Post Adoptive Services

It amazes me the number of people I talk to who are not aware of post adoptive services. I don't blame them, I blame their agencies. Even if you never plan on using them it is urgent that you get approved for them prior to consummating an adoption from foster care. Once the adoption is consummated you cannot go back and get approved.

One of the post adoptive services provided is Medicaid. Regardless of whether you have your own insurance or not, it is important that you get approved for Medicaid post adoption. Should your child ever become uninsurable in the private sector, Medicaid will take over. Medicaid will become your second pay insurance, and will cover any co-pays or deductible. Please keep in mind that you will have to include the children on any insurance that is available through your employer in order to be eligible, this may mean a bump in premium. Medicaid may also come in handy should you need psychiatric services for the kids as they become older. Many private insurances have a lifetime cap that will only cover 2-3 months of inpatient care. Unfortunately that may not cover your needs.

Another post adoptive service is a subsidy. There will be a monthly payment to you, it is not considered income, more like child support from the state. It will be based on the level of care of the child at the time of adoption. I hesitate to use the word "trick", but a trick that is used here locally is getting the childs level of care dropped once they are put in adoptive placement. The governing body insists that the child no longer has issues. But if you've had a "specialized" kid for three years and when adoption is an option they suddenly become "basic", please appeal.

You will also be eligible for respite reimbursement. However, where I am you have to attend the post adoptive support group. It meets around 8:00 on Thursday nights. This is not a convenient time for my family, and I believe you are limited to 12 days a year. This is not something that we will probably use.

Post adoptive services are available to anyone adopting a special needs child from foster care, as defined by the Federal Government. You might be saying, "my child isn't special need", but the legal definition is a child over the age of seven, or a minority over the age of 2, or a sibling group, or a child joining a sibling group.

Should you qualify for post adoptive services, you will also qualify for a tax REIMBURSEMENT of $10,000 per child. It is available for up to five years post consummation. So, say your tax due the year of adoption is $3,000 - you will get that REIMBURSED. Just make sure your tax preparer is aware that you have adopted a child from foster care that meets the special needs requirement.

If you are not adopting your child from foster care you are still eligible for a tax credit for expenses occurred relating to the adoption, I believe there is a $20,000 limit. This means if your taxable income is $50,000 and spend $12,000 in legal, medical, and travel fees you reduce your taxable income to $38,000 - Please remember I'm an not an accountant and can offer no legal or professional advice.

Hope this helps someone, this takes up a lot of room in the brain, and along with everything else that has stuck, it's rejecting some short term memory. Just kidding, I remember everything, just ask me, NOT MY HUSBAND, me.