WHEREAS:
The emphasis in child welfare is early permanency planning, which leads to many more legally free children waiting for adoption. However, adoption resources are limited, especially for special needs, minority and older children; and
WHEREAS:
To provide incentives for families to adopt children, federal and state governments have provided adoption support, which includes monthly maintenance, Medicaid coverage, legal expenses and sometimes daycare for low income families; and
WHEREAS:
Adoption support often does not meet the financial needs of children. Often, daycare expenses alone are more than the monthly maintenance. Special needs children, such as the medically fragile or behaviorally disturbed, have extraordinary expenses not covered by adoption support. For those difficult children, it is very hard to find permanent adoptive homes, unless there is a significant financial incentive. So they usually end up under a foster parent guardianship with a high exceptional cost plan.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME supports liberalizing the adoption support system to better meet the financial needs of legally free children and their adoptive families:
- Daycare expenses should be covered for qualifying, employed adoptive parents;
- Special rate and exceptional cost plans that a child qualifies for under foster care should be carried over into adoption support;
- Exceptional costs, such as respite care, home nursing and other uncovered medical expenses, and mental health case aides should be covered under adoption support; and
- Any increases in a family's medical insurance rates due to the adoption should be covered by adoption support.
SUBMITTED BY:
Gordon Umino, President and Delegate
Cyndi Kallinen, Secretary
AFSCME Local 843, Council 28
Washington