adoption subsidy

Is Adoption Subsidy Considered Income for Special Needs Adoptive Parents?

Submitted by FosterMommy on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 03:15

Is adoption subsidy considered income for the parents of special needs adopted children? The answer is “YES” and “NO! Now how is that for a straight answer? Whether or not adoption subsidy should be included in your gross income depends on the specific situation. If you do not know what adoption subsidy is, read this article first. “What Is Adoption Subsidy, Who Gets It, How Much, and for How Long.” If you are not sure what special needs are, then read this list, "Adoption Abbreviations." In order to answer the question correctly we will consider specific situations and consider possible variances. If you have a specific scenario regarding adoption subsidy as income that is not covered please post your question as a comment. If you are not comfortable posting your question for all eyes to see email me privately at fostermommy. I will answer you privately or write another blog to address the question if more than one person asks it.

Adopting for the Money?

Submitted by JulieC on Mon, 11/10/2008 - 10:23

I am convinced that it must have been negative 62 this morning while we stood, teeth rattling like ice cubes around an empty glass, waiting for the school bus.  As I was huddling as closely as humanly possible to my young hand warmer, I mean child, son, warm blooded offspring of mine, I happened to overhear some of the intermediate school kids stammering out a conversation in between involuntary body convulsions from the cold, and jamming their hands in their pockets while jumping in place for warmth. 

Moving away from the conversation was not an option, as they were serving as wonderful windbreakers against the gusty gales of the morning, so I listened to them talk about report cards, grades, and teachers, when the conversation ended up taking a detour into adoptionville, as one of the children stated that his teacher had been absent on Friday because she had to be in court, because she was adopting a child. 

Instantly my head shot up, and I was getting ready to say something about it being National Adoption Awareness Month, when I caught a very condescending look come over

ACT FAST - Key Bills Pending in U.S. Congress

Submitted by JuliaFuller on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 20:58

Contact your state senator now if you have special needs children through foster care adoption, kinship care, guardianship, or tribal foster care. If you plan to adopt or parent children through any of these avenues, then contact your state senator. Send an urgent email or call by September 10. September 10 is when the Senate is scheduled to act on key child welfare legislation. NACAC (North American Council on Adoptable Children) is encouraging everyone to contact their state Senators to ask them to support S. 3038.

S. 3038 is one of the key bills pending in Congress. “Improved Adoption Incentives and Relative Guardianship Support Act” Here is what NACAC says S. 3038 will do for families parenting special needs children.

  •  reauthorize and expand the adoption incentive program

  • make all foster children with special needs eligible for federal adoption assistance (de-linking from old AFDC income standards)

  • create a federal subsidized guardianship program to support relatives who become guardians so that their kin can permanently leave care

     

Oregon Finally Agrees to Pay Adoption Subsidies

Submitted by JulieC on Tue, 08/19/2008 - 06:31

A While back, when we were discussing online adoption photo listings, Foster Mommy happened to point out that when it comes to cute, young, and relatively healthy children, no one can beat the NWAE. I too am a large fan of the Northwest Adoption Exchange, with Oregon being one of my favorite states to search. That being so, I was absolutely floored to read the latest adoption related reason that Oregon is in the news.

 

It appears that in 2003 Oregon had a few blunders when it came to counting, numbers, and well, staying within its budget. Its answer to the not enough mullah crisis was to cut the adoption subsidy payments to more that 6,688 families that had adopted from the state's foster care system. Some parents were out only nominal amounts of money and suffered a minor annoyance, more than anything else, while other families were out more than a thousand dollars a month, causing their children to miss out on vital services for their special needs, as well as causing parents to fret over how all of their bills were going to get paid since it was now their budget that was suddenly two sandwiches shy of a picnic.