Introduction

In every State there are children with special needs waiting in foster care for adoptive families. The most recent data estimate that 126,000 children are available to be adopted from foster care.¹ In the past, the costs of care and services were major obstacles to parents who would otherwise adopt and love these children, and most were not placed for adoption. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980² provided the first Federal subsidies to encourage the adoption of children from the nation's foster care system. These subsidies, known as adoption assistance, serve to minimize the financial obstacles to adoption. In addition, other types of assistance often are available to help with medical care or other services. Adoption assistance serves to remove barriers and contribute to an increase in adoption of children with special needs.

This factsheet discusses this assistance by reviewing:

• Federal Title IV-E adoption assistance
• State adoption assistance
• Arranging adoption assistance

Federal Title IV-E Adoption Assistance

Adoption assistance from the Federal government is administered under the Federal Title IV-E adoption assistance program. Payments to the parents of an eligible child with special needs can take the form of either one-time (nonrecurring) adoption assistance or ongoing (recurring) adoption assistance. These funds are paid through the State agency or through another public or nonprofit private agency and are available for children being adopted from foster care.

Nonrecurring Adoption Assistance. Nonrecurring adoption assistance is paid or reimbursed for one-time reasonable and necessary expenses directly related to the legal adoption of a child with special needs that have not been reimbursed from other sources or funds. These reimbursable expenses may include the home study fees, attorney fees, replacement of the birth certificate, and travel for visits to the child (including mileage, lodging, and meals). The Federal maximum for this type of assistance is $2,000 for each adoptive placement.³ Some expenses in excess of this amount may be tax deductible.

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