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Pennsylvania
Adoptive & Foster Families

Taproot issue 50 - December 2005

Voices From TAP’s Telephone  

I just received a call from a dad who is in the process of adopting a 17-year-old African American boy from foster care. He wanted to know if there were any financial help available for him and his son. I ask him if he was receiving any subsidy for his son. He said that the county that he was adopting his son from told him that his son was NOT entitled to receive any subsidy except for the Medicaid Card (and as we all know that help stops at 18).

The question here is, is his 17-year-old son entitled to an adoption assistance agreement?  

Pennsylvania Rules on Eligibility

In order to qualify for Adoption Assistance, a waiting child must meet one of the following requirements

1. A physical, mental or emotional condition or handicap.

2. A genetic condition which indicates a high risk of developing a disease or handicap.

3. Be a member of a minority group.

4. Be a member of a sibling group that is placed together.

5. Be 5 years of age or older.

His son qualifies under items 3 and 5 above

Notifying Prospective Adoptive Parents about Adoption Assistance.

The State title IV/B/IV-E agency is required to actively seek ways to promote the adoption assistance program (45 CFR 1356.40(f) This mean it is incumbent upon the State agency to notify prospective adoptive parents about the availability of adoption assistance for the adoption of a child with special needs.

So the agency should also have notified him about the eligibility without him having to ask.