[rmyoung]

My kids social worker is wrong about 95% of the time.She mentioned that when the adoption is final there would be a "lump" sum of money sent in a check.I have never heard of this ?note:he doesnt qualify for "adoption assistance"

[ScrapMonkey]

In NV we get a certain amount of $$ for the cost of filing for the adoption (something like $300, I'll know tomorrow when we meet the adoption case worker for the first time). The state does ALL the work and you have to find a lawyer to file for you but the state gives you a certain amount of money back. Maybe that's what they were talking about? No idea.

[zebramom]

You're adopting him from foster care, but he doesn't qualify for adoption assistance? That sounds odd to me.

The "lump sum" they may be talking about is non-recurring adoption expenses. You can get some expenses paid back, such as mileage, birth certificate cost, phone bills, etc. Check with your state to find out what qualifies and how much the limit is. It's usually $1000-$2000, but you do have to file for it. It is not automatic.

[rmyoung]

after TPR they must be older than 2 and a minority.

[jodybird511]

rmyoung,

We adopted our daughter in Texas and she didn't qualify for adoption assistance either. I assume that what your worker is talking about is, as other posters noted, the nonrecurring expenses of finalizing; however, if the child doesn't qualify for adoption subsidy, they also don't get the $$ for finalizing. You can, of course, get the tax credit for these costs. BTW, where in Texas?

[rmyoung]

yea i figured that our s.w is nuts half the time.we live in houston

[jodybird511]

I feel sorry for you! That's where we were too but have since moved to Missouri. CPS workers in Houston (maybe TX in general) are the pits. I just posted on the TX board about how our daughter's caseworker wrote about "visits" that she never actually made to our house prior to adoption!

[wife2grumpy]

my foster care worker mentioned something about a lump sum cash amount, roughly 400.00. She said I would get 14.10 a day until we adopted him. This will all be after the tpr.

[jodybird511]

Just to clarify...we _did_ continue to get foster care reimbursement up until the adoption was final--even after tpr.

[ingi]

Joybird why did your little one not qualify?

[Dmommab]

In Ohio if the child's biological parent was working on the day the child was placed with child protective services then if you adopt that child they WILL NOT qualify for a post adoption subsidy - PERIOD. We adopted a brother & sister and get a subsidy for the girl because when she was placed mom was not working. Her brother was placed on a different day ( a month or so later) and she was working so no subsidy was available. Craziest thing I ever heard!!! What difference does it make to me as the adoptive parent whether the biological parent was working or not???????? I thought the caseworker didn't know what she was talking about when she quoted this to me but I've checked & checked & checked and EVERYONE I talk to tells me this is absolutely true in Ohio. CRAZINESS!

[jodybird511]

At the time of adoption, she was under two years old, not a member of a sibling group and had no physical or developmental disabilities...therefore, no subsidy--even though she is a minority.

[bjhv5]

WOW in Fl every child gets an adoption subsidy no matter if they are a healthy newborn or a sib group as long as they are adopted through foster care and they get their college paid for as long as they go to school in Fl.
There is no lump sum of money they pay for the cost of the adoption as well.

[joymico]

same here in RI. every child gets an adoption subsidy if you adopt from foster care and college is paid for as long as it is a RI college.

[tinatyme]

Yes, in Maryland we get the adoption subsidy too. Texas and Ohio sound crazy. Why would it matter if the bioparent was working on the day that the child came into care? and what is with the arbitrary age limits (2 years or under). Just reading these posts have made me more appreciative of my state's foster care system and the supports they have in place.