Review of Adoption Opportunities Grants Administered by The Urban League of Rhode Island, Inc. September 1997 Through September 29, 2000

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

This report points out that the Urban League properly accounted for Federal funds.  However, the Urban League should strive to improve its processes for setting, documenting, and achieving adoption opportunity program goals.   The Urban League did not:  (1) document the achievement of its goal to reach 1,200 people interested in adopting; (2) achieve its goal to recruit 40 Black, Hispanic, and other ethnic and racially mixed families and individuals to become adoptive parents for minority children; and (3) achieve its goal to place 40 minority children (ages birth to 16 years, with emphasis on children over 10 years old and sibling group) in these homes for each project year.  Our review of program operations determined that the Urban League did not maintain an accurate record keeping system for recruiting and tracking minority families interested in adopting minority children.  The Urban League could improve its performance management on current and future projects by:  (1) assuring that all policies and procedures are put in writing;  (2) making more and better use of computers to monitor and to document program activities, such as goal-setting, recruiting interested families, screening applications, evaluating residences, training families, and tracking the status of potential adoption placements; and (3) standardizing processes and forms to provide better flow and tracking of cases from initial contact through completion. 

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