N.Y. Governor Ponders Crackdown on Adoption Subsidies

When Adoptions Fall Apart, But the Money for Kids Keep Flowing

For decades, federal and state governments have shared the cost of subsidies for families that adopt children out of foster care. The goal is to bring added stability to the lives of kids who have often experienced deep trauma.

WHAT SUBSIDIES? 

Adoption subsidies are provided either through the Title IV-E program or the non-Title IV-E program. Children cannot qualify for both Title IV-E and non-Title IV-E benefits.

READ THIS:  https://adoptioncouncil.org/publications/a-guide-to-adoption-subsidies-and-assistance-for-adoptive-parents/

But when those adoptive families fall apart and children end up back in foster care or worse, out on the streets, those monthly payments can continue to be sent to parents who are no longer involved. 

A New York law that passed both houses of the Legislature would set a clear path to end subsidies following these “broken adoptions.”

“The money must follow the child,” said state Sen. Roxanne Persaud, the bill’s author.

Regarding those who accept payments for absent children, she added: “That’s just greed, in my opinion. If you gave up the child, then you shouldn’t be entitled to the money.”

Dawn Post, who has long advocated for youth in New York who experience broken adoptions, said the proposed law in New York would make it the first state in the nation to meaningfully monitor the continuation of adoption subsidies under these circumstances.

“I am ecstatic that this is the first bill in the country that’s really going to address this,” Post said. “This provides a real opportunity for youth to continue to be supported with the funds that were originally intended for them.”

👇 Child Welfare Autonomy for Canada’s First Nations

Years after an initial settlement was reached to atone for Canada’s horrific record of family separation among its First Nations, the country has committed more than $40 billion to fund child welfare reform in those Indigenous communities.

“This is a pivotal moment for reconciliation in Canada,” Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu stated in a press release. “This reform would put First Nations in the driver’s seat delivering child and family services to their communities, because they know better than anyone what they need. It would mean First Nations children can grow up in their families, with the services they need, and surrounded by love and their culture.”

👉Campaigning for Child Welfare Opinion: Child welfare leaders must make a concerted effort to educate national and state office-seekers about a vision for better supporting families and children, Paul DiLorenzo writes.