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Alaska State Subsidy Profile Updated March 2006 State Subsidy Contact Person Tracy Spartz Campbell NACAC Subsidy Representative (parent/volunteer) Linda Gonzalez 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 (www.childwelfare.gov). Profiles for each state’s subsidy program are available on our web site at www.nacac.org. 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@nacac.org. 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://health.hss.state.ak.us/ocs/Adoptions/WhatIsAdoption.htm Alaska’s state-specific medical assistance links: http://hss.state.ak.us/dhcs/Medicaid/default.htm Alaska’s adoption assistance links: http://hss.state.ak.us/ocs/Adoptions/WhatAreSubsidies.htm 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:
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. 3. The maximum basic monthly adoption assistance maintenance payment in Alaska is: Rates differ from region to region. The range for per diem rates is: $19.07 to $27.34 for most regions. "Augmented" rates are available on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the documented special needs of the child. 4. Specialized rates are based on the extraordinary needs of the child, and/or the additional parenting skill needed to raise the child. If Alaska offers these rates, the criteria used to define them are as follows: Alaska has specialized rates in its foster care program that allows specialized rates in the subsidy program. The augmentation for Specialized Foster Care is $7.50/day, and for Structured Foster Care is $15/day. However, subsidies cannot exceed the amount the child would have received in foster care. There are additional special rates for the medically fragile—includes children with physical and mental health disabilities. 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. Reimbursable nonrecurring expenses may include legal and court costs, costs of preplacement visitation and travel, adoption home study fees, and other one-time expenses related to the adoption. Application for reimbursement should be made before the adoption is finalized. The agreement for reimbursement can either be included in the adoption assistance agreement, or in a separate agreement for nonrecurring expenses only. 6. What Medicaid services are available in Alaska?
Alaska’s Medicaid helpline is 800-780-9972. 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 inAlaska. Below is information on the Medicaid benefits available for state-funded children. Effective 1/26/94, Medicaid is available to state-only subsidy children who have an assistance agreement in place and who were eligible for Medicaid prior to execution of the agreement. Eligibility is not automatic, but is determined on a case-by-case basis. A Medicaid application or eligibility review form must be submitted so that an eligibility determination can be made. Once a child is determined eligible for Medicaid, the same coverage applies to both IV-E and non-IV-E children. In compliance with federal guidelines, all new state subsidies automatically include Medicaid. 8. What mental health services are provided by your State? Public mental health services for children in Alaska are administered by Health and Social Services, Behavioral Health, and include the following examples: individual, group and family therapy; home-based therapy; case management; residential services; activity therapy; family and community education; and day treatment. Alaska’s mental health information link: 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? Alaska OCS makes all efforts to grant requests for additional services on a case-by-case basis when the need of the child or the circumstances of the family is well documented. Parents are directed to contact Jeannie Hale at 907-465-3286 for more information. 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. 10. What types of post adoption services are available in your State and how do you find out more about them? Post-Adoption Support Services are available to any adoptive parent who resides within Alaska. The services include crisis management, case management, information and referral and support group services. The services are provided on a statewide basis, through a non-profit provider, the Alaska Center for Resource Families (ACRF). The ACRF has site offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, as well as on-line information, services and supports for adoptive parents at www.acrf.org. Respite Care—There is no formal respite care program, but the family may be able to increase their cash payment in their adoption assistance agreement to help meet these costs. The family would be responsible for finding a respite care provider. If the family is already receiving the maximum cash payment, they will not be able to have respite added. Families may also access respite through their local developmental disabilities office. Respite care is provided for developmentally delayed children through the Division of Senior and Disabilities Services. Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker or state post adoption services contact for 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? In Alaska, specific services are not explicitly identified in the adoption agreement. However, explicit information is contained in the child’s subsidy file. Residential treatment costs that are not covered by Medicaid are the responsibility of the adoptive parents. 13. A deferred adoption assistance agreement is one in which the initial monthly maintenance amount is $0. Does Alaska offer such agreements? Yes, Alaska offers deferred adoption assistance agreements. 14. Does Alaska operate a subsidized guardianship program? Yes, guardianship subsidies are available to children who are ten years of age or older. Requirements are similar to those in the adoption subsidy program, except that Medicaid is not available through this program. However, most guardians can apply and receive benefits through Medicaid’s Under 21 program, but it depends on the child's income and resources. The subsidy does not count against the child as income or resources. The guardianship subsidy program is 100 percent state funded. Programmatic Procedures 15. Who makes the final determination of a child's subsidy eligibility in Alaska? What roles, if any, do workers and administrators at the county, district, or regional level play in eligibility determination and/or assistance negotiation? A permanent placement conference determines if the child is eligible for a subsidy. The worker makes a recommendation for the amount of the subsidy after negotiation with the family. The Regional Adoption Specialist reviews the request and approves it on a regional level. The request is then sent to the Adoption Coordinator, who reviews the request for eligibility and submits it to the Deputy Commissioner for final review. Subsidy amounts are based on the needs of the child and the circumstances of the adoptive family. Family income is not a factor in determining if the child should receive a subsidy. 17. When do subsidy payments begin? Adoption assistance payments and benefits may begin at adoption placement. 18. Do children adopted from private agencies in Alaska receive the same subsidies as those children adopted from public agencies? Yes. Subsidies are available to children in the custody of private agencies if they are IV-E eligible. The worker from the private agency is responsible for providing documentation of IV-E eligibility. Reimbursement for nonrecurring expenses is also available. 19. When my child turns 18, which benefits, if any, are available to our family? Subsidized adoption and guardianship payments end when the child reaches age 18. If the child entered guardianship or adoption after the age of 16, there may be resources available through the OCS Independent Living Program. More information can be found at: http://www.hss.state.ak.us/ocs/IndependentLiving 20. A child's adoption assistance agreement may be periodically reviewed by the state. What is the typical process used in Alaska? Alaska eliminated the annual review process for the subsidy program as of June 2003. Subsidies are reviewed when the child’s special needs or circumstances change, which can occur at any time. Typically, the process is initiated by either the family or the OCS state office staff. 21. Can adoption assistance agreements be modified if requested by adoptive parents? Alaska permits changes to the adoption assistance agreement when the change will best meet the special needs of the child. All changes to the child’s adoption assistance agreement are based on a child’s current, individualized needs so conditions for change will therefore vary from child to child. Requests for change in the adoption assistance agreement must be made in writing and must include supporting documents demonstrating the need for change in the agreement. Alaska will consider any documentation that supports the family’s request for a change in assistance. Information in medical/mental health/school reports and other documentation from the family, current service providers, and other resources are evaluated to determine if a change in the assistance amount is warranted. Final changes are negotiated between OCS and the family and require the family’s concurrence. The address and phone number to contact for requesting amendments the adoption assistance agreement are located on what are known as “adoption assistance warrants” that adoption assistance families receive each month. Contact the OCS Adoption Staff at: Department of Heath and Social Services Families have the right to request a reconsideration and/or appeal of the decision received in response to their request for change to the agreement. This request for reconsideration can take the form of a fair hearing. See Question #22 for more information on the fair hearing process in Alaska. 22. What are the exact steps a family must go through to access the fair hearing/appeal process in Alaska? Adoptive parents may request a fair hearing when there is disagreement with a decision regarding their child’s adoption assistance benefits. Requests must be in writing to the Office of Children's Services Adoptions Program in Juneau, address below. A Grievance Procedure Form is available from an OCS Supervisor or through the OCS Publications page link: http://hss.state.ak.us/ocs/Publications/default.htm See the OCS grievance resolution procedure webpage for a complete description of the application and process for fair hearing, link: http://hss.state.ak.us/ocs/Publications/grievance_procedure.htm Send requests for fair hearing to: Department of Heath and Social Services The regulations for the adoption fair hearing process were adopted in April 2005 by the State of Alaska. 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 should contact the OCS Adoptions Unit to start the process. DHSS will provide families the appropriate forms, and will determine if the child is IV-E eligible by researching the child’s records. Alaska follows guidelines established with federal guidance and the state plan and can provide subsidies after a family has finalized the adoption of a special needs child if there are extenuating circumstances.
24. How is the subsidy program operated and funded in Alaska? The program is state supervised/state administered. This means that both policy and eligibility decisions are made by personnel at the state office. 25. Below are other programs or unique aspects of Alaska's adoption program (i.e., state tax credits, tuition waiver/scholarship programs): Alaska has joined the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance to provide better services to families who are out-of-state. There are some educational funding opportunities available through the OCS Independent Living Program. In addition to other resources, the University of Alaska offers five tuition waivers per year for children who have been in foster care. More information is available at: http://www.hss.state.ak.us/ocs/IndependentLiving |
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
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