Ohio's 2023 Adoption Grant Program Became Effective on April 7
As long as funds are available
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) launched the Ohio Adoption Grant program with the issuance of Manual Transmittal Letter 518 dated April 7, 2023. Emergency rule OAC 5101:2-44-15, also effective on April 7 sets forth the application procedures and documentation requirements for an adoption grant.
I discussed the one-time grants in a March post sheepishly titled “Correction and Apology. I Got the Grant Numbers for Parents Adopting Ohio Children in 2023 Completely Wrong (substack.com). Parents adopting a child in 2023 may be eligible for one of three grants.
$10,000 for the adoption of a child
$15,000 for the adoption of a child by the child’s foster parents.
$20,000 for the adoption of a special needs child from the foster care system.
The application on the JFS 01057 form, along with required documentation must be submitted with a year of the adoption. Form JFS 01057-I provides guidance for completing the application form.
Surprisingly, parents must have lived in Ohio at the time of the adoption. My initial impression from the legislation was focused on the adoption of Ohio children, not the parents.
Special Needs
In order to qualify for a $20,000 grant, the child’s special needs must be documented on “Ohio Adoption Grant Special Needs Documentation form (JFS 01058). A qualified professional must complete the form. JFS 01058-I provides guidance.
The special needs definitions for the $20,000 Adoption Grant are similar to those associated with the Title IV-E Adoption Assistance Program in OAC 5101:2-49-03. “Developmental Delay” is more elaborately defined by age range in the Adoption Grant program.
Opportunities for a Second Review
Applications and required documentation must be submitted to ODJFS. Guidance for applications may be found at AdoptionGrant.ohio.gov. If the initial application is denied, the adoptive parents may request a second review no later than 30 days from the date of the denial. The opportunity for a second review will allow adoptive parents to obtain and submit any additional information that supports their application.
As Long as Funds Are Available
According to OAC rule 5101:2-44-15 (A),
In the event state funding is no longer available, the Ohio adoption grant program will close to new applications until additional funds are secured or July first of the following state fiscal year (SFY), whichever occurs first. Once state funds have been exhausted, the Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS) is not to be held responsible for payment of grant payments for applications that have not been approved.
Ohio’s State Fiscal Year begins on July 1. July 1 of “the following state fiscal year” would be July 1, 2024. The Ohio Adoption Grant program is initially funded at 15 million dollars, but the Governor may request additional funds. Parents may apply for an Ohio Adoption Grant up to one year after the adoption is finalized. But, parents would be wise to compile the required information and submit a grant application as soon as possible after finalization of their child’s adoption.
The Grant’s Relationship to the Negotiation of Adoption Assistance
Neither federal, nor Ohio law links Ohio Adoption Grants to the negotiation of Adoption Assistance payments. County agencies may not develop policies or practices that calculate the amount of a possible state adoption grant to impose reduced Adoption Assistance payments.
A potential Ohio Adoption Grant should have little bearing on the negotiation of adoption assistance because:
They are one-time grants.
Negotiations for adoption assistance take place prior to adoption. An Adoption Assistance Agreement is a pre-adoptive plan of support that prospective adoptive parents can rely on. The Ohio Adoption Grants are post adoption resources. Adoptive parents must apply for them after the final decree of adoption with no guarantee of success.
The funding for an Ohio Adoption Grant is finite. Depending on what month in 2023, the adoption is finalized, the program could run out of money even if the family was eligible.
The county agencies have no financial responsibility for the grants.