Updated April 2008 Below you can find information about the adoption assistance benefits that may be available to families who adopt children from Yukon foster care. Territorial Contact Person Beverly Foushe Department of Health and Social Services Family and Children’s Services Box 2703, H-10 Whitehorse, YK Y1A 2C6 867-667-5071 F: 867-393-6204 Bev.Fouhse@gov.yk.ca NACAC Subsidy Volunteer Currently… More
NACAC has published a variety of resources to help parents and advocates better understand and access adoption assistance benefits. Below are articles about adoption assistance, and related training sessions NACAC has offered. Articles Training… More
Learn how to advocate for adoption assistance programs in your state or province. In these tight financial times, legislators sometimes seek to cut adoption assistance programs and advocates need to be ready to respond. Even if your adoption assistance program is not under threat, proactive advocacy can help maintain and even enhance these important benefits… More
In this session, you will learn the basics of adoption assistance for children adopted from foster care, including eligibility, benefits, taxes, and more. The workshop is designed for both prospective parents seeking to learn more about the support available for the children they adopt and parents who are seeking an adjustment due to a change… More
NACAC frequently receives calls from adoptive parents about their adoption assistance payments. Usually these calls are about a payment that hasn’t been received, but sometimes they are asking about how payments can be made, especially via direct deposit. Below is the information we have for every state that has responded. Arizona The date the check… More
Children need families, and families who raise children with special needs sometimes require support to help their children heal and thrive. Adoption assistance is a key component of this post-adoption support. Unfortunately, as adoptions from foster care increase and state budget coffers decrease, far too many states consider cutting adoption assistance programs as one… More
by Rita Laws, Ph.D. Rita Laws is the mother of 12 children through adoption and birth and the author of numerous books and articles—many pertaining to adoption and parenting. Below she offers her perspective about sharing adoption assistance information with adopted children. For years, a friend of mine who has adopted several children from foster… More
In foster care and adoption in the U.S., many abbreviations, acronyms, and special phrases are used. Below is a brief list of common terms used in adoption assistance and their definitions. Adoption Assistance/Adoption Subsidy Adoption assistance or adoption subsidy is provided to encourage adoption of children who are considered harder to place. Specific benefits should… More
This issue brief from the Donaldson Adoption Institute and NACAC presents research on how adoption assistance benefits increase adoptions from foster care, while saving states money over the cost of keeping children in care. It is designed as a tool for advocates to use in efforts to maintain or improve adoption assistance benefits in their… More
This NACAC report makes the case for improving the federal adoption assistance program. The text dwells on the human benefits of subsidies as well as financial considerations, and outlines three specific recommendations for making the program more effective and useful. May 2008 Click here to download a PDF… More
Families who receive adoption assistance payments for their children often have questions about how adoption assistance interacts with other financial support programs. Because adoption assistance is not considered taxable income by the IRS*, families may think that it will not count as income for other government programs. But each program is different and many do… More
Parents who adopt older children from foster care often do not have as many years to save for the child’s college education. The good news is that there are programs in place that may help these youth pay for education. Federal Programs Since July 2009, children who were adopted from foster care at age 13… More
Parents who adopt children with special needs from the public foster care system take risks that other parents do not assume. Specifically, they run the risk that the child may not be able to live within a typical family setting throughout childhood and adolescence. These children come to their adoptive families with a multitude of… More
Children retain eligibility for adoption assistance across state lines. The adoption assistance agreement parents have with a child’s adoption assistance state is valid in all states and the child’s maintenance payment will continue even if the family moves. However, an interstate move or placement can affect the other adoption assistance benefits a child receives and… More
Many adoptive parents of special needs children ask whether the Federal Title IV-E Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) is available for children adopted from other countries. Disqualifying Factors In most cases, children adopted internationally do not meet the eligibility requirements of the Federal Title IV-E Adoption Assistance Program. In fact, section 8.2.B.6 from the federal Child… More
Adoptive parents, like any parent, may have questions and concerns about the financial supports that will be available to their child if they are no longer able to care for their child. Below we explore what happens to adoption assistance benefits when an adoption is dissolved or if adoptive parents die. An adoption assistance agreement… More
Parents who are thinking about or are in the process of adopting a child with special needs from foster care should know about adoption assistance (also known as adoption subsidy). Federal and state adoption assistance programs are designed to help adoptive parents meet children’s varied, and often costly, needs. Adoption assistance may provide monthly maintenance… More
What Is Adoption Assistance or Adoption Subsidy? Adoption assistance is intended to help defray some of the costs for medical coverage, mental health care, and other services necessary to meet the special and ordinary needs of a child who has been adopted from the foster care system. Adoption assistance is an important benefit that… More
If your state or provincial adoption assistance program is facing cuts from policy makers or you think the program is not doing enough to help children and families, you can make a difference! We at NACAC are committed to ensuring that children adopted from foster care have the support they need to succeed in their… More
In Canada, some provinces and territories offer adoption assistance to children who are adopted from foster care (children who waiting to be adopted are often called crown wards). Adoption assistance (also known as adoption subsidy) provides support that helps adoptive families access medical care, counseling or therapy, special equipment, tutoring programs, and other supports that… More