Adopting a Waiting Child
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Estimates put the number of children in foster care who are eligible for adoption at approximately 131,000.
States and agencies caring for these "waiting children" consider all of them adoptable
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What it costs: Because the aim of special-needs adoption is to find permanent families for waiting children,
the costs are minimal and incentives are plentiful. Agencies will lower or waive their usual fees,
and the government will reimburse you for your adoption expenses, including travel and legal bills.
Plan on initial out-of-pocket expenses of $1,500 to $3,500, but expect to recoup your costs through a federal reimbursement plan or the adoption tax credit.
In fact, for adoptions of many children from foster care, families will receive a $10,000 tax credit, regardless of their actual adoption expenses.
The federal government mandates that states provide nontaxable adoption subsidies for special-needs children who meet federal and state guidelines. These monthly payments, typically until the child is 18, ensure that a prospective parent is not deterred from adoption because of the expenses of caring for a child with special needs and that the child receives required services.
Coverage includes medical assistance, psychological counseling, daycare and tutoring, for example.
The average monetary subsidy is $250 to $300 monthly, says Joe Kroll of the North American Council on Adoptable Children, an advocacy and parent support organization in St. Paul, Minnesota, but it can reach $1,500 in some rare cases.