Adoption Subsidy MeetingDepending on your family income and the needs of your child, your adoption through a fost adopt program may include a monthly subsidy payment to help you pay for your child's special needs. The amount of your subsidy payment could be as much as you had been receiving as child maintenance unless your child is a teenager (continue reading). The subsidy payment is not meant to cover basic expenses like food, clothing, entertainment, and day care. It is meant to offset the cost of special services your child may require in their life. But if your family has a high income, DSS will expect you to pay more of these costs. As a single parent on a teacher salary, Boulder County gave me everything I asked for. Be sure to talk to your Resource Family Team Worker and other adoptive parents in your area about what they asked for and were granted in their subsidy meeting. Following is a list of possible needs your child may have that your subsidy payment could help cover. Be sure to address these needs in your subsidy meeting:1. Therapeutic Services. Among my three boys, I've needed to supply mental health therapy, sexualized behavior therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, family therapy, physical therapy, and eye therapy. Many of these therapies are covered by Medicaid. See more information about Medicaid below. 2. Educational Support. Since most Special Education services in schools are insufficient and are more band aids meant to get the kids through graduation (first-hand experience here - don't get me started), you may need to supplement your child's education with outside support like a tutor or a special learning center like Sylvan. Or you may need to purchase other supplemental materials. 3. Socialization. Many of your child's special needs may be a result of the biological parents not spending time playing, loving, or supplying your child basic, human needs. As a result, your child may have emotional needs that, if left unchecked, may result in anger or inappropriate physical contact. My youngest son was kicked out of 4 or 5 preschools before he got to Kindergarten. Then he was kicked out of Kindergarten. (Last spring he was kicked out of 3rd grade - that's another story you don't want to get me started on.) 4. Respite care for your own sanity. Enough said. 5. Future Surprises. With adopted kids, you never know what is going to come up. This is why I recommend keeping Medicaid either active or dormant. MedicaidYou will be asked if you have insurance for you adopted child and, if so, if you want to keep Medicaid. Even if your employer's or your private insurance will be covering your adopted child, KEEP MEDICAID! You can still use your own insurance as the primary coverage for your child, but keep Medicaid as secondary. Personally, I have kept Medicaid as my kids' primary insurance and have found it to be sufficient. If I were to cover my kids on my teacher insurance, it would be the only cost my subsidy payments would cover.Here's one story to help you understand why you should keep your child's Medicaid active or, at the very least, dormant: A gay couple I know adopted a child at only 14 months old. You wouldn't think a child at this age could have experienced so much trauma, but as the child grew up, the "red dream" came and went. Turns out the "red dream" was a result of seeing the blood that flowed out of the man's head who had been shot and fell to the floor of the bar next to the infant in his baby carrier. Coupled with this, my friends eventually found out that their son had been beaten in the head with a hammer by his grandmother. As their son became a teenager, these horrific events began to become unmanageable for both the child and his parents. Extra services, including medical research, brain scans, cutting edge therapeutic services, and special schools became necessary. All this was covered, with no co-pays or maximums, under Medicaid. So, again, KEEP YOUR CHILD'S MEDICAID! For more information about Medicaid and how to use it, see my page on post adoption. Other RequestsThere are also a few things you can ask for that many people aren't aware of, including:* Mileage Reimbursement. If your child has significant therapeutic needs, you can request mileage reimbursement to be added to your subsidy agreement. Keep track of any miles you put on your vehicle when taking your child to therapy, attending IEP meetings at school, and getting your child the medical services s/he needs. Be sure you are submitting mileage prior to your child's adoption as well. * Specialized Therapy Programs. If your child has specific, known needs at the time of adoption, you may request that DSS pay for these services. For example, my oldest was receiving specialized eye therapy to fix his lazy eye at the time of his adoption. Social services paid for the additional 10-12 therapy sessions to correct his eye. * Respite. Ask for it. Some agencies will pay for a certain number of hours per month but some won't. Most, however, will pay for respite before your adoption is finalized. Be sure you are taking advantage of this benefit. Go to dinner with friends, go on a date, go dancing at Charlie's (a local, gay, country classic). Just be sure to take a break. Preserving your own mental health will go a long way to preserving your entire family. * Furniture. You might want to ask for this before your child moves in, but in certain situations, DSS will pay for a bed, dresser, and bedding for your child, usually, however, only in cases concerning older children who are more difficult to find permanent homes for. * Entertainment. Some social service departments have discretionary funds, usually from grants, to be utilized for specific purposes. These funds can sometimes go toward things like football or hockey equipment, bicycles, skis and snowboards, etc. All you've got to do is explain the need and ask. The worst they can do is say no. If there is anything I missed, please tell me by
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