About Us
Mission Statement
Recognizing that children deserve safe, loving and nurturing relationships with permanent families, DFCS and its partners will provide a continuum of available, accessible and effective services that enable and support the placement of children in adoptive families.
| Unit Manager | Debra C. Lookabill, MSW | (404) 657-9385 Fax (404) 463-3735 |
The Unit Manager reports directly to the Deputy Director of Programs and Policy. She is responsible for the overall operations of Georgia’s Statewide Adoption Unit. Oversees the development of adoption policies for the department in compliance with federal and state law as well as best practice models. Responsible for the maintenance of all adoption records for the State in compliance with federal and state mandates. Provide guidance and support in the area of adoptions to other managers within the division. Also provides consultation and guidance in the administration of contracts to public and private vendors. She is directly responsible for the supervision of all Program Managers that monitors a variety of the adoption related programs and all budget/fiscal operations for adoptions.
Program Managers
Adoption Exchange/Recruitment/Reporting| Ann Deibel | (404) 657-3563 Fax (404)657-0212 |
Ms. Deibel is the Program Manager for SAU’s Adoption Exchange, Recruitment services and Reporting responsibilities. The Adoption Exchange carries responsibility for general recruitment of homes to reflect the diversity of children in care, child specific recruitment for waiting children, matching services for waiting children and families, policy consultation and technical assistance to the field and consumers; quality assurance of adoption data and evaluation of outcomes for the state’s performance in the area of adoption. Ms. Deibel directly supervises the Recruitment Manager, 4 Adoption Program Consultants, the Wednesday’s Child Coordinator and the unit’s Operations Analyst 3.
Post Adoption Services Programs/Adoption Assistance/RAC Supervisor| Kalean Thompkins | (404) 463-3957 Fax (404)657-9498 |
Mrs. Thompkins is the supervisor for (4) Regional Adoption Coordinators (RACs) in the Southern part of the State. Ms. Thompkins is Georgia's Compact Administrator for the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption & Medical Assistance and manages the Post Adoption Services Programs which include the following: Adoption Assistance, Adopted Teen Empowerment and Mentoring (ATEAM) program, Camp Promise (summer camps for special needs adopted children), Crisis Intervention Team and Georgia Center for Foster & Adopted Parents.
Regional Adoption Coordinator (RAC) Supervisor| Danny Stevens | (706)542-9505 Fax (706) 542-3229 |
Mr. Stevens serves a dual role with the DFCS State Adoption Unit (SAU). He is the Regional Adoption Coordinator for twelve (12) county DFCS offices in Region V. RACs are involved with adoption case consultation, policy consultation, general and child-specific recruitment, and intake monitoring. He also serves as Program Manager. The primary duties include supervision of (8) RACs across north Georgia.
The following is a list showing the RACS names and telephone numbers throughout the state.| Regional Adoption Coordinator | Telephone Number | Counties Served Subject to change |
| Christie Sterl | 706-272-2331 Fax 706-272-2895 | Counties in Regions 1, 3, and 17 Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Murray, Pickens, Walker, Whitfield |
| Stephanie Rhinehart | 770-387-3718 Fax 770-387-4967 | Counties in Regions 3 and 17 Bartow, Cobb, Floyd, Paulding, Polk |
| Jennifer Whitney | 770-531-6015 Fax 770-531-5675 | Counties in Region 2 Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, White |
| Jessie Swan | 770-603-4774 Fax 770-603-4775 | Counties in Regions 13 and 16 Clayton, Fayette, Fulton, Henry |
| Sean Kennedy | 404- 651-7330 Fax 404-657-9498 | Counties in Regions 14 and 15 Dekalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale |
| Karla Wells | 770-296-3180 Fax 770-504-2204 | Counties in Regions 3, 4 and 17 Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, Heard, Lamar, Pike, Spaulding, Upson |
| Danny Stevens | 706-542-9505 Fax 706-542-3229 | Counties in Region 5 Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Walton |
| Alissa Kautz | 478-836-6034 Fax 478-836-6053 | Counties in Regions 6 and 9 Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Crawford, Dodge, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, Wilkinson |
| Dan Almeter | 706-771-5890 Fax 771-5891 | Counties in Regions 7 and 9 Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Lincoln, McDuffie, Montgomery, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Toombs, Treutlen, Warren, Washington, Wilkes |
| E. Loraine Douglas | 706-649-7462 Fax 706-649-1191 | Counties in Regions 4, 6, 8 and 9 Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooley, Harris, Houston, Macon, Marion, Meriweather, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Telfair, Troup, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox |
| Angela Way | 229-430-3333 Fax 229-317-9827 | Counties in Regions 10 and 11 Baker, Brooks, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Worth |
| Barbara Williams | 229-245-2426 Fax 229-259-2099 | Counties in Region 11 Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Turner, Ware |
| Brenda Martz | 912-576-1316 Fax 912-729-6376 | Counties in Regions 9 and 12 Appling, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Tattnall, Wayne |
The Adoption Exchange
| Program Manager/Supervisor and Consultant for Regions 14 and 17 | Ann Deibel | (404) 657-3563 Fax (404)657-0212 |
| Adoption Program Consultant Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 15 | Julie Slater | (404) 651-9473 Fax (404)657-0212 |
| Adoption Program Consultant Regions 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 | Sheila Waterman | (404) 657-3562 Fax (404)657-0212 |
| Adoption Program Consultant Region 5 and Private Agencies | Cheryl Williams | (404)657-3559 Fax (404)657-0212 |
| Adoption Program Consultant Regions 6, 7, 13 and 16 | Sabrina Lucas | (404) 656-2374 Fax (404)657-0212 |
The Adoption Exchange is responsible for the registration of all DHR children who are free for adoption and families approved to adopt through DFCS or private agencies under contract with DHR. The primary focus of the Exchange is to match children and families for the purpose of ensuring permanency for waiting children as well as to assist in child specific recruitment efforts for children with no identified adoptive resource. Staff of the Exchange provides consultation and technical assistance in regards to adoption policy and practice to the County Departments of Family and Children Services, private agencies under contract with the state and the public. Each member of the Adoption Exchange also provides oversight to assigned contract for various adoption services.
Other segments of the Adoption Exchange include:
General Recruitment| Recruitment Manager | Shamim Neal-Backus | (404) 657-9386 Fax (404)657-0212 |
The Recruitment Manager works with the Regional, County and Private Agency Resource Development Specialists on recruitment efforts and activities. These activities include statewide recruitment campaigns, matching meetings, galas regional and community recruitment events and activities. Annual recruitment plans and quarterly progress reports on recruitment are directed to and monitored by the Recruitment Manager. This position also manages SAU’s contracts with private vendors for the provision of recruitment supplies and activities, the State’s toll free intake number for families interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent and the unit’s videoconferencing services. The Recruitment Manager also serves as the public relations coordinator for the unit.
| Wednesday's Child Coordinator-Georgia | Andrea Shoemaker | (770) 297-2500 Fax (770)534-5233 |
Wednesday's Child is an initiative created by the Freddie Mac Foundation in partnership with Fox-5 TV as a national campaign to increase adoptions of foster children. Each week, a child in foster care who is available for adoption is profiled on the local evening news. Viewers are offered information about a specific child and an opportunity to call a toll free number for more information on fostering or adoption
Reporting
| Operations Analyst 3 | Samantha Adams | (404) 657-9387 |
This position maintains the statistical and program performance data information for the Adoption Unit. It is assists staff with problems associated with the state office systems, coordinates systems planning and produces reports for federal reporting purposes.
Post-Adoption Services and Adoption Assistance
| Adoption Program Consultant | Adrian Owens | (404) 657-3558 Fax (404)463-3735 |
| Adoption Program Consultant | Pat Granger | (404) 463-8959 Fax (404)463-3735 |
| Adoption Program Consultant | Frank Twitty | (404) 657-3584 Fax (404)463-3735 |
Mr. Owens, Ms. Granger and Mr. Twitty are responsible for administering and monitoring the Adoption Assistance, Medicaid and Post Adoption Services Programs. They provide consultation and technical assistance pertaining to the interpretation of federal and state regulations governing adoption assistance provisions to adoptive families, DFCS and other Adoption Unit members. Mr. Owens serves as the Adoption Unit representative to fair hearing on adoption assistance.
Vickie Smith assists with questions relating to Adoption Assistance Medicaid and processes out of state requests for this aspect of the program. She can be reached at (404) 651-2104. Fax (404) 651-7312
Records Management
| Records Coordinator | Rose Sanford | (404) 463-8959 Fax (404) 463-3735 |
Mrs. Sanford is responsible for the records management system. She manages the storage and transferring of department records. Mrs. Sanford supervises the process of coding and entering of petitions, processing final orders and court reports on finalized adoptions.
Contracts
| Contracting Officer I | LaVard Wright | (404) 657-3557 Fax (404)657-0212 |
The Contracts Manager is responsible for contracts and grant management for the unit. Duties include overseeing the RFP process, contract negotiation, monitoring and payment, grant application/renewal and federal reporting.
|
|