Government Grants for the Adoption of Children
Child-rearing is a costly enterprise, as any parent will tell you. That is doubly so for the raising and care of children with special needs. When special-needs children in the foster-care system are available for adoption, there are many dedicated would-be parents who are willing, even eager, to take on the challenge. What happens, though, if they have limited means?
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Grants or Adoption Subsidy
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Nearly 140,000 U.S. children are waiting to be adopted. These children typically have special needs. They may be older children, part of a sibling group, been exposed to street drugs prenatally, have experienced abuse or trauma, or have mental or physical disabilities that involve extra care.
To help adoptive parents take on the care of these special-needs children, The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-272) required all states to provide subsidies for adoptive parents of special-needs children. (Amendments to this law set up grants for nonrecurring expenses incurred in adopting a special-needs child.)
How an Adoption Subsidy works.
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The subsidy continues until the child reaches maturity. In most cases, this subsidy is a few hundred dollars each month for basic needs of the child--food, clothing and housing (often the amount the county or state would have paid for foster care of the child).
There may be additional funds available based on the "difficulty of care"--to help provide for the child's special needs, such as reimbursing the parent for the extra time and mileage required to take the child to frequent medical or mental health appointments. The amounts of both types of payments vary by county and state.
Children who have permanent, ongoing disabilities that will prevent them from living independently as adults may also be eligible for SSI.
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Who is eligible?
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Most children adopted from foster care qualify. (The subsidy is based on the child's needs, not on the adoptive parent's income.) Children who have physical or mental disabilities that qualify them for lifetime disability payments and supports are also eligible. A child born to a teenage parent who is in foster care is eligible, and any child who was adopted with a subsidy, but whose adoptive parent died, is eligible.
Changes and Reviews
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Adoption subsidies are usually reviewed each year or every two years to determine whether any changes need to be made to the subsidy amount. When a child who has been stable encounters an increase in physical or mental health needs, the adoptive family may apply to have the subsidy increased. Each state will have a procedure outlined at the time of the adoption. If the initial request is denied, an appeal is also possible.
Finding a child to adopt
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You've read to this point because you are curious about adoption. So is it for you? Contact your state or county agency that places children for adoption. The process includes a thorough home, family and personality study to learn what kind of child might fit your circumstances best. The AdoptUSKids website below lists children waiting for adoption, by area.
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Another avenue is to become a foster parent; one of the children placed with you may steal your heart--and also be available for adoption. Not all are, so this carries emotional risk for the would-be parent.
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References
- Photo Credit Flickr: ihq11
