A previous blog post discussed adoption assistance and eligibility for North Carolina residents who adopt special needs children. In addition to the adoption subsidy, there are other forms of post-adoption support for which North Carolina residents may be eligible.
One type of adoption assistance is Medicaid. In North Dakota, any child with special needs who qualifies for adoption assistance benefits is eligible for Medicaid. There are many Medicaid services in North Dakota including physician and hospital services, physical and occupational therapy, nursing care services and family planning services. For those who are developmentally disabled, Medicaid services include adult day care, chore services and respite care.
Mentally disabled children may receive public mental health services including psychiatric and psychological evaluations, inpatient hospitalization and individual, group or family psychotherapy. Residential treatment costs for the child may be covered only if the provider is approved and agrees to the share costs according to the medical assistance rate.
Additionally, adoptive parents may receive up to $2,000 per child to compensate for nonrecurring fees associated with the adoption such as court costs. The Department of Human Services, Children and Family Services Division administers post-adoption services including support groups, in-home family services, educational programs, search services and information and referral services.
To receive adoption assistance of any form, generally the requested services must be necessary for the family based on the disabled child’s individual needs. Each service must be requested in writing and approved by the county social service agency. Families may reach out to adoption specialists, local county social service or regional human service center offices for more information regarding suitable post-adoption services. A future post will discuss some other important information regarding adoption assistance in North Dakota such as how to request and adjust an adoption assistance agreement.
