Adoption Subsidy
Definition: Federal or State adoption benefits designed to help offset the short- and long-term costs associated with adopting children who need special services. To be eligible for the Federal IV-E subsidy program, children must meet each of the following characteristics:
- a court has ordered that the child cannot or should not be returned to the birth family
- the child has special needs, as determined by the state's definition of special needs
- a "reasonable effort" has been made to place the child without a subsidy
- the child must have been eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) at the time of the adoption, or the child's birth family must have been receiving - or eligible to receive - Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).
Benefits available through subsidy programs vary by State, but commonly include:
- monthly cash payments - up to an amount that is $1 less than the foster care payment the state would have made if the child were still in basic family foster care
- medical assistance - through the federal program (and some state programs), Medicaid benefits
- social services - post-adoption services such as respite care, counseling, day care, etc.
- non-recurring adoption expenses - a one-time reimbursement (depending upon the state, between $400 and $2,000) for costs such as adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, physical and psychological examinations, and other expenses related to the legal adoption of a child with special needs.
Before adopting a child with special needs, ask your agency about the availability of federal and state subsidies. To request more information about federal and state subsidy programs, call the National Adoption Assistance Training, Resource, and Information Network (NAATRIN) at (800) 470-6665.
Also Known As:Adoption Assistance, AAP
Related Resources:Adoption Subsidy: Negotiating and Renegotiating Your Child's Contract
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