How to Apply for Financial Adoption Assistance
Adopt a child with special needs., Confirm the child meets additional eligibility requirements., Contact the adoption assistance specialist in your state., Negotiate an adoption subsidy agreement., Finalize your written agreement.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Adopt a child with special needs.
Financial adoption assistance is available to prospective parents who are adopting a child with special needs, as defined by state and federal law.
Specifically, the child must meet all three criteria:
The state must determine that the child cannot or should not be returned to the birth parents' home.
The state must find a specific factor – or combination of several – that makes the child difficult to place with adoptive parents.
These factors may include the child's age, the fact that the child is a member of a sibling group that cannot be separated, or the child's disabilities or medical issues.
The state must attempt to place the child without financial assistance and fail.
It's not necessary for the state to shop around for parents while the child remains in foster care to satisfy this requirement.
It's enough if the state asks if you can adopt the child without assistance, and you are unable to do so. -
Step 2: Confirm the child meets additional eligibility requirements.
If the child qualifies as a child with special needs, he or she must meet one of six additional criteria for you to be eligible for federal adoption assistance.A child is eligible for federal assistance if the birth family meets the income guidelines for AFDC assistance.
However, this requirement is being phased out under 2008 legislation.
As of 2016, the child must be at least four years old to qualify for federal adoption assistance if the birth family does not meet the income guidelines for AFDC assistance.
By 2018, all children with special needs will qualify for federal adoption assistance regardless of age or the birth family's income.
A child with special needs also qualifies for federal adoption assistance if he or she has been in foster care for at least 60 consecutive months, regardless of the child's age. , You can find the name and contact information for your state's adoption assistance specialist on the U.S.
Department of Health & Human Service's child welfare website.You also may be able to find this person by contacting your state's department of social services or visiting its website.
The adoption assistance specialist will work with you to determine the best programs available for which you and the child you're adopting qualify, since you can only receive federal or state adoption assistance, but not both. , If you qualify for federal adoption assistance, you must work with your state or local adoption agency and any other agencies that are involved in the adoption to determine how much assistance you will receive, and for how long.You typically must first fill out a standard form requesting adoption assistance.
A caseworker will be assigned who will review your request and work out an agreement with you.
The agreement must specify the amount of adoption assistance payments and any other services the government will provide, along with the dates that each type of assistance will be provided.
Because you are receiving federal assistance, the agreement will remain in effect under the same terms regardless of whether you move to a different state, or live in a different state than the child you're adopting is from.
You also must negotiate conditions under which the assistance may be increased or decreased.
Including these conditions in the original agreement may eliminate the need to renegotiate the agreement later if the situation changes. , Once you've negotiated your adoption subsidy agreement, it must be put in writing and signed by all involved parties.
Once signed, the document becomes a contract that is legally binding on all parties.Your final written agreement will outline your responsibilities as an adoptive parent, including any financial reporting or recertification requirements for continuing to receive assistance.
Under federal law, the agreement must remain into effect until the child turns 18, or 21 if he or she has a mental or physical disability that requires continued assistance.
Generally, the amount of assistance you receive under an adoption subsidy agreement cannot exceed the amount a foster family would receive to care for the child. -
Step 3: Contact the adoption assistance specialist in your state.
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Step 4: Negotiate an adoption subsidy agreement.
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Step 5: Finalize your written agreement.
Detailed Guide
Financial adoption assistance is available to prospective parents who are adopting a child with special needs, as defined by state and federal law.
Specifically, the child must meet all three criteria:
The state must determine that the child cannot or should not be returned to the birth parents' home.
The state must find a specific factor – or combination of several – that makes the child difficult to place with adoptive parents.
These factors may include the child's age, the fact that the child is a member of a sibling group that cannot be separated, or the child's disabilities or medical issues.
The state must attempt to place the child without financial assistance and fail.
It's not necessary for the state to shop around for parents while the child remains in foster care to satisfy this requirement.
It's enough if the state asks if you can adopt the child without assistance, and you are unable to do so.
If the child qualifies as a child with special needs, he or she must meet one of six additional criteria for you to be eligible for federal adoption assistance.A child is eligible for federal assistance if the birth family meets the income guidelines for AFDC assistance.
However, this requirement is being phased out under 2008 legislation.
As of 2016, the child must be at least four years old to qualify for federal adoption assistance if the birth family does not meet the income guidelines for AFDC assistance.
By 2018, all children with special needs will qualify for federal adoption assistance regardless of age or the birth family's income.
A child with special needs also qualifies for federal adoption assistance if he or she has been in foster care for at least 60 consecutive months, regardless of the child's age. , You can find the name and contact information for your state's adoption assistance specialist on the U.S.
Department of Health & Human Service's child welfare website.You also may be able to find this person by contacting your state's department of social services or visiting its website.
The adoption assistance specialist will work with you to determine the best programs available for which you and the child you're adopting qualify, since you can only receive federal or state adoption assistance, but not both. , If you qualify for federal adoption assistance, you must work with your state or local adoption agency and any other agencies that are involved in the adoption to determine how much assistance you will receive, and for how long.You typically must first fill out a standard form requesting adoption assistance.
A caseworker will be assigned who will review your request and work out an agreement with you.
The agreement must specify the amount of adoption assistance payments and any other services the government will provide, along with the dates that each type of assistance will be provided.
Because you are receiving federal assistance, the agreement will remain in effect under the same terms regardless of whether you move to a different state, or live in a different state than the child you're adopting is from.
You also must negotiate conditions under which the assistance may be increased or decreased.
Including these conditions in the original agreement may eliminate the need to renegotiate the agreement later if the situation changes. , Once you've negotiated your adoption subsidy agreement, it must be put in writing and signed by all involved parties.
Once signed, the document becomes a contract that is legally binding on all parties.Your final written agreement will outline your responsibilities as an adoptive parent, including any financial reporting or recertification requirements for continuing to receive assistance.
Under federal law, the agreement must remain into effect until the child turns 18, or 21 if he or she has a mental or physical disability that requires continued assistance.
Generally, the amount of assistance you receive under an adoption subsidy agreement cannot exceed the amount a foster family would receive to care for the child.
About the Author
Jacqueline Kennedy
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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