Adoption Subsidy FAQ
What is it, and does my child qualify? | Questions: | What is an adoption subsidy?
Do internationally adopted children qualify?
Does my child qualify?
Why do I have to "negotiate" a subsidy contract?
When is a contract first negotiated?
What do I need to negotiate a subsidy contract?
How do I negotiate a subsidy contract?
What about Special Services?
When does the adoption subsidy end?
How do I prepare for a fair hearing?
What if I am uncomfortable with negotiating subsidy?
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Parents adopting children with special needs from private, non-profit agencies, or from the U.S. foster care system often have similar questions about adoption assistance, or subsidy. Dr. Rita Laws, co-author of a book on subsidies, has helped hundreds of families negotiate contracts, and she answers our most frequently asked questions.
What is an adoption subsidy? Adoption subsidies, also known as Adoption Assistance Payments (AAP), are monthly payments made to parents who adopt children with special needs from the U.S. foster care system. The amount is based on the severity of the child's disabilities and is in no way related to the income of the adoptive parents. Subsidy (along with Medicaid coverage for the adoptee until adulthood) is meant to defray some of the costs associated with raising children. It is not meant to reimburse all expenses. It is not income so it is not taxable. It is not meant to take the place of child support after a divorce. It was designed to make adoption more affordable and therefore more feasible for the typical adult or couple. The average base amount nationwide is about $350.00 per month.
In 1980, Congress created the subsidy program (Public Law 96-272) to encourage foster parents and others to adopt waiting children because permanency offers important lifelong and generational benefits to children. This program has been very successful in three ways:
- in helping to reform foster care,
- in encouraging record numbers of adoptions, and
- in saving tax dollars that would have otherwise been spent keeping children in foster care.
Several studies have shown that even fully subsidized children save the government billions of dollars in the long term by keeping children out of foster care and institutions.
Do internationally adopted children qualify for adoption subsidy? No. Federal law was originally written to lessen the number of children in U.S. foster care, but a few internationally adopted children did qualify years ago. Changes in federal law and in the laws of the few states that once allowed it have now eliminated this possibility. State laws and services are always changing, however, so all adoptive parents should ask their agency about any other programs for which their internationally adopted children may qualify. Of course, children born outside of the U.S. who may enter the U.S. foster care system if the adoption dissolves (fails) could possibly qualify for an adoption subsidy as they move out of U.S. foster care and into their second adoptive home.
Does my child qualify for an adoption subsidy? Each child in foster care, whether placed through a private or public agency, should have a
Title IV-E eligibility checklist form in his or her file that shows whether or not the child qualifies for the AAP program. In some cases, a child who does not qualify for a federal adoption subsidy may still qualify for a state-funded subsidy.
If the child's risk factors and/or special needs qualify the child for the program, the parents will be asked to sign a contract, called an adoption assistance agreement.
© 2003 Rita Laws and Nancy Ashe. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form without written consent.
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Comments
Is there someplace else perhaps you intended to comment on?
Your post has me a bit confused.... :p
Posted by: Crick at 04/01/2007 07:13 AM
i have no comment at this time
Posted by: redangel_74 at 03/31/2007 08:42 PM
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