Adoption subsidy extended to age 21

February 6, 2019

Families now have one less barrier to adoption.

The Maintenance Adoption Subsidy, once available only to adopting parents through the adopted child's 18th birthday, was extended through age 20 as of January 1.

The move was made in preparation for the end of Florida's Title IV-E waiver to help maximize federal dollars.

But it has the added advantage of making adoption more attractive to older teens, CCKids Chief Operating Officer Cheri Sheffer said.

That's because adopted youth will now receive benefits similar to those available to them through Extended Foster Care.

Benefits in that program include financial resources and help with education and living expenses, as well as Medicaid coverage.

Until those benefits were extended to adopted youth, older teens may have opted to stay in foster care rather than finding permanent connections through adoption.

"That's a problem," Sheffer said. "Research shows that youth who have permanent connections have greater supports in navigating crisis and are more likely to succeed in life."

Locally, families of eligible young adults have been notified of their new benefits and the steps needed to qualify. Those eligible include young adults whose adopted parents signed an initial adoption assistance agreement when they were 16 or 17, who have not yet reached age 21.