An adoption case is initiated by the adoption caseworker after selecting a child or children. Once a caseworker creates the adoption case, he/she typically takes steps to move the case towards finalization. Managing an adoption case involves managing (or being involved in) the child's outcome plan, planning recruitment activities (such as adoption picnics), managing pre-adoptive conferences to identify prospective adoptive families, and assessing prospective adoptive families.
An adoption worker creates an outcome plan to document the pre-adoption services the agency will provide to facilitate the goal of the child's adoption. A adoption worker uses the documented information accumulated through these activities to evaluate all of the prospective adoptive families and makes a recommendation regarding the adoptive family best suited for the child.