State Contact

Erika Conwell
Department of Children’s Services/
Division of Foster Care & Adoptions
UBS Tower, 9th Floor
315 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN  37243-1290
615-741-9951
Erika.Conwell@tn.gov

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Adoption Resources on the Web

https://www.tn.gov/dcs/program-areas/foster-care-and-adoption/adoption/faqs.html

Tennessee state-specific medical assistance information:
https://www.tn.gov/tenncare

Tennessee Statute §37-5-106 (a) (13):
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/tncode/

Click on the Tennessee Code / Click on Title 37, Juveniles /
Click on Chapter 5, Department of Children’s Services / Click on Part 1, General Provisions / Click on Section 106, and scroll down to (a) (13).

Tennessee Adoption Assistance Policy 15.11
https://files.dcs.tn.gov/policies/chap15/15.11.pdf

In Tennessee a child is determined to have special needs if the child has at least one of the following needs or circumstances that may be a barrier to placement or adoption without financial assistance:

  • Nine years of age or older and Caucasian
  • Of minority heritage, age 2 years or over
  • Member of a sibling group of two or more children placed together for the purpose of adoption
  • Has a moderate to severe medical, physical or psychological condition, diagnosed by a licensed physician, psychologist or licensed mental health professional and the identified condition requires treatment
  • Life experiences that include neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse that rises to the level of severe child abuse as indicated by DCS or adjudicated by a court and defined in TCA 37-1-102 (b) (A-D), “Severe child abuse.”
  • The child has a medically diagnosed disability which substantially limits one or more major life activities, requires professional treatment, and assistance in self-care.
  • The child is diagnosed to have a behavioral or emotional disorder characterized by inappropriate behavior, which deviates substantially from behavior appropriate to the child’s age or significantly interferes with the child’s intellectual, social and personal functioning.
  • The child is diagnosed to be intellectually disabled The child’s life experiences include three (3) or more consecutive years in Tennessee custody.
  • The child meets the criteria for a deferred subsidy due to one or more of the following (qualifying for $0 agreement with TennCare at time of adoption):
    • The child is at risk for a condition described above due to prenatal exposure to toxins; a history or severe neglect and/or abuse or serious neglect; genetic history;
    • The child has a history of multiple (three or more) disrupted foster or adoptive placements that are documented.
    • The child is diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Children must be in the custody or full guardianship of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services or a Licensed Child Placing Agency prior to the initiation of adoption proceedings.  Children in partial guardianship are not eligible for the Adoption Assistance Program.

Basic rate by age

Age Daily Rate
0-11 $29.91/day
12+ $334.30/day

In Tennessee there are two specialized rates—one called special circumstances and the other extraordinary.  Special Circumstance Rates are designed for children:

  1. With unique needs due to a diagnosed medical or mental health condition that substantially limits one or more of the following major life activities: (walking, speaking, breathing, working, learning, performance of manual tasks, vision, self care);
  2. Who require a level of supervision exceeding that of their peers; and
  3. Who requires extra care due to physical, emotional, or mental disability.

The special circumstances rates are:

Age Daily Rate
0-11 $32.90/day
12+ $37.73/day

To qualify for an extraordinary rate, the child must have documentation of a significant disabling medical or psychological disability. The day-to-day level of care needs and supervision must go above and beyond the level of care generally expected in parenting a child who has special needs. Extraordinary adoption assistance rates are reserved for children who have already met all three of the criteria that qualifies them for a special cirucumstance adoption assistance rate, but have additional needs that are so unique and extensive that they cannot be met at the regular or special circumstance rate.

Adoption assistance typically ends on the youth’s 18th birthday.  However, it may be extended if the child meets criteria based on the funding type of their adoption assistance.  See section O (#7 and 8) in DCS policy 15.11
https://files.dcs.tn.gov/policies/chap15/15.11.pdf

TennCare provides residential treatment when documented to be medically necessary.

Post-adoption services in Tennessee are provided by DCS, private agencies, and parent groups.  For more information about post-adoption services, families should contact the Adoption Services Team Coordinator in the local DCS office or ASAP/GSAP services 888-848-2727 or https://harmonyfamilycenter.org/pre-post-adoption/asap-gsap-services/

Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Care Association, Inc. is another resource for families, www.tfaca.net or 423-745-2049.  They have advocates and regional contacts on the website.

DCS currently provides targeted case management services through the Family Support Services program to any family with a child at risk of entering state custody.

Tennessee has a Subsidized Permanent Guardianship (SPG) program.  Information about the SPG program is located in policy 15.15, https://files.dcs.tn.gov/policies/chap15/15.15.pdf

For more information regarding the Relative Caregiver Program, including SPG, visit https://www.tn.gov/dcs/program-areas/prevention/relative-caregiver.html

Tennessee Hope Foster Child Tuition Waiver Program provides tuition assistance for youth that were in Tennessee DCS foster care at age 13 or older and either aged out, was adopted from DCS, or entered guardianship from DCS.

For more information on the Tennessee Hope Foster Child Tuition Grant visit this web page:
https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/money-for-college/grant-programs/tn-hope-foster-child-tuition-grant.html