Stipends

in our case our outwardly healthy looking kids were granted an adoption subsidy because of Bubba's mental health issues (RAD, ADHD, PTSD), his issues with his foot (partial amputation), and because he and Flowergirl were both over 2 at the time. the issues coupled with their ages made them less adoptable. the subsidy is in place to help them with expenses beyond what the average kid might need, things like specialized camps, respite, transportation to specialized therapies, even psychiatric care when you live here in East Podunk and no one wants your Medicaid, which they also got to offset their medical expenses. they also received the qualification for tuition to state universities and colleges. and that Medicaid thing? don't know if it was a familial issue or an anomoly, but Flowergirl had oral surgery last Thanksgiving due to a 2-yr molar that embedded in her jaw. if the surgeon hadn't been so awesome, she might have had nerve damage. the subsidy would have allowed us to find the right person to help had that happened. do i need the subsidy? not really. am i grateful for it? absolutely. it provides some of the extras that our kids need and might not be able to have otherwise. and that little surgery? it cost a little over $13K. between Medicaid and our insurance, we paid nothing. i would not have forgone it had we had no subsidy, but it would have left us with a bunch owing. not every kid who looks "healthy" is. subsidies just make it easier.