subsidy how does it work

A lot will depend on whether your new baby was born in the state where you reside or was born somewhere else. Each state has their own set of guidelines and conditions determining how much $$$$ they'll pay toward an adoption subsidy. That said, here's a link to the NACAC (North American Council on Adoptable Children). It will give you an idea of how much and under what conditions the state will pay. [url=http://www.nacac.org/adoptionsubsidy/stateprofiles.html]NACAC | Adoption Subsidy[/url] I wish you well. Be sure to 'cover'---not only the conditions your new baby has now, but also those that may come about in the future. If you have questions, it's sometimes helpful to phone the contact people on the NACAC website. If not, feel free to contact the head of the NACAC too. (He's very helpful.) And if all else fails in this regard, feel free to post questions here. Several of us have gone down this path and can offer good advice. Sincerely, Linny

Just to throw this out there too: IF your new baby was adopted through a private adoption (not through foster care), you CAN STILL ACQUIRE AN ADOPTION SUBSIDY. Some people still believe a subsidy is ONLY for those children adopted through the state system. Not so. Children who are special needs and adopted privately are still eligible. Some states make this more difficult, that's true, but it can still be acquired. Good luck. Sincerely, Linny

Hi linny thanks for responding. Yes he is in foster care in the state we live in. According to the guidelines we should get 300 a month which is nothing for a child with so many needs. He has a tracea tube, feeding tube and a heart condition. Is there a way to negotiate for more then that?

Yes, you can probably get more than that. The rates posted are usually the basic rate. You negotiate for the special care increment. For us, our STBAD's state send us paperwork to fill out explaining her needs above and beyond an average child of her age, and what additional funds will do to assist us. Then our case manager asked us if we were meeting all of her expenses with the foster subsidy, and if we could afford any less, what we would do with more, etc. I've heard it can be quite the battle! Our case manager gave us a HUGE increment even though we told her we would only need an increment to match the additional foster rate we are getting now... So, for example- an adoption subsidy could be $500 a month on average, but maybe a maximum of $2000 a month (depending on needs), then they give you a number of the maximum amount you qualify for and if it isn't enough, you can come back at them and explain well this procedure costs this, and we need this training, and extra supervision costs this, etc... Good luck.

Thank you so much :)