- What is adoption assistance?
- Minnesota's Adoption Assistance Program helps make adoption
possible for children who have special needs. Special needs
means being at high risk of having long-term physical,
emotional or behavioral disabilities. For the purposes of this
program, children with special needs also refers to sibling
groups who need to be placed in the same home. At least one of
the siblings must be 15 months or older. Many children who
receive adoption assistance have been neglected, abused and/or
have medical or neurological difficulties.
- Federal subsidies were created by
Congress (through Public Law 96-272the Adoption Assistance
and Child Welfare Act of 1980) to encourage the adoption of
special needs children and remove the financial disincentives
to adoption for the families. Children may receive a federally
funded subsidy under Title IV-E or a state-funded subsidy as
per state guidelines.
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) has detailed information on Minnesota’s state subsidy at:
www.nacac.org/stateprofiles/minnesota.html If you have additional questions, call NACAC at 651-644-3036 or Subsidy Help Line at 800-470-6665 or email info@nacac.org
AMENDING THE MINNESOTA ADOPTION ASSISTANCE SUBSIDY, CHANGING THE
SUPPLEMENTAL LEVEL
If you reside in
Minnesota please contact your county of residence adoption unit to
request a modification to your agreement. If you live in Hennepin
County, call 612-348-2367. If you live in Ramsey County please contact
the county Intake unit. If you live in another state, please contact
the adoption agency that assisted you with your initial adoption
assistance paperwork. For full instructions, contact the DHS Adoption
Assistance Line (651-431-4656) and ask for the Needs Assessment Form.
You will need current
documentation of "manifestation of special needs.” If documentation is
more than a year old, get it updated.
You will
need to provide the following information to the worker completing your
modification request:
-
A
written statement in your words as to how the child’s condition has
changed, the effect of those changes on your family, or how your
circumstances to provide for the special needs of the child have
changed.
Describe your
child's current condition. What services your child is receiving.
Resources you have used in the past and planning to use in the
future.
-
A
copy of your child’s Adoption Assistance Agreement.
-
Supporting
professional documentation of the level that is being requested.
The professional documentation should be dated within the past year.
If documentation within the past year is not available, attach a
statement, explaining why the documentation is not available, and
the Adoption Assistance Program may authorize use of alternative
documentation.
The county social
service worker will review your documentation and make an assessment of
your child’s special needs. The worker will discuss with you social
service programs available to meet your family or your child’s special
needs. The worker is responsible for completing a Supplemental Adoption
Assistance Needs Assessment and level recommendation.
Other Helpful Links:
·
http://www.mnasap.org/information/assistance.aspx
·
DHS Adoption Bulletin
-
http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-3321-ENG
·
Legislative links to
Adoption Statutes:
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/arule/9560/0092.html
Minnesota Subsidy Contact Person
PajDaj Chang
Department of Human Services (DHS)
P.O. Box 64944
St Paul MN 55164-0944
651-431-4718 Office
651-431-7491 Fax
pajdaj.chang@state.mn.us
Post-Adoption Education Funds
For qualifying youth who were in foster care as a teen, aged out of the foster care system at 18, or were adopted from foster care with adoption finalization occurring after the 16th birthday.
To see if youth qualifies, go to:
- www.dhs.state.mn.us
- click on: Children
- click on: Adolescent Services
- click on: Education/Training Vouchers
Federal Adoption Tax Credit for Special Needs Adoptions
Beginning in 2003, families adopting a child with special needs from foster care were eligible to access a federal adoption tax credit without needing to document expenses. For tax year 2006, the tax credit is $10,960 per child and parents have this year and up to the next five years in which to claim the credit.
To learn more about this tax credit including FAQs, see:
www.nacac.org/postadopt/taxcredit.html
Relative Custody Assistance Program
Used by permission from Hennepin County
Foster Care Program
The Relative Custody Assistance (RCA) state program offers a monthly
cash grant to income eligible relatives and kin who take a transfer of legal custody. To apply for RCA, an application must be filed within 30
days of a transfer of legal custody and MFIP (Minnesota Family
Investment Plan) must be applied for before payment can begin. The
grant amount that the child is eligible for is calculated by adding the
Base Assistance Rate (dependent on the child's age) and the
Supplemental Assistance Rate.
Any income that the child receives is
counted and will be subtracted from the total grant
amount. Income includes, but is not limited to, the MFIP/TANF
received, Supplemental Security Income, Veteran's Benefits,
Child Support and Social Security.
The total grant amount minus the
child's income is the Net Maximum Assistance Rate. This
is the amount that a child could be eligible to receive from
Relative Custody Assistance funds.
The amount you will actually receive is
determined by your Annual Gross Family Income. You can
earn up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and still be
eligible to receive 100% of the calculated Relative Custody
Assistance grant. The Gross Family Income Percentage is
calculated by taking your Gross Annual Income and dividing it
by Federal Poverty Guidelines. That amount is multiplied
by 100 to give you the Relative Custody Assistance
Percentage. If this amount is less than or equal to
200%, you will receive the Net Maximum Assistance Rate.
For more information, consult United States Department of Health and Human
Services
Federal Poverty Guidelines.
These are the general guidelines for
determining Relative Custody Assistance. Circumstances
may affect the amount you receive each month.
FREE ADOPTION-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE KIT
If your company currently does not offer adoption benefits, contact Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption for a free Adoption-Friendly Workplace Kit:
www.AdoptionFriendlyWorkplace.org
info@AdoptionFriendlyWorkplace.org
1-877-777-4222