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Adoption Assistance for Connecticut

1. What specific factors or conditions does your State consider to determine that a child cannot be placed with adoptive parents without providing financial assistance? ("What is your State definition of special needs?")

A child with special needs is defined as a child that has at least one of the following needs or circumstances that may be a barrier to placement or adoption without financial assistance:

• Eight years of age or older
• Two years of age or older and a member of a minority
• Member of a sibling group of two are more children to be placed together
• Diagnosis of a physical, mental or emotional handicapping condition, or at high risk of developing such a condition

2. What are the eligibility criteria for your State-funded adoption assistance program?

 

In order to be eligible for state-funded adoption assistance a child must be a special needs child as defined above.

3. What is the maximum amount a family may receive in non-recurring adoption expenses from your State? (Adoptive parents can receive reimbursement of certain approved, "one-time" adoption expenses incurred in the process of finalizing a special needs adoption.)

 

$750.00 per child

4. Does your State enter into deferred adoption assistance agreements? (In some States, adoptive parents can enter into an agreement in which they choose to defer the receipt of a Medicaid card, the monthly monetary payment, or both and can elect to receive the Medicaid card and/or monetary payment at another time.)

 

Connecticut does not offer deferred adoption assistance. Connecticut, does, however, have a Subsidy After Finalization. The Subsidy After Finalization option is for children who develop a handicapping condition after adoption finalization that is directly related to conditions existing prior to adoption or genetically related conditions that were undiagnosed at the time of adoption.

5. When may adoption assistance payments and benefits begin in your State?

 

Adoption assistance payments and benefits may begin in Connecticut after adoption finalization.

6. How are changes made to the adoption assistance agreement in your State?

 

1. When can a parent request a change in the adoption assistance agreement?
2. How does a parent request a change in the adoption assistance agreement?
3. What if a parent does not receive the change they request in the adoption assistance agreement?

Adoptive parents may appeal any decision to deny, modify, or discontinue adoption assistance benefits. Requests for modification must be made in writing and documentation of need, cost, and medical necessity must accompany the request. Adoptive families in Connecticut usually receive the maximum payment allowed for the age of the child at the onset of adoption assistance, so that increases are only availabe when the state legislative rate increases for a Cost of Living Adjustment. Adoptive parents are provided with timely written notice of proposed actions regarding adoption assistance benefits. Send requests to the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families to seek a hearing before the Subsidized Adoption Review Board. The hearing will be conducted according to the Uniform Procedures Act. See Question #10 for further explanation of the fair hearing process.

7. What types of post adoption services are available in your State and how do you find out more about them?

 

Post adoption services in Connecticut are overseen by the DCF, Office of Foster and Adoptive Services and received through outside agencies. Post adoption services include the following examples:

1. Support groups
2. Training programs
3. Mentor “buddy” program
4. Respite
5. Assigned support social worker
6. Information and referral services

The Connecticut DCF contracts with licensed child-placing agencies to serve parents who adopt a difficult-to-place child. Known as the Permanency Placement Services Program (PPSP), the services are provided on a case-by-case basis at the recommendation of the child's caseworker and with the approval of the DCF regional supervisor. Services in Connecticut are not designated specifically as post adoption services. Some services are received through the Connecticut Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents (CAFAP) and others are received through the Voluntary Services program. The Voluntary Services include daytreatment, partial hospitalization and residential placement. DCF area offices and facilities locator: www.state.ct.us/dcf/area_offices.htm. To access post adoption services, adoptive families must self-refer through the agency Hotline, phone number: 800.842.2288.

Casey Family Services provide post adoption support services in two locations, Bridgeport and Hartford. See links to In Your Area, Hartford, Connecticut, Services Offered, Post Adoption Services: http://161.58.194.157/area_hartford_ct.html and Bridgeport: http://161.58.194.157/area_bridgeport_ct.html.

Many private organizations offer a variety of respite options. See the ARCH National Respite Network Respite Locator Service, search by state to locate Connecticut’s respite programs, link: http://www.respitelocator.org/.

Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker or post adoption services contact for information regarding process, eligibility, availability, and duration of services.

8. What mental health services are provided by your State?

 

Public mental health services for children in Connecticut are administered through the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. DCF has legal authority to provide for children's mental health services and operates Riverview Hospital for Children and Youth, High Meadows Residential Treatment Center, and the Connecticut Children’s Place. Through Connecticut Community KidCare, the Department also provides funding for a broad array of clinical and other services in the community, including Child Guidance Clinics, Extended Day Treatment Programs, Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services, Respite Care, Family Advocacy and Intensive Case Management. Children and families can access state-operated or state-funded community services directly or through referrals from providers in the mental health system. Services are provided on a sliding scale, and the majority of service providers are affiliated with a variety of health insurance plans. Contact the Division of Mental Health at 860.550.6561 for more information.

Connecticut Medicaid (HUSKY, Healthcare for Uninsured Kids and Youth, Part A) offers mental health services including inpatient psychiatric care, outpatient mental health services, prescription medication, mobile crisis services, and substance abuse services. HUSKY link: www.huskyhealth.com/about.htm and Frequently Asked Questions link: www.huskyhealth.com/faqs.htm. A second program, known as HUSKY Plus, provides supplemental benefits for certain Children with Special Health Care Needs ranging in age from birth to their nineteenth birthday. Children with special health care needs are children who have, or are at elevated risk for, chronic conditions they were born with or later acquired, including physical, developmental, behavioral and emotional conditions. These children require health and related services (not educational and recreational) of a type and amount not usually required by children of the same age. There are two Husky Plus Programs, one Physical and one Behavioral. Husky Plus or call 877.284.8759 or 800.842.4524 TTD/TTY for hearing impaired for more information.

Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker or medical assistance specialist for information regarding process, eligibility, availability, and duration of services.

9. Does your State provide additional finances or services for medical or therapeutic needs not covered under your State medical plan to children receiving adoption assistance?

 

Adoptive parents can can request additional payments for medically necessary services or items that were not part of the adoption assistance agreement. The only way to receive an adoption assistance increase is through a diagnosis of “medically comlex” as all adoption assistance monetary payments are made at the maximum amount permitted at the of the child’s adoption finalization. If a child’s condition becomes what is referred to as “medically complex”, parents can request to increase to the rate available for children with this diagnosis. Payments can be on a one-time basis for a specific purpose or an on-going payment, depending on the nature of the need and request. Examples of need are van modifications for a handicapped child and specialized therapy not covered by Medicaid and therapeutic respite.

Note: Not all services may be available in all cases. Contact your adoption assistance worker for information regarding process, eligibility, availability, and duration of services.

10. What is your State's process for applying for a fair hearing? (A fair hearing is a legal, administrative procedure that provides a forum to address disagreements with agency decisions.)

 

Requests for fair hearing in Connecticut are made by contacting the Hearings Unit of the Department of Children and Families. DCF area offices locator: www.state.ct.us/dcf/area_offices.htm. Any proposal to discontinue, reduce, or suspend adoption assistance benefits, other than for state law reasons, are sent to the adoptive parent in writing prior to taking any action that would affect a child’s benefits. Parents have fourteen days to respond in writing to the proposal if they wish to ask for a hearing and the proposed action will not occur before a hearing is held and a fair hearing determination made. If a parent does not respond to the proposed action within fourteen days, the action will be taken, but parents continue to have up to sixty days from the date of the notice of proposed action to request a fair hearing. Adoptive parents are instructed to write a letter requesting a hearing or to use the form included in the original notice of intended action to notify the Hearings Unit in writing of the desire for a fair hearing.

Hearings may only be requested for a proposed reduction, suspension, or termination of adoption assistance. An assigned Hearings Unit staff member will contact the parent seeking a fair hearing to schedule a hearing at a convenient time and the actual hearing is conducted by the Hearings Unit staff. From there, adoption assistance hearings are held before the Subsidy Review Board, a Governor-appointed board of three hearing officers that hear the case and issue a written determination within ninety days of the hearing date. Send hearing request forms to:

Department of Children and Families, Hearings Unit 505 Hudson Street Hartford, Connecticut 06106

11. What is your State Web address for general adoption information?

 

Connecticut’s general adoption link: www.state.ct.us/dcf/FASU/FASU_index.htm

12. What is your State Web address for adoption assistance information?

 

Connecticut’s adoption assistance link: www.state.ct.us/dcf/FASU/FASU_Subsidized_Adoption.htm

13. What is your State Web address for State-specific medical assistance information for children?

 

Connecticut’s state-specific medical assistance link: www.huskyhealth.com/toc.htm

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