Ohio Senate Extends Adoption Grant Funding

A Big Step Forward

On February 29, the Ohio Senate passed HB 27 which extends funding for the Ohio Adoption Grant program to State Fiscal Years (SFY) 2025 and 2026, (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2026). The bill now goes back to the Ohio House, where it is likely to pass. The measure, as passed by the Senate, appropriates 34 million dollars each for SFY 2025 and 2026. The amount ultimately may change if the House version needs to be reconciled with the Senate bill in Conference Committee. But, this is promising news for Ohio residents who are in the process of adopting Ohio children or plan to adopt a child in the near future.

A June 29, 2023 post entitled, “The $20,000 Ohio Adoption Grant, Some Comments and Questions,” discusses the two largest grant categories.

• Adoptions by Foster Caregivers ($15,000) and,

• Special Needs Adoptions ($20,000)

All other adoptions may qualify for a grant of $10,000. The renewal of funding should take the pressure off parents who were afraid that grant funds would run out, by the time they finished negotiating a Title IV-E Adoption Assistance Agreement in 2024.