Foster Care Recruitment & Retention, Adoption and Post-Finalization Se

The Foster Homefinder oversees recruitment and retention of qualified, caring families who are willing to provide temporary foster care for children and to work with families toward reunification. Call (607) 274-5266.

Tompkins County DSS is committed to locating relatives for kinship care whenever possible, keeping children in their families of origin. For more information see our page on Kinship Care.

Two adoption caseworkers assist foster families in the adoption process when the children in their care cannot return to their parents. The adoption workers can also assist families who only wish to adopt and are willing to adopt from the Child Welfare system. Information, support groups, and individual support for foster families and adoptive families pre- and post-finalization is also available. These caseworkers can be contacted at either (607) 274-5615 or (607) 274-5309.