Promoting Safe & Stable Families

The Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program is a short-term, in-home counseling program for children and their families, who have already finalized their adoption. Referrals for this program cover Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Hunterdon Counties in New Jersey. The ages of those referred can range from 3 to 17 years old. The therapist can work with the child and family for a period of 6 months. First priority is given to families adopted through DYFS, in which there is threat of disruption of the adoption.

After an adoption is finalized, the child may still experience concerns regarding attachment or permanent loss of birth family and/or birth siblings. As the child's development progresses, he or she may remember some of the traumas he or she experienced prior to the adoption that had not been a concern for a year or more. At different developmental stages, a child thinks of these events in different ways than when he or she was younger. New questions, emotions and behaviors arise that the child and the parents do not understand. Sometimes, it just means that the child or parents need an updated understanding of the concerns that an adopted child has that a birth child does not. For instance, an adopted child might find it very difficult to complete a family tree project in school, which is often part of a curriculum. This may bring about behaviors in school or at home that cause concern. They may not remember their birth family or the reminder may bring up experiences that they are unable to handle emotionally. With the help of our therapists, the child and family can gain a new understanding of the current issues and better ways of dealing with the emotions and behaviors. This helps to stabilize the family and brings some resolution to the issues that the child and family were experiencing. The therapist can also point the family in the direction of local resources in their own community to further enhance the healthy functioning of the family.