. Based on Dena’s self-report and a medical report from Dr. Calvin Gibson, M.D., Dena is in excellent health. The report was received and dated 07/07/2014. He indicated that Dena is in great physical and mental health. At the time of the examination, Dena was measured at 5’1’’ and weighed 124 pounds. A 10-panel drug screen was administered to the applicant on 07/08/2015, as well as a tuberculosis test. Those results were reviewed on 07/08/2015. Both tests were negative. The medical report indicated that the applicant has not had any significant health concerns within this reporting period. Dena is prescribed a ProAir Inhaler for her exercise induced asthma. She typically only utilized the inhaler when running in extremely cold weather. The inhaler was not needed in her most recent marathon. The health report states that there are no medications or physical/emotional conditions noted that would jeopardize a normal parental role or shorten life expectancy. Dena is free from communicable diseases, and there are no medical concerns to report at this time.

MARITAL/DOMESTIC PARTNER RELATIONSHIP

During the report period there has been no change in the marital/domestic partner status of the applicants. This couple currently displays a healthy and stable marriage. During the home study visit, this couple displayed respect towards one another and presented as caring, engaging, affectionate, and understanding of one another. Jason and Dena both stated that their marriage is “as strong or stronger than it’s ever been; almost like it’s too easy.” They have now been married a total of 15 years. This worker assessed a positive and health relationship between the two, and has no concerns in regards to their marital relationship. Jason and Dena both presented as being committed to their marriage, to parenting their biological daughters Abigail, Lilly Grace, Madeline, and adopted daughter Hope, and to pursuing another adoptive placement.


During this psychosocial evaluation update process nothing was reported, detected or observed that resulted in the revision of any of the most current determinations recorded for this section. This section does not contain any issues of concern that were not erased through mitigation.

SONS/DAUGHTERS/ OTHERS RESIDING OR FREQUENTLY IN THE HOME

MINOR SON(S) OR DAUGHTER(S) Abigail McKenzie Whitfield: By all indications, Abigail is a healthy 13 year old child [as evidenced by a self-report of Dena and Jason Whitfield, this worker’s self-observation, and a physician’s statement of general health]. The Physician’s Report Form was received and dated 07/09/2015. The report indicated that Abigail is a healthy child and up-to-date with all well-child checks and immunizations. Abigail was measured at 5’1 ½’’ and weighed 99 pounds. The report also indicates that Dena and Jason follow through on treatment recommendations, and states that Abigail has no physical or emotional conditions which would limit or negatively affect the family’s ability to adopt and care for another child. Abigail was born on December 18

th, 2001. She is currently in the 8

th grade and homeschooled by her mother. Dena

and Jason reported that she is an active, mature, and self-motivated 13 year old girl. Within this worker’s interview with Abigail, she reported that she feels as if her role in the home consists of helping everyone out when she can. She loves being the oldest child and continues her love of reading. She stated that she is excited about the recent move to their new home because it has a “small town atmosphere.” When asked how the family has changed since their adopted sister Hope had been placed into the home, she began to smile and simply stated that it involves a little more responsibility. When asked how she thinks that the household will change when a new baby is placed in the home, she jokingly mentioned that it only means that there will be more little hands grabbing books from her bedroom. Overall, Abigail seems prepared for the transition from having four children in the home to having five. She presents herself as being excited and ready to help with caring for a new sibling. Lily Grace Whitfield: By all indications, Lily Grace is a healthy 11 year old child- [as evidenced by a self-report of Dena and Jason, as well as this worker’s self-observation and a physician’s statement of general health]. The Physician’s Report Form was received and dated 07/09/2015. The report indicated that Lily Grace is a healthy child and up-to-date with all well-child checks and immunizations. Lily Grace was measured at 4’10 3/4’’ and weighed 98 pounds. The report also indicates that Dena and Jason follow through on treatment recommendations, and states that Lily Grace has no physical or emotional conditions which would limit or negatively affect the family’s ability to adopt and care for another child. Lily Grace was born on March 30, 2004. She is currently in the sixth grade and is homeschooled by her mother. Dena and Jason reported that she is an extremely loving child with an adult sense of practicality. They mentioned that she is excelling in swimming and has begun taking piano lessons. Dena and Jason believe that Lily has adjusted very well with her adopted sister Hope. They say that Lily is very motherly and is thrilled about having a new baby. When interviewed, Lily stated that she thinks that the family adopting again is “awesome”. She is happy to finally have a baby in the home. She said that adopting a baby means that he/she will have a family that will take care of them. Lily reported that she likes to draw, listen to music, do makeup and hair, and crafts. Madeline Reagan Whitfield: By all indications, Maddie is a healthy 7 year old child- [as evidenced by a self-report of Dena and Jason, as well as this worker’s self-observation and a physician’s statement of general health]. The Physician’s Report Form was received and dated 07/09/2015. The report indicated that Maddie is a healthy child and up-to-date with all well-child checks and immunizations. Maddie was measured at 4’ 1 ¼” and weighed 50 pounds. The form also indicated that Dena and Jason follow through on treatment recommendations, and states that Maddie has no physical or emotional conditions which would limit or negatively affect the family’s ability to adopt and care for another child. Maddie was born on October 8, 2007. She is currently in the second grade and is homeschooled by her mother. Dena and Jason reported that she is a hyper, witty, go-with-the-flow kind of girl. Maddie is a “tom boy” and is excited to have a baby brother or sister. When she heard that they were adopting again, Maddie cried tears of joy


and excitement. Within this worker’s interview with Maddie, she reported that she is very happy that she will have a new baby brother and displayed an age appropriate understanding of adoption. Hope Whitfield: By all indications, Maddie is a healthy 2 year old child- [as evidenced by a self-report of Dena and Jason, as well as this worker’s self-observation and a physician’s statement of general health.] The Physician’s Report Form was received and dated 07/08/2015. The report indicated that Hope is a healthy child with respect to her Down Syndrome and is up-to-date with all well-child checks and immunizations. Chronic medical conditions include a speech delay, constipation, Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), and Down Syndrome. The speech delay is improving, the constipation and ASD are under control, and the Down Syndrome is doing well. Hope was measured at 2’ 11” and weighed 24 pounds, 6 ounces. The form also indicated that Dena and Jason follow through on treatment recommendations, and states that Hope has no physical or emotional conditions which would limit or negatively affect the family’s ability to adopt and care for another child. Hope was born June 30, 2013. Hope is cared for by her mom, Dena, every day of the week. Dena and Jason reported that she is a happy, loving, expressive baby. Hope uses sign language to communicate with family members since she is not able to speak yet. She has mastered about 30 signs and effectively uses facial expressions to communicate feelings such as shyness, anger, contentment, exhaustion, happiness, and excitement. She is very interactive with the family and when properly affirmed by parents, interactive with visitors as well. This displays a secure attachment which is very healthy for a child her age. Overall, Hope is a healthy and happy baby who will adjust well when a baby is placed into the home. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ OTHER MINORS RESIDING OR FREQUENTLY IN THE HOME There are no other minors residing or frequently in the home __________________________________________________________________________________________ ADULT SONS AND DAUGHTERS There are no adult sons and daughters in this family. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ADULTS RESIDING OR FREQUENTLY IN THE HOME There are no other adults living or frequently in the home.

EXTENDED FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

For the period of this review, Jason and Dena report that they adopted their daughter, Hope, into their family. Her adoption was finalized xx/xx/xxxx. Jason and Dena also report that one of Jason’s aunts passed away in 2014. Jason and Dena report that they were able to talk through the event with their family and everyone has properly coped with the loss. Dena’s maternal grandfather past away in March 2014 as well as Jason’s maternal grandfather in late 2013. Both of these deaths were sad for the family however they are at peace because they know that the relatives are at peace now. Jason’s grandfather died of old age and Alzheimer’s and Dena’s grandmother died of old age. Dena’s biological father went back to jail and is not out again. She talked with him on the phone last week and he is very apologetic. Dena and Jason continue to have strict boundaries with him and he has not yet met their children. For the period of this review there were no other additions to or subtractions from the extended family constellation. There were no allegations of abuse or neglect involving any extended family members. During this psychosocial evaluation update process nothing was reported, detected or observed that resulted in the revision of any of the most current determinations recorded for this section. This section does not contain any issues of concern that were not erased through mitigation.

PHYSICAL/SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

The Whitfields moved into a new home during June 2014. The square footage of the Whitfield’s house totals 3800. There are a total of five bedrooms, four full baths, one kitchen, one formal living room, one formal dining room, one


family room, one media room, and an office. All bedrooms are upstairs except one. The room downstairs is used as guest room. Currently, Abigail, Lily Grace, and Maddie have their own rooms and Hope sleeps in a crib in Dena and Jason’s room. When a new baby is placed into the home, Hope will move into Maddie’s room and the baby will have his/her own bassinet in Dena and Jason’s room. The home has no pool on the property. The worker found the home to be tastefully decorated and spacious. The home meets all safety guidelines and is appropriate for the placement of the child. Along with the move into the new home came the transition into a new community. The neighborhood has its own pool and there is a park nearby of which the girls go to regularly with their friends from co-op (homeschool group). The family attends the Canoe Creek Christian Church and is active in the annual VBS. Jason coached soccer for the past year and opened up a free-standing Chickfila about five miles away from their home. The change in jobs has caused his pay rate to increase and is now at a total of $252,000 annually. Jason works on average about 30-35 hours per week from about 10 am-3 pm daily. His job is very flexible, enabling him to come home as needed and help Dena with the girls. When a baby is placed into the home Jason’s schedule will remain the same. Dena continues being a stay at home mother and homeschools Abigail, Lily Grace, and Maddie three days a week. On Mondays and Fridays the girls attend a co-op with other children who are homeschooled in the area. This has created a great network of friends for the girls, more so than where they lived previously. Overall the entire family seems to be more plugged into the community than they were in their previous home which opens up more paths for support when a baby is placed into the home. The “Safety Assessment and Forms” form was completed and all rooms of the home and outbuildings on the property were personally checked as part of the safety assessment. During this psychosocial evaluation update process nothing was reported, detected or observed that resulted in the revision of any of the most current determinations recorded for this section. This section does not contain any issues of concern that were not erased through mitigation. As mentioned previously, Jason is self-employed as an owner of a Chickfila in St. Cloud. Dena is a stay at home mom. The couple’s monthly net income is $15,000. The couple has approximately $7,912 in their checking account, and approximately $6,000 in their savings account. Jason and Dena have approximately $1,800 in their stocks and bonds, $17,000 in their IRA account. Their personal residence is worth $375,000, and their vehicles are valued at $40,000. The couple has approximately $28,000 in car loans and $20,000 in student loans. Jason and Dena’s monthly expenses, including their mortgage, loans, utilities, groceries and cleaning items, clothing, transportation costs, charitable giving, recreation/entertainment, car insurance, and total life and health insurance, add up to $8,978 each month. With a monthly net income of $15,000 and monthly expenses of $8,978, the couple has $6,022 in discretionary funds. Based on this assessment, the couple appears to be in a stable financial condition.

GENERAL PARENTING


SPECIALIZED PARENTING

Jason and Dena have been active participants in developing their knowledge and awareness of adoption. The couple has been open to contact with Hope’s birth mom however they have not heard from her in the past year. They hope that this will change. This does not affect their parenting of Hope. Jason and Dena are well equipped to care for another child. Not only does their adopted daughter Hope have Downs Syndrome, but Dena’s aunt who was mentioned in the previous home study does as well. Jason and Dena have developed a support system within their community, including families who have adopted and those who have not but feel called to walk with the Whitfields during their adoption journey. Jason and Dena have a family, Fredrick and Melissa Powell, who will become the legal guardians of their children if anything happens to them. The Powells are aware of this arrangement are prepared to step-up if anything occurs.



ADOPTION ISSUES


UPDATE RESULTS AND PLACEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

This worker is confident in the ability of Jason and Dena to provide for and meet the physical, emotional, social, and developmental needs of a child placed in their home. When a child is placed into the Whitfield’s home, they will receive 90 days of post-placement supervision through this agency. There were no concerns that have been identified within the family’s situation that would impact their current strengths in parenting ability. This family has shown to be active participants in the adoption process as they await placement of a child within their home. Additionally, this family has been compliant with this agency’s policies and procedures throughout the adoption of their daughter, Hope. There have been no concerns that have presented themselves the period of time since the most recent home study update through the date of this report. The Whitfields are an excellent placement for a male or female child. They have filled out an openness plan for adoption preferences indicating that their preference is for a child between the age of newborn and six months of age. They will consider the placement of multiple births. They are open to a child or any race or ethnicity. The Whitfields are fully open to the following: severe medical conditions (Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Autism, seizure disorder, etc.), surgically correctable medical conditions (hernia, hear defects, cleft palate, etc.), vision and/or hearing impairments, transracial placement, limited or no information on the birth father, a victim of rape, mental illness in the birth parent (including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, and other mental illness), mental illness in the extended family, mental impairment in the birth parent, Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and reported drug/alcohol abuse in the extended family. In regards to the birthmother’s prenatal history, the Whitfields are open to reported tobacco use during pregnancy The Whitfields are willing to consider: a victim of incest, reported drug/alcohol use by the birth mother not during pregnancy, reported drug/alcohol abuse in the birth father’s history, criminal history, viral sexually transmitted diseases and Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection. In regards to the birth mother’s prenatal history, the Whitfield’s are willing to consider lack of consistent medical care, reported alcohol and drug usage during pregnancy. In regards to an Openness Plan, the Whitfields stated that they are open to meeting the birth parents prior to the birth, a legal risk/direct placement of a child according to applicable state law, exchanging email and Facebook account directly with the birthparent and through Bethany Christian Services. They are also open to having visits occur in a neutral setting. Jason and Dena are willing to consider: involving the birth parents in naming the child, interstate placement, exchange of full names/addresses/phone numbers with the birth family, pictures, email, video, and written updates through Bethany Christian Services, and ongoing face-to-face contact with birthparents, child, and adoptive parents (as long as the birthparents are not using drugs or have been drinking). They are open to several visits per year (quarterly) that can occur in a neutral location.

Home Study Practitioner:

I affirm that the factual statements in this home study update are true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Supervisor

This home study update was prepared in accordance with the requirements that apply to an adoption in the State of FL, I

Select One this home study update and certify that this is a

true and accurate copy.

<*SS>


________________________________ Date: _<*AD>_ (Signature)

_______________________________ Date: _<*AD>_ (Signature)

Jessica Hipchen, B.S., MNPO (under the direct supervision of Director)

Cheri M. Williams, MPA

Intern Regional Director

REVIEW OF COPY OF HOME STUDY UPDATE

By signing below I acknowledge that I have read a copy of this report and affirm that the information I provided during this update is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

________________________________ Date: _______ (Signature)

________________________________ Date: _______ (Signature)

Check for document updates

http://www.safehomestudy.org/downloads/versioncheck.cfm?template_pk=145&version_txt=03-18-2008

Documents

Whitfield Home Study Update- For Portfolio