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Adoption Subsidy Payments

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A very interesting article appeared in the adoption blog this morning. Some of the points intrigued me enough to write about how I feel about the subject. What got my attention was the idea that some people think that adoption subsidies and assistance are not justified. Our family is paid an adoption subsidy and given other benefits such as Medicaid and I do not feel like I need to apologize to anyone for taking it. Historically, these benefits came with every child that was adopted. We have very good friends that adopted twelve years ago. They are fairly affluent people, … Continue reading →

A Tragic Adoption Experience

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Two years ago, the nation was shocked by the story of the adoptive mother who took her children to Nigeria and left them there. One of the children, who is now a teenager, has given an interview to tell her side of the story. When she was five years old, she and her three siblings were removed from their home because of physical abuse by a drug addicted parent. They spent three years in the state foster system. Then she and her siblings were adopted by a lady named Mercury Liggins. Apparently, there was a trial period for the adoption … Continue reading →

Financial Assistance in Adoption

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Many people do not consider adopting or fostering a child because they assume that it would be too expensive for them to take on the responsibility of having another child in their home. Most states provide subsidies to assist with the expenses of taking care of a child. These subsidies are generally not considered as taxable income. In my state, the payments are made one month in arrears. For our family, there was an added frustration in that the money was paid through an adoption agency and they sometimes held the money for an extra month. An additional problem in … Continue reading →

Glossary of Special Needs Adoption-Related Terms “A”

Special Needs and Adoption-Related Terms: Adoption terms and special needs words may vary from agency to agency. The terms used in this Special Needs Adoption-Related Glossary may be slightly different from one State to another. A | B | C | D | E-F | G-H-I | J-K-L | M | N-O | P | Q-R | S | T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z Abuse: Harm inflicted on a person through physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual means; may cause victim to develop emotional or behavioral problems, some of which may not appear until later in life. Help from an experienced counselor or therapists may … Continue reading →

Initial Denial of Authorization: The Letter

It’s not easy to parent a child who suffers from mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. Navigating the medical and mental health system can be a job in itself. Top things off with a less than cooperative Employer provided group health plan and life can become more then just a little stressful. Our beautiful 9-year-old daughter was placed for adoption with us at the age of 5. It’s been a long hard road filled with difficult parenting choices. I thought I knew everything after raising my older two children. Helping Makala has become the definition of Advocating for the best interest … Continue reading →

Primary and Secondary Health Insurance Coverage

Our family has had a difficult start to the year 2007! As some may know we are the Adoptive Parents of two special needs siblings placed through the state foster care system. Our daughter, Makala, was 5-years-old and her biological brother Jeremiah was 1-year-old at the time they were placed for adoption in our family during 2003. This has been an interesting and long four years. Our little girl has had several issues no one knew existed among them Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders, (ARND). Special Needs children adopted from the child services system often have continued benefits. Older, or special needs … Continue reading →

Getting Paid To Adopt?

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Many families who adopt special needs children through their state receive a monthly check even after the finalization. Some people become irritated when learning this. I’ve heard the argument, “I don’t get paid to raise my kid,” and frankly, I can understand the feelings behind such comments. There are many parents who give birth to special needs children and don’t get monthly support in the form of a check. As an adoptive parent I’ve struggled with receiving certain assistance for my children. We did not adopt our children as a charity; we didn’t need the money. We wanted to be … Continue reading →