Since 1997, when the Adoption and Safe Families Act was passed, the adoption of foster care children has increased from 31,000 to 51,000 per year. While the adoption of special needs children is encouraged, financial subsidies are only available to adoptive parents if the child's biological parents qualified for welfare. Senator Susan Collins from Maine would like to change that.

"I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Adoption Equality Act introduced by Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., to correct this situation and ensure that no child adopted from foster care is denied federal support strictly on the basis of the birth family's income."

The Adoption Equality Act would also require states to reinvest surplus foster care dollars back into child abuse and neglect programs. Source: Seacoast Online

Labels: legislation, special_needs, financial_assistance

Posted By: Aspen Education Group