This section provides links to resources for families on adoption assistance in forms such as cash and payments for medical care and other services and eligibility for these programs.
Adoption and Guardianship Assistance by State
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Answers questions on States' adoption assistance policies, medical assistance, and postadoption services.
Adoption Assistance
North American Council on Adoptable Children
Provides profiles on State adoption subsidy programs and factsheets on adoption assistance programs.
Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care
Series Title
Factsheets for Families
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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. 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 1980 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, and how to arrange adoption assistance.
Eligibility and Benefits for Federal (Title IV-E) Adoption Assistance
North American Council on Adoptable Children
Provides an overview of eligibility requirements for Federal adoption assistance.
State Adoption Assistance Specialists
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Includes contact information for the Adoption Assistance Specialist in each State and Territory, when available.
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