Follow the Money:
The Financial Aspects of Adoption

Presented by Madelyn Freundlich
NYS Citizens' Coalition for Children, Inc.
13th Annual Statewide Adoption Training Conference
Adoption 2002: Linking Promises to Possibilities
May 10, Albany New York  

|John R., age 3, comes into foster care for the second time, again having been physically abused by his mother's boyfriend. He was last in care one and a half years ago. He is placed with Mr. and Mrs. T, the foster parents who cared for him during his first foster care stay. They express an interest in adopting John if he is freed for adoption.

Eighteen months later, the rights of John's parents are terminated. The T's, at this point, state concerns about moving forward with the adoption. There have been several major changes in their lives, including the fact that Mrs. T's mother (who is in very poor health) has moved in with the family and Mr. T has been undergoing medical treatment for a serious illness. There has been a financial strain on the family as a result of these events. Mary (John's caseworker) is aware of these factors. She tells the Ts that John has bonded with them and will be irreparably traumatized if he is moved to another family. She assures them that financially, there are benefits available, mentioning the new, more generous tax credit. After several conversations with Mary, the Ts agree to go forward with the adoption.

As they approach adoption finalization, the Ts ask about an adoption subsidy for John. His behavior over the past 6 months has become increasingly difficult to manage. Although he is "okay" at home, he has been involved in several fights with other children at day care. On one occasion, he ran away from the day care center and after being found several blocks away, he resisted the staff's efforts to return him to the center. He has begun to have trouble sleeping and to roam the house at night. Mary tells the Ts that John's behavior is a transitory reaction to the changes occurring in his life, and that once the adoption is finalized, he will be fine. She notes that, unlike most families who adopt children in foster care, the Ts have a more-than-moderate income and that Mrs. T has health insurance at work that would cover John at minimal cost to the family. She does not encourage further exploration of subsidy and instead, focuses the conversation on the family's own resources and the availability of the tax credit. The adoption is finalized without a subsidy.

• Was the financial outcome the right one?
  
• What factors support Mary's action in this case?
  
• What factors suggest that her action was not appropriate?
  
• What are the likely short and long term effects of the financial arrangement in this case?
  
• What "intangible costs" are raised by this case?

5/20/02