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District of Columbia Subsidy Profile Updated July 2006 District Subsidy Contacts Patricia Johnson NACAC Subsidy Representative (parent/volunteer) Deborah Byrd 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: Washington DC’s specific medical assistance: Washington DC’s adoption assistance:
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:
Note: Children must be legally free for adoption to be eligible for adoption assistance 2. What are the eligibility criteria for the District-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. Additionally, the adoptive family must undergo an income analysis often referred to as a means test. The income analysis is conducted to determine if the adoptive family’s resources exceed state eligibility requirements. Children may additionally need to be in the custody of the CFSA of the District of Columbia, depending on the circumstances of their adoption. 3. The maximum basic monthly adoption assistance maintenance payment in the District of Columbia is:
These rates must be established prior to adoption finalization, and are based upon the child’s rate in foster care. Normal Board Rate: The Normal Board Rate is paid for the basic and routine care required by a child who comes from a neglecting or abusing family. It is expected that basic care will include bringing the child into the regular, daily life of the foster family, providing 24 hour/day adult supervision, and facilitating weekly visits or by permitting parental visitation in the foster home. Foster parents are expected to participate in parent/teacher conferences and school-related activities. They are to provide routine recreational opportunities for the child. 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. Attorney fees, court costs, travel costs for placement, and other costs reasonably related to the placement may be reimbursed under the nonrecurring costs program. Families should submit their receipts for nonrecurring adoption expenses after adoption finalization. Families are notified of this potential reimbursement during the adoption subsidy process. International adoptees, children in private agency custody, and private adoption adoptees are not eligible for the program. The reimbursement limit is $2,000. 6. What Medicaid services are available in the District of Columbia? The program covers the following services to eligible recipients when furnished by eligible providers:
Washington, DC’s Medicaid benefits: http://www.dchealth.dc.gov/doh 7. Children who have federally funded (Title IV-E) subsidy are automatically eligible for Medicaid benefits. However, it is the District’s decision whether state-funded (non-Title IV-E) children are eligible for Medicaid benefits inDistrict of Columbia. Below is information on the Medicaid benefits available for District-funded children. Non-IV-E children are eligible for Medicaid benefits from the District. The District has joined the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (ICAMA). 8. What mental health services are provided by the District? Public mental health services for children in Washington, DC are administered by the Department of Health Services, Medical Assistance Administration and includes the following examples: mental health, physician, clinic, inpatient/outpatient hospital care, residential treatment, and pharmacy/prescription drugs. Washington, DC’s Medicaid benefits: http://dchealth.dc.gov/services/healthy_families/benefits.shtm Services under the Adoption Resource Center include short-term counseling focused on adjustment difficulties, grief and loss, abandonment, identity development, and family identify formation. The Center provides a licensed Social Worker, known as a Family Coordinator, who provides support. Link to the Center’s support services: http://www.adoptionresourcecenterdc.org/services2.cfm or contact the Intake Coordinator at 202-289-1057, extension #14. Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker, medical assistance specialist, or post adoption services contact for information regarding process, eligibility, availability, and duration of services. 9. Does the District provide additional finances or services for medical or therapeutic needs not covered under the District medical plan to children receiving adoption assistance? Washington, DC offers what is known as Special Service Payments, which may cover payments for medical care, therapy, or other services related to a diagnosed physical or mental handicapping condition existing prior to adoption and not covered by the adoptive family's medical insurance or Medicaid. Funding can be approved to meet verified, exceptional expenses when no other resources are available or adequate. These determinations are made on a case-by-case basis and are determined by the specific needs of the child and documentation that the service is available through no other means and the financial circumstances of the adoptive parents. These payments must be specified in the subsidy agreement. 10. What types of post adoption services are available in the District and how do you find out more about them? Post adoption services in Washington, DC are offered through The Adoption Resource Center, CFSA’s Post Adoption/Guardianship Services Unit and the CFSA adoption assistance program. The Center can assist families in the District in finding supportive community resources in such areas as mental health, parenting, emergency services, public health, academic support, and adoption assistance. Post adoption services include the following examples:
The crisis hotline operates seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day at 202-289-1057, extension #15. The Adoption Resource Center: http://www.adoptionresourcecenterdc.org/ or phone: 202-289-1057. Respite is only available to children qualified for the handicapped level of payment. CFSA Post Permanency Adoption/Guardianship Services Unit provides supportive services for our families after permanency is achieved for children, through providing and linking families to competent post permanency services. Families can access CFSA Post Permanency services by calling: Theodore (Ted) Reynolds at (202) 727-4920 or Trantina Waugh at (202) 727-4956. Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker or post adoption services contact for information regarding 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? Yes. Families are expected to enroll the adoptee on their family health insurance. The District does not pay for private therapy where other resources are available. 12. How are residential treatment costs covered (if at all) for adoptive families? What procedures must a family follow to receive these services? Residential treatment costs are not covered by Special Services Payments via subsidy as DC Medicaid has 20+ residential treatment vendors. In addition, families who live outside the District will have their home state’s Medicaid program available to them. Families must follow the Medicaid procedures in their state of residence. The family must first make contact with the DC adoption subsidy unit. The family must provide a doctor's recommendation for residential treatment. The family should first look for a facility that accepts Medicaid, or secondly, private insurance. The family must also explore local funding through their state of residence such as a community services board. The Medicaid Residential Placement Unit must review the child’s case for medical suitability. However, on a limited, case-by-case basis, DC has paid for unique treatment needs which could only be treated at certain specialized non-Medicaid facilities. 13. A deferred adoption assistance agreement is one in which the initial monthly maintenance amount is $0. Does the District of Columbia offer such agreements? Yes, Washington, DC offers deferred adoption assistance. Deferred agreements are available to children who are at high risk of developing a special need but do not otherwise qualify as special needs. “High risk” means that a child does not currently evidence a special need but, due to factors in their biological, social, or familial background, are at risk of developing a special need in the future. 14. Does the District operate a subsidized guardianship program? Yes.
15. Who makes the final determination of a child's subsidy eligibility in the District of Columbia? What roles, if any, do workers and administrators at the county, district, or regional level play in eligibility determination and/or assistance negotiation? The final eligibility determination is made by the subsidy social worker and the subsidy supervisor. 16. Will the District consider my family income to determine my child's eligibility for an adoption subsidy? Family income and family resources are not utilized in determining subsidy daily amounts. No means tests are employed. However, the District-funded special service subsidy does consider availability of community resources and family ability to pay in determining whether the agency can pay for requested services. Special service subsidies are only available to children qualified at level 3. 17. When do subsidy payments begin? Adoption assistance payments and benefits may begin at adoption finalization. 18. Do children adopted from private agencies in the District receive the same subsidies as those children adopted from public agencies? Yes—Children may be in DHS (public agency) custody or have been relinquished to a D.C. licensed child placing (private) agency, but must meet all Title IV-E criteria under District law. 19. When my child turns 18, which benefits, if any, are available to our family? Assistance is available until age 18. 20. A child's adoption assistance agreement may be periodically reviewed by the District. What is the typical process used in the District of Columbia? Once during each calendar year the agency shall review the need for continuing subsidy. Forms are mailed to the family during the “anniversary” month of subsidy initiation. Families must be able to verify the child’s continued residence through school registration. 21. Can adoption assistance agreements be modified if requested by adoptive parents? Adoptive parents who are a party to the adoption assistance agreement can request a change in the agreement any time there is a change in the condition of the child related to the condition of special needs identified at the time of adoption, or identified as being “at risk” of developing. Parents must make a written request specifying the reason for change and send the request to the adoption assistance worker. Parents can request a review of the amount of any single payment or in the level of on-going payments and must provide medical or psychiatric documentation substantiating the need for modification of the agreement. CFSA reviews adoption assistance agreements annually for continued need. Adoptive families are sent forms each year in order to verify the child’s residence through school registration. Requests for modification of the adoption assistance agreement are reviewed within thirty days of receipt by DC’s CFSA. Send requests to: Child and Family Services Agency 22. What are the exact steps a family must go through to access the fair hearing/appeal process in the District of Columbia? An adoptive parent or permanent guardian can challenge CFSA’s denial, reduction, or termination of their adoption assistance benefits through the Office of Fair Hearings and Appeals. A Notice of Action along with a Fair Hearing request form is sent to parents instructing them on how to formally request a hearing. Parents must submit a the fair hearing request form or a written request for fair hearing via letter form and CFSA will hold a conference with the parents to resolve the issue. Hearing requests must be received within thirty days from receipt of the Notice of Action. The parent/caregiver may request a hearing with an examiner or choose to have the case mediated by an impartial third party. A trained mediator will work to bring the parties together to help resolve disputes quickly and to the satisfaction of both CFSA and caregivers. The Office of Fair Hearings and Appeals must submit a notification of the hearing within forty-five days of receipt of the family’s request for fair hearing. Contact the Office of Fair Hearing at 202-724-7100 to initiate the process or request a hearing via written notice or Fair Hearing request form submitted to: Tamara Rutland, Fair Hearings Coordinator 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 Patricia Johnson (202-727-5424) at the Child and Family Services Agency for more information.System Operation and Program Funding 24. How is the subsidy program operated and funded in the District of Columbia? The program is District supervised/District administered. This means that both policy and eligibility decisions are made by personnel at the DC office. The federal contribution to Title IV-E-eligible children is 50.00% in the District of Columbia. This is known as the Federal Financial Participation (FFP) rate. The remaining cost of the program is funded entirely with D.C. government funds. 25. Below are other programs that may delineate the District’s adoption assistance program from others around the country. A Title IV-E eligible child may qualify for Head Start depending upon the local Head Start program. Also, several Washington-area counties have indicated that they will consider our IV-E subsidized adoptees eligible for reduced camp fees. Contact local recreation programs for more information. DC offers a scholarship fund for children adopted from the District’s foster care system after Oct. 1, 2001—including vocational training and college funding. To obtain further information on the DC Adoption Scholarship Program (DCAS) families may call 202-727-6436, or visit the website at www.seo.dc.gov. |
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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