Family Resource Center | Grievance Procedure

Grievance Procedure

Client Grievance Policy and Procedure

This grievance procedure is designed to provide a means for Family Resource Center’s (FRC) applicants and clients to bring relevant problems and complaints concerning the manner in which they are being served at FRC to the attention of FRC's management and to reach a speedy resolution. FRC has a strict policy prohibiting retaliation in any form against any complainant.

A grievance is defined as any cause of distress or relevant condition that a client reasonably thinks or feels is unfair, unjust, or inequitable. Under this Client Grievance Procedure, clients should submit a grievance in the following sequence:

When a client has a grievance, the client should first discuss the grievance with his or her adoption counselor or home study worker (which ever one applies). If an agreement is not reached through this discussion the client should proceed to the next step of this grievance procedure.

At this step, the client should submit their grievance in writing to FRC’s Coordinator/Manager of Adoptive Parent Services. Mail or fax grievances to Family Resource Center, 5828 N Clark, Chicago IL 60660. 773-334-8228

Once notified in writing, FRC shall initiate an investigation of the complaint within 2 business days.

FRC shall report the outcome of its complaint investigation, in writing to the DCFS regional licensing office or the DCFS Licensing Representative within 10 business days after complaints are received.

The Coordinator/Manager of Adoptive Parent Services will reply to the complainant's written grievance in writing within the same 10 day time period being used to notify DCFS. If more time is needed to resolve the complaint, the Coordinator/Manager of Adoptive Parent Services will inform the client and make every effort to provide a written resolution to the grievance and report the actions that were taken to resolve such grievance within 30 days. All written responses will be given to the client and a copy must be placed in their case records.

Resolution of all complaints shall be reported to FRC’s board of directors in a timely manner and at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

If for any reason the complainant is not satisfied with the results of the resolution reached by FRC, the complainant may contact FRC’s Executive Director to further discuss the matter. The Executive Director will conduct a review of the matter and will respond to the complainant in writing within 10 business days. The Executive Director’s decisions and recommendations will be final.

If for any reason the complainant is dissatisfied with the results of the resolution reached by FRC and believes that the FRC is not in compliance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA), or the regulations implementing the IAA, families and individuals working with FRC may report complaints they have against FRC to The Hague Complaint Registry (HCR) on the Consular Affairs public website at:

http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption/convention/convention_462.html

The Hague Complaint Registry was established to receive and maintain records of complaints about accredited agencies, temporarily accredited agencies and approved persons, who provide adoption services in connection with adoption cases covered by the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention in accordance with Federal Regulations, 22 CFR 96.70.

FRC takes all complaints and grievances seriously and further, is committed to full compliance with Hague standards, the IAA and the regulations implementing the IAA. Therefore, FRC shall provide to the Council on Accreditation and the Secretary of the US Department of State, on a semi-annual basis, a summary of written complaints received during the previous six months. This will include number of complaints received, how each complaint was resolved, an assessment of any discernible patterns in complaints received and information on what systemic changes, if any, were made or are planned by FRC in response to such patterns of complaints.

As requested by either the Council on Accreditation or the Secretary of the US Department of State FRC shall provide any and all information about complaints it receives from any birth parent, prospective adoptive parent or adoptive parent or adoptee, that any of these parties has lodged directly with the FRC about any of the services or activities of the FRC or persons (including any supervised providers) that he or she believes raises an issue of compliance with the Convention, the IAA, or the regulations implementing the IAA.