About Chandricka R. Mose, LCSW-C, LICSW, ACSW Expertise I can answer questions about the homestudy process, training, foster parent adoptions, traditional, treatment and kinship foster care to adoption matters, and adoption and infertility issues. I am also well versed in general legal matters that come up in adoption.
Experience I have 15 years of foster care and adoption experience as a clinical social worker. I have held many position in this arena including social worker, foster care and adoption trainer and homestudy coordinator, program supervisor and program director.
I also have experiences with adoption in my personal life, as I have two adopted siblings and many foster siblings that I have kept in touch with over the years. I am passionate about this topic.
Organizations National Association of Social Workers,
Kayla's Village - Advisory Committee member - a local organization that supports foster parents, adoptive parents and child welfare professionals through training, support groups and social events.
Publications None, but I presented at a National Treatment Foster Care Conference in 2002.
Education/Credentials I hold a Bachelor of Social Work from Howard University and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.
Awards and Honors Employee of the Year 2001 -Pressley Ridge
Past/Present Clients I have a small private practice and consulting business.
Question QUESTION: Hi, I know some people who are applying to adopt. He's a very abusive individual, and I want to alert someone to this. Is this kept confidential, or will they know I was the one who came forward? Also, I am not quite sure which agency they are using, and would have to contact more than one, if I get the wrong agency, will the notify these people? HELP, I am trying to do the right thing without anyone finding out it was me.
ANSWER: Hello Carole,
I appreciate your willingness to step forward to prevent a child from being placed in an abusive home. Unfortunately, unless the person has a criminal or child abuse history, his abusive personality may not be revealed. Although agencies have prospective adoptive parents complete background checks, it will not appear on the clearance if he were never charged with anything.
I will say that you can call your local child protection hotline to make a report and they may or may not investigate. They must investigate if you have very specific information about someone currently being abused or at risk of being abused, if not, it may not be investigated. To answer your question though, you can always make an anonymous report to a child protection hotline. Even if it is his spouse that he is abusing, it may be worth calling child protective services in your state to explain your concern and if you get a thorough social worker, she can track the family through the family court system in your town. However, if you live in a large city or it is an international adoption, this will be next to impossible.
The only other possibility is through references. Adoption agencies get references for adoptive parents and although rare, references have been known to give a true picture of the person's character which will put up red flags for the adoption agency and impede teh adoption.
I hope that helps. Feel free to write a follow-up question if you feel the need.
Sincerely,
Chandricka Mose
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks so much for the response.
If I do contact their agency, will it be revealed that it was me? Is there a privacy policy in regards to this?
Thanks!
Answer Hi Carole,
Your followup question is appearing in my pending question box, but I am most sure that I responded to this. In any event, I will respond again.
There is no blanket policy regarding maintaining the anonymity of sources.
