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How much an Adopted Child is worth!
(North Carolina as a model) Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:19 pm (PST) http://www.nacac.
North Carolina State Subsidy Profile Updated May 2006 State Subsidy Contact Person Tamika Williams DHR/DSS - Adoptions 2409 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2409 Phone: 919-733-9464 Fax: 919-733-305 E-Mail: Tamika.Williams@ NACAC Subsidy Representative (parent/volunteer) Wanda & Tony Douglas Alexander Youth Network Foster Parent Assoc 3529 Mallard Cove Court Charlotte, NC 28269 Phone: 704-599-0052 Fax: 704-599-2912 E-mail: wandadouglas@ tonydouglas1@ ------------ Adoption subsidies are available for children with special needs. Federal subsidies were created by Congress (through Public Law 96-272—the 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. Below we have outlined information related to definitions of special needs, benefits available, and procedures in your state. Answers to select questions were made available by the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) through the Child Welfare Information Gateway (http://www.childwelfare. If you have
additional questions, please call the
North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) at
651-644-3036 or our
subsidy help line at 800-470-6665,
or e-mail us at adoption.assistance
If you have state-specific questions, please call your State Subsidy Contact Person or the NACAC Subsidy Representative (listed above) for more information. ------------ Adoption Resources on the Web: http://www.dhhs. North Carolina’s state-specific medical assistance: http://www.dhhs. North Carolina’s adoption assistance: http://www.dhhs. See the third and fourth paragraphs for details. 1. What specific factors or conditions does your State consider to determine that a child cannot be placed with adoptive parents without providing financial assistance? ("What is your State definition of special needs?") A child with special needs is defined as a child that has at least one of the following needs or circumstances that may be a barrier to placement or adoption without financial assistance: a. Age
Note: Children must be legally free for adoption and in the placement
responsibility of a North Carolina agency authorized to place children
to be eligible for adoption assistance. Placement responsibility must
currently be with that of a North Carolina agency authorized to place
children for adoption, or have been at the time of the filing of the
adoption petition, or with an agency that subsequently placed the child
in the custody of a person now pursuing adoption of that child.b. Member of a minority or ethnic group c. Member of a sibling group to be placed together d. Known and diagnosed medical, mental, or emotional conditions that will require periodic treatment or therapy of a medical or remedial nature e. Need for placement with a known and approved family 2. What are the
eligibility criteria for the State-funded adoption assistance program?
In order to be
eligible for state-funded adoption assistance a child
must be a special needs child as defined above, in the placement
responsibility of a North Carolina agency authorized to place children
or had been in the placement responsibility of a North Carolina agency
and custody was given to person who is pursuing adoption, and the child
is legally free for adoption.
3. The maximum basic
monthly adoption assistance maintenance payment in North Carolina is:
Basic rates (effective July 1st, 2004): Age
Rate 0-5 $390 6-12 $440 13+ $490 4. Specialized rates are based on the extraordinary needs of the child, and/or the additional parenting skill needed to raise the child. If North Carolina offers these rates, the criteria used to define them are as follows: Specialized rates: Beginning 7-1-95, special provisions can be made for HIV children, including: $800
(indeterminate HIV status) $1,000 (confirmed HIV-infected, asymptomatic) $1,200 (confirmed HIV-infected, symptomatic) $1,600 (terminally ill with complex care needs) 5. Parents can receive payment or reimbursement for certain nonrecurring adoption expenses directly related to the finalization of an adoption. Below are the allowed expenses and the limit per child. “Nonrecurring
adoption costs” mean reasonable and necessary adoption
fees, court costs, and attorney's fees incurred by adoptive parents and
directly related to the legal adoption of an eligible child. Other
nonrecurring costs include those associated with the adoptive home
study, physical and psychological examinations, transportation and
reasonable costs of food and lodging for the child and/or adoptive
parents, and post-placement supervision.
The reimbursement limit is $2,000 per child. 6. What Medicaid services are available in North Carolina? Covered services include: Hospitalization
(pre-admission review is required before hospitalization for
non-emergency care)
A total of 24 visits per year will be covered for the following
services:Inpatient laboratory and X-ray services Hospice care Care through home health agencies Nurse midwife services Treatment in psychiatric hospitals and mental health centers Prescription drugs Medical examinations and treatment Ambulance transportation (when medically necessary) Physicians
Hospital outpatient Outpatient laboratory and X-ray Podiatrists Chiropractors Osteopaths Eye examinations Clinic services Family planning services Hearing aid services Care in a skilled
nursing or intermediate care facility
Durable medical equipment Limited dental services and medically necessary orthodontia Eyeglasses Hearing aids Personal care services in the home 7. Children who have
federally funded (Title IV-E) subsidy are
automatically eligible for Medicaid benefits. However, it is the
state's decision whether state-funded (non-Title IV-E) children are
eligible for Medicaid benefits inNorth Carolina. Below is information
on the Medicaid benefits available for state-funded children.
Yes. As of 10-1-94,
all children, including non-IV-E children, became
eligible for Medicaid. Children adopted before and after 10-1-94 are
now eligible for Medicaid benefits.
8. What mental health services are provided by your State? Mental health
services for children in North Carolina are administered
by the DHHS Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) and include the
following examples
:inpatient and
outpatient hospitalization, including
treatment in psychiatric hospitals and mental health centers, inpatient
and outpatient substance abuse programs, diagnostic services,
therapies, physician’s services and prescription
drugs.
Mental health
services may require prior approval before services can be received.
North
Carolina’s general Medicaid: http://www.dhhs.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Family and Children’s Medicaid: http://www.dhhs. Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker or medical assistance specialist for information regarding process, eligibility, availability, and duration of services. 9. Does your State provide additional finances or services for medical or therapeutic needs not covered under your State medical plan to children receiving adoption assistance? Special needs
children with chronic mental or physical conditions or
illness may receive services in addition to those covered under North
Carolina’s Medicaid plan if services are medically necessary
and
receive precertification under the Early and Periodic Screening,
Diagnosis and Treatment program (EPSDT). Contact your Medicaid
caseworker for more details on EPSDT.
Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your
adoption assistance worker for information regarding process,
eligibility, availability, and duration of services.North Carolina also has vendor payment for medical and therapeutic services, HIV Supplemental Payments, and Supplemental Special Children Adoption Incentive Fund for child with severe medical and rehabilitative needs. Supplemental Special Children Adoption Incentive Fund is limited to county participation and is therefore not available to all children. 10. What types of post adoption services are available in your State and how do you find out more about them? Post adoption
services in North Carolina are administered through the
Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services
and private and family organizations. Post adoption services include
the following examples:
Information and referral Support groups Advocacy Respite Care Local departments of
social services and four contract private adoption
agencies provide post adoption services. Not all services are available
in all counties. Contact the department of social services in the
county of residency or State Post Adoption Services Contact for
availability and access or Tamika Williams at tamika.williams@
County directory: http://www.dhhs. Respite Care is not a discrete service offered through the adoption assistance program. It may be a Title XX service offered by some counties, or it may be available through other funding streams, including the “Vendor Payments” program. In addition, many private organizations offer a variety of respite options. See the ARCH National Respite Network Respite Locator Service, search by state to locate North Carolina's respite programs: http://www.respitel Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker or post adoption services contact for information regarding process, eligibility, availability, and duration of services. 11. If the additional assistance (listed above in questions #8 -10) is to cover specific services (e.g., counseling/mental health services, respite care, etc.), must these services be explicitly identified in the adoption assistance agreement? No. Previously
existing conditions must be detailed in the agreement,
but it is not necessary to identify specific services in the agreement.
However, services must be related to treatment needs, and treatment
needs should be related to the special needs and pre-existing
conditions that are identified in the adoption assistance agreement.
12. How are residential treatment costs covered (if at all) for adoptive families? What procedures must a family follow to receive these services? Residential
treatment costs (up to $2,400 per year) may be covered
under the “Vendor Payments” program. This vendor
payment provision can
also be used for respite care.
Medicaid may cover a
residential facility’s treatment program component.
13. A deferred adoption assistance agreement is one in which the initial monthly maintenance amount is $0. Does North Carolina offer such agreements? Yes, North Carolina
offers deferred adoption assistance.
14. Does North Carolina operate a subsidized guardianship program? Several counties in
North Carolina participate in the IV-E Waiver
Demonstration and offer subsidized guardianship as a permanency option.
Programmatic Procedures 15. Who makes the final determination of a child's subsidy eligibility in North Carolina? What roles, if any, do workers and administrators at the county, district, or regional level play in eligibility determination and/or assistance negotiation? The local department
of social services that has or had legal custody
and placement responsibility for the child has responsibility for
determining assistance eligibility.
16. Will North Carolina consider my family income to determine my child's eligibility for an adoption subsidy? The amount of
family income is not a determinant (i.e. there is no means test).
Adoption assistance
payments and benefits may begin in North Carolina after adoption
finalization.
Yes. Private agency
workers are responsible for sending documentation
of the child's eligibility to county office adoption staff. Private
agency staff work with the county that has placement responsibility for
the child, or the home county where that private agency is located.
Call Tamika Williams, DSS, for further details 919-733-9464.
None.
20. A child's adoption assistance agreement may be periodically reviewed by the state. What is the typical process used in North Carolina? Adoption agreements
are not renewed on an annual basis. Annually, a
periodic review letter is sent out to remind families to contact the
agency if there are changes in their legal or financial responsibility.
Adoption assistance
agreements include the state mandated cash payment
rate based on the age of the child and no adjustment can be made to the
State standardized rates. Adoptive parents are directed to contact
their local Department of Heath and Human Services to request a change
in an adoption assistance agreement. County directory: http://www.dhhs.
Adoptive parents
have the right to appeal a decision any time adoption
assistance benefits have been denied, reduced, or terminated. Requests
for a fair hearing or appeal of a decision must be made in writing to
the local department of social services. Within five days of receiving
notification of the request, the county department of social services
must notify the parents that a hearing will be held and hold the
hearing. A local hearing officer will review the case and render a
decision. If the decision is unfavorable to the parents, the agency
will advise parents that they can appeal to the state. Parents have
fifteen days (15) of the mailing of the agency’s letter to
request a
State appeal.
If the final decision of the Hearing and Appeals Section is unfavorable to the parents, they can then appeal to North Carolina’s Superior Court, provided such appeal is filed within thirty days of the receipt of the final decision. Contact the local county office, directory: http://www.dhhs. 23. Families may request a subsidy after the finalization of an adoption under certain circumstances. Below is the process by which families access a subsidy after finalization. Families must work with the local departments of social services to access a subsidy after finalization. A family can contact the local department of social services and request adoption assistance benefits based on the child’s special needs. The local department of social services will hold a fair hearing regarding the request. If a family is successful in a fair hearing, their local social worker will process all of the necessary paperwork on behalf of the family. All data entry is done at that level. Subsidy checks are sent from the state office. System Operation and Program Funding 24. How is the subsidy program operated and funded in North Carolina? The program is state supervised/county administered. This means that personnel at the state office are responsible for making policy decisions regarding the adoption assistance program, and providing guidance to county offices. The counties make decisions related to children’s eligibility. North Carolina has 100 county departments of social services, all of which are mandated by law to provide adoption services. The federal contribution to Title IV-E-eligible children is 63.49% in North Carolina. This is known as the Federal Financial Participation (FFP) rate. The remaining cost of the program is funded with 16.7% state funds and 16.7% county funds. 25. Below are other programs that may differentiate North Carolina's adoption assistance program from others around the country. Children who were adopted after the age of 16 or children who remain in foster care after their 16th birthday are eligible for the Education Voucher. Information may be obtained from www.statevoucher. For additional information, please contact: Joan McAllister LINKS Coordinator 919-733-2580 Joan.McAllister@ ------------ North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) 970 Raymond Avenue, Suite 106 St. Paul, MN 55114 phone: 651-644-3036 fax: 651-644-9848 e-mail: info@nacac.org Feedback Home of the FREE because of the BRAVE! Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, & to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Being a Pastor & a press person, I am peaceably stateing my grievances I have with the dictatorship under the bush-chaney total despotism.In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. www.onsecondthought |
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