1. What specific factors or conditions does your State consider to determine that a child cannot be placed with adoptive parents without providing financial assistance? ("What is your State definition of special needs?")

A child with special needs is defined as a child that has at least one of the following needs or circumstances that may be a barrier to placement or adoption without financial assistance:

Eight years of age or older African American and two years of age or older Member of a sibling group of three or more children placed at the same time with the same family Documented mental or physical disability Documented emotional disturbance/problem Documented high risk of developing a mental or physical disability

Note: Children must be in the permanent custody state of the Alabama Department of Human Resources to be eligible for adoption assistance. (Title IV-E and state-funded) Children who are SSI-eligible must be in the permanent custody of the Department of Human Resources or a licensed child-placing agency.

2. What are the eligibility criteria for your State-funded adoption assistance program?

In order to be eligible for state-funded adoption assistance a child must be a special needs child as defined above and in the permanent custody of the state of Alabama Department of Human Resources to be eligible for adoption assistance. (Title IV-E state-funded)