A Few Adoption Assistance Agreements Negotiated in 2023

A Small Sign of Progress

As you know, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services raised its financial participation rate for the non-federal share of the first $250 in monthly IV-E Adoption Assistance payments to the first $350 in monthly IV-E Adoption Assistance payments. The first $350 in adoption assistance payments cost the county nothing. I have requested information on IV-E Adoption Assistance Agreements completed in 2023 to try and discern the impact of the state’s increase on actual adoption assistance payments.

I haven’t received any data yet, but based on a handful of responses from parents who finalized adoptions in 2023, there may be some reason for optimism. Obviously, it is too soon to tell and I would welcome any news from Ohio parents. As always, I will respect your confidentiality.

So far, 12 families have shared the initial adoption assistance agreements they negotiated in 2023, so far. With a couple of exceptions, the results are rather striking. Most of payment agreements were negotiated with small and middle-sized counties.

There is no way to tell how representative these cases are. We can’t draw any conclusions from this tiny unscientific sample. The relatively high adoption assistance payments are encouraging, however. Is the combination of better informed adoptive parents, an increase in the state’s financial participation rate and the availability of mediation as tool for negotiation beginning to make a difference? We shall see.