Adoption Subsidy

Question: Is there an Adoption subsidy for people who adopt their grandchildren? I was told there is a thing called adoption subsidy for adopting where if you adopt your grandchildren you are able to get some money, ($750.00) per child in Michigan if you adopt them. Can any one shed a light on this and is it still in effect for Michigan?

Answer: This site may be what you seek: http://michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-545…

Question: can my rent go up if I receive adoption subsidy? I adopted my daughter in 2007, Is adoption subsidy considered an income when adding her to my apartment lease. will my rent go up based on the extra money. Im currently employed full time I live in the new york city area and receives section 8.

Answer: I know that income for Foster Children is a disregard, but each Housing Agency has the option of using adoption subsidies in a rent calculation. I know the agency I work for considers it a disregard, but it varies between agencies. You should contact whoever provided the subsidy and check with them directly.

Question: How do you apply for adoption subsidy in texas? I have had the children for 5 months and the adoption is final in july,do I have to wait until it is final or should we have already been given this.I live in Texas.

Answer: You'll need to talk to the caseworker before it's final. I don't know what the state laws are, but if you want the subsidy, it would be best to have it in place before the adoption is final. In some states, you can't go back and apply for it later. Talk to a lawyer, and see if you can find a local group of adoptive parents who have been through something similar.

Question: can a parent get an adoption subsidy check and also a social check for a child? i am going to get disability and they said i would get a check for my underage children, but i already get an adoptioon subsidy check will that stop?

Answer: Since the adoption subsidy is technically for the child and is used as a cost saving measure by the state, it is more than likely that you will get to keep both. However, state to state laws vary. So next time you are in touch with your case manager for either issue, ask for a more definite answer.

Question: How can I get my own adoption subsidy?

Answer: I'm guessing this is some money that goes to your adoptive parents to defray the cost of housing and feeding you? If your under 18, you can't and if your over 18 you probably aren't eligible anymore. If you want money, get a job like everyone else.

Question: Can an Ohio adoption subsidy be reinstated? We're moving back to Ohio? Medically fragile, high medical bills. Child now 11, moved out of OH 1 yr. ago. Father abandoned us. I have stopped working due to physical disability and can't afford insurance. Wasn't informed as to how the subsidy was closed. Have contacted former caseworker- no response. Also emailed state subsidy office.. What's next?

Answer: Since you aren't working, your child should be able to get Medicaid or CHIP (low cost child health insurance plan). Go to the Medicaid/Public Assistance office asap to apply. You might even be able to medical for yourself or SSI depending on our disability (however, fyi SSI applications can take a long time). Good luck!

Question: Renegotiating Adoption subsidy after consummation ......? Has anyone successfully renegotiated their adoption subsidy? If so, was it done by your attorney? I know in our case, I had a hard time negotiating the subsidy because the County does not do things by the book therefore having no choice but to settle for whatever they want to give the children. Medicaid was a part of the adoption subsidy agreement and It's been almost 2 years since we finalized and I have yet to see Medicaid.

Answer: And you waited 2 yrs and didn't check on the medicaid.I would have inquired the first month it didn't arrive. I'm not sure what kind of adoption you did. Generally adoption subsidys are not renegotiated. Go back to square one and see what you can find out. Talk to that attorney, go to human services -----I can not figure what would take you so long to inquire.

Question: Illinois post-adoption child care or subsidy? We will soon be adopting our 2 nieces. I am having an impossible time trying to get the following information: 1) Will the state of IL pay for the children's (ages 4 and 2) daycare after we adopt EVEN if we are not in the low income bracket? 2) Is a post-adoption subsidy available even though the children are not "waiting" children nor do they have any handicaps? We're asking because full-time daycare is outrageously expensive and the cost could possibly be a deal-breaker if the state can't help us with it. The case worker quit and the file went to a different worker who's on vacation for 2 weeks. But I'm not patient enough to wait 2 weeks... Please provide as much information as possible based on your experience with the state of Illinois. Thank you very much!

Answer: Autumn, I live in Illinois but by no means does that make me an expert. It is my understanding subsidies are in place for special needs adoptions. Since all post-adoption subsidies are administered by DCFS, if you went straight to the source you could get your answer quicker: June Dorn Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) Statewide Post Adoption and Guardianship Administrator 100 W. Randolph, Suite 6-100 Chicago, IL. 60601 Phone: 312-814-6858 e-mail: [email protected]

Question: What is adoption subsidy? I'm trying to get custody of my sisters children and the said this is a option.

Answer: This is how it works in the state I live in. If a child/children are taken away from the custodial parent they are placed in foster care through fam court. Acs& the child agency is responsible 4 placing the kids in a foster care home of a family or non-family member. If it's a fam member, they either want u 2 do foster care or kinship care. You receive monies from the state for the kids. Being that the state doesn't want people reaping the benefits of these monies,they place the kids up 4 adoption about 1 yr- 18 months after they're in ur care. If u choose 2 adopt they will give you that subsidy for the kids until they reach the age of 21. If the kids have any type of emotional-mental-physical abuse problems-or stutter-u receive a special rate or exceptional rate adoption subsidy.

Question: The only reason why I ask about adoption subsidy because my aunt is not doing what she is supposed to do.? I got a job already but i want JUSTICE!!!!!!!!!!!1

Answer: Prove the relationship of the adoption and file an action for mandamus to compel your aunt to do what was supposed to be done under the law.

Question: What are Obama's views on adoption/subsidies/foster-care? I was told he wants to cut out adoption subsidies.? There is a rumor going around in the foster/adopt community that Obama wants to cut out adoption subsidies for people who adopt state children. Just curious if it is a rumor. I can't find the answer in his political views.

Answer: he doesnt want to cut out adoption subsidies. He wants to revise the system. Anyway you know perfectly that direct adoption is very hard and almost impossible in the US. Most states favorising the foster system, where in fact you are basically a super nanny for these kids until the state decides the parents can get back their kids. A lot of people postulate as foster parents just for the money they receive. Just go once to a meeting for adoption. You will find of course some very decent people but also a bunch of crack addict like people. This has to be reformed, and it cannot be done just by sending more funds

Question: Do you receive continuing adoption subsidies after you adopt your foster child? Sorry if this is TMI, but my son's father (who lives in Mississippi) adopted 2 foster children but has stopped paying child support for our son here in Michigan.

Answer: He may be receiving adoption subsidies but the amount will not be calculated as income when they determine how much child support he has to pay to your son. I would take him back to court in order for him to pay child support. I'm sorry that he stopped paying.

Question: adoption substity and social security in minnesota? we are in the process of adopting 2 girls in minnesota we are having a hard time finding out if they will get to keep the social security payment and the adoption subsidy also.

Answer: Are the children on social security because they are disabled? Or do you receive social security? If the children are disabled and their adoption assistance is higher than social security, the social security office will deny your claim. If social security is higher , they will consider the child's income, in this case AAP, into how much they will get. There is usually no "double dipping" You get one or the other. If the child is disabled after the age of 21 and no longer receives AAP, then you can receive the SSDI at that time. Usually for a disabled child the AAP will be higher than the social security because the expenses to care for the child are very high. You should negotiate all of this before you move to the placement phase if being able to financially care for them in the future is uncertain. AAP benefits are not always stable and have to be renegotiated often and disabilities, therapies etc.. have to be documented by professionals.

Question: are the adoption subsidies in wv per child or total? we are awaiting a completed homestudy, i wonder if anyone knows, where to find a breakdown on the web about adoption subsidy for special needs children. i can find easily that for wv the subsidy for special needs maxes out at $600 per month, but is that per child? we plan to seek out a sibling group, is the subsidy per child or is that a max total on adopted children in the home? this question seems obvious, but wv has some really weird frinkly laws sometimes. any ideawhere i can find the state by state breakdown?

Answer: Yes it is per child if they qualify. ...and most foster kids over 5 do.

Question: how do arkansas adoption subsidies work?

Answer: http://www.arkansas.gov/dhhs/adoption/fa… http://www.childwelfare.com/arkansas.htm

Question: Anyone know about Oregon's adoption subsidies? We're adopting through foster care. We'll be going to committee in just a few days for a little girl who just had her first birthday. Will she be eligible for medical and mental health care subsidies? She has some medical needs at present, and there is a very good chance that she will need continuing medical care, and possibly mental health care in the future. Does anyone know if she will be eligible? If so, does anyone know the process, or have any information that might come in handy? Thanks!

Answer: Gaia, While I don't know about Oregon particularly, I believe that she should qualify for state subsidies based on what you describe for her medical condition. We adopted from NJ and live in PA, and were told that it didn't matter on the state, our son's medical conditions qualified him for medical assistance and a monthly adoption subsidy. The person who handles our subsidy for our son is our local Children & Youth Department. One thing I do want to mention to you is even if you think you do not need the monthly subsidy, apply for it anyway. We did, thinking it would be a way to put money away for school in the event that our son didn't need it for medical care. Truth is though that we use a lot of the monthly subsidy for his medical care because we cannot find a local pediatrician who knows of his disorder that accepts medical assistance. Because of this, we have no one to write referrals for medical assistance specialists and medical assistance won't cover the visits unless a medical assistance doctor refers you to the specialist, so unfortunately, if we want our son to receive the best care, most of the time it is without the help of medical assitance and the adoption subsidy helps in those cases. Good luck to you. Congrats on the new addition to your family.

Question: What is your opinion State and local workers must report illegal immigrants applying for benefits or face? What is your opinion State and local workers must report illegal immigrants applying for benefits or face prosecution ?PHOENIX -- State welfare officials will now be reporting applicants for benefits who are not in this country legally to federal immigration officials. A new policy made public Thursday says eligibility workers at the Department of Economic Security must file a report to Immigration and Customs Enforcement when anyone they are dealing with admits he or she is an illegal immigrant. The policy also says the report must be filed when federal immigration officials provide "confirmed documentation'' that the applicant is not in the country legally. That also includes the results of computerized checks run by state workers of applicants through the federal government's computerized Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. But the policy does not require any reports to be filed if someone walks away without benefits because that person did not provide proper documentation. The move follows legislative approval in August of new laws designed to tighten up who can get public benefits. A 2004 voter-approved law was billed as closing the door on these benefits to anyone who could not prove legal residency. But a legal interpretation of that initiative by Attorney General Terry Goddard, as implemented by then Gov. Jan Brewer, confined that prohibition to only certain programs. Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said this new law, which took effect last week, closes those loopholes and ensures that the law covers every service paid for by Arizona taxpayers. At the most basic level, the new law spells out what documents are acceptable as proof of legal residency. It also adds a requirement for a sworn affidavit from applicants. But the big change is what Pearce said is an enforceable requirement to report any illegal immigrant who applies for any state or local public benefits. That provision has teeth: Any state or local worker who fails to report "discovered violations'' of federal immigration law can be prosecuted. Penalty for failing to comply with the law includes up to four months in jail and a $750 fine. And the law also applies that same penalty to any supervisor who is complicit. "We are making it clear to all our staff that they have to follow state and federal law,'' said DES spokesman Steve Meissner, including this new measure. He said the new policy will give "clear guidance'' to eligibility workers about what actions trigger a "discovered violation'' of federal immigration law and what they are supposed to do about it. Meissner said the new law clears up some "ambiguity'' about what benefits require proof of legal presence in this country. For example, he said there were questions whether someone needed to provide such proof to collect unemployment benefits. Despite that, Meissner continued, DES eligibility workers had asked for documentation from applicants for these payments. This new law, he said, erases any doubts that DES can demand the documents and turn away those who do not provide them. Partial list of covered programs: - Food stamps - AHCCCS (state Medicaid program) - Low income home energy assistance - Grandparent kinship care - Child care assistance - Home and community services for developmentally disabled - Adoption subsidies - Independent living vouchers for children - Short-term crisis services - Unemployment insurance -- Source: Department of Economic Security http://www.yourwestvalley.com/articles/l…

Answer: Sounds good to me. This should be done everywhere. Those who are here illegally should not be able to get ANY government assistance. Government benefits are for citizens. So much for the excuse that illegals don't qualify for welfare. This proves otherwise.

Question: What are some financial considerations of adoption (please read entire question)? My wife and I are preparing to adopt a group of three siblings from the foster-care system. We live in Florida. We know about the financial subsidies that the state offers. I am writing today to get comments about ADDITIONAL financial considerations - such as tax tips, additional programs (government or not), etc. for adopted children. Obviously - we are NOT adopting children to "make money" (pretty ridiculous) but - this will change our family finances. I am a teacher, and my wife is a stay-at-home mom. We just want to make sure we are doing this the "smart" way, and would appreciate your experiences.

Answer: Congradulations on adopting from foster care. Yes take advantage of WIC, foodstamps, and other programs. Get a Sam's card that is for sure. As far as emotional support, read everything you can on foster care children.

Question: Forced purchase of Health Care: a compromise of bad and worse? Hilary Clinton and John Edwards have both announced health care plans recently. Both are not "universal," in the sense that everyone is covered under the government's plan. Rather, the plans force people to buy insurance. These people will then receive some kind of tax credit or subsidy. In Clinton's plan there is a provision to remove a companies right to deny coverage of pre-existing or genetically-induced conditions. Why create a system with this many holes? This forces companies to serve people with existing conditions: it does not ban them from charging rediculous rates. If anything, this will just cripple Americans more as their wallets are robbed by a joint Clinton-Insurance Company taskforce. I support Universal Care. But I do not support moving to a system that just cripples Americans more. Why force people to be broke? This, I think, is a compromised solution. "Lets move from bad to worse!" Obama's plan also calls for universal coverage, but not forced adoption.

Answer: It's too much. I can't even afford Healthy Families for my kids, how am I supposed to afford a health care plan that is forced upon me? It's (Healthy Families) only around $24/month + copay + meds, but right now, that's more than we've got. Thank God we're healthy! A couple years ago, my husband had health insurance through his job, but the company only paid the premiums for him. For the rest of the family to be put on the plan (me and our 3 kids) it would have cost us nearly $600/month!! Just to have it - even more to actually use it and, thank God, we didn't need to. How do they plan on forcing all of us to pay for health insurance? They can't seem to make it affordable for poorer families like mine right NOW, how on EARTH do they propose to do that later? And, for goodness sakes, what are they gonna do to us if we DON'T buy it?

Question: Do you need a Social Work certificate to work in adoption (in the US)? I have just finished my undergraduate degree, BA in International Development, but I have a strong desire to work in the adoption field. I have done a lot of research online and found some conflicting answers. I want to know if I need to get a MSW in order to be able to work with adoption, since I don't have a BSW, or if my current degree will suffice. Also, does anyone know if there are Social Work certificate programs that are shorter than a BSW or MSW? One last question, does anyone know of a good website that gives detailed information about the Title IV-E Child Welfare program that entitles people to get their MSW using a subsidy? I have looked for this online as well but the information seems to be specific to each school, and I am just looking for general information on it. Thanks for you help!

Answer: Google is your friend. http://www.ehow.com/how_4495299_become-a… http://www.naswdc.org/advocacy/updates/2…