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New Hampshire State Subsidy Profile Updated March 2006 State Subsidy Contact Person Cathy Atkins NACAC Subsidy Representative (parent/volunteer) Adoption subsidies are available for children with special needs. Federal subsidies were created by Congress (through Public Law 96-272—the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980) to encourage the adoption of special needs children and remove the financial disincentives to adoption for the families. Children may receive a federally funded subsidy under Title IV-E or a state-funded subsidy as per state guidelines. Below we have outlined information related to definitions of special needs, benefits available, and procedures in your state. Answers to select questions were made available by the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) through the Child Welfare Information Gateway (www.childwelfare.gov). Profiles for each state’s subsidy program are available on our web site at www.nacac.org. If you have additional questions, please call the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) at 651-644-3036 or our subsidy help line at 800-470-6665, or e-mail us at adoption.assistance@nacac.org. If you have state-specific questions, please call your State Subsidy Contact Person or the NACAC Subsidy Representative (listed above) for more information. Adoption Resources on the Web: http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/DHHS/FCADOPTION/default.htm and See also Laws-Rules-Polices on adoption: http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/DHHS/FCADOPTION/ New Hampshire’s state-specific medical assistance links: http://www.nhmedicaid.com/ and New Hampshire’s adoption assistance links: New Hampshire’s adoption information is found under Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/DHHS/FCADOPTION/FAQs/default.htm
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:
2. What are the eligibility criteria for the 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. The maximum basic monthly adoption assistance maintenance payment in New Hampshire is: Basic rates:
4. Specialized rates are based on the extraordinary needs of the child, and/or the additional parenting skill needed to raise the child. If New Hampshire offers these rates, the criteria used to define them are as follows: Cases are considered on an individual basis. 5. Parents can receive payment or reimbursement for certain nonrecurring adoption expenses directly related to the finalization of an adoption. Below are the allowed expenses and the limit per child. Nonrecurring adoption expenses include: reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, and other expenses (i.e. adoption studies, health and psychological examinations, supervision of the placement prior to adoption, transportation, reasonable costs of food/lodging necessary to complete the placement) which are directly related to the legal adoption of a child with special needs. 6. What Medicaid services are available in New Hampshire? Who is the Medicaid contact person in New Hampshire? The contact person is Simone Roy (603-271-4694 or sroy@dhhs.state.nh.us).
* = Service limits on occupational, physical, and speech therapies are taken in combination 7. Children who have federally funded (Title IV-E) subsidy are automatically eligible for Medicaid benefits. However, it is the state's decision whether state-funded (non-Title IV-E) children are eligible for Medicaid benefits in New Hampshire. Below is information on the Medicaid benefits available for state-funded children. Children eligible for adoption subsidy are considered one-person families and are eligible for Medicaid. 8. What mental health services are provided by your State? Public mental health services for children in New Hampshire are administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community and Public Health and include the following examples: inpatient hospitalization, psychotherapy, social work counseling, mental health services, pastoral counseling, prescription drugs, and respite care. Contact the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health at the State Office Park South, location: 105 Pleasant Street Mental Health resources: New Hampshire Medicaid: Targeted Medicaid Services: 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? New Hampshire does not offer additional finances or services for medical or therapeutic needs not covered under their state medical plan to children receiving adoption assistance. New Hampshire adoption assistance staff will assist families in obtaining other available resources. 10. What types of post adoption services are available in your State and how do you find out more about them? Post adoption services in New Hampshire are administered by the DHHS, Department of Children, Youth and Families and include the following examples:
New Hampshire partners with Granite State College for a university-based service that develops instruction on an identified need. The organization provides training for foster and adoptive families three or four times annually on a range of subjects including attachment issues, ADHD, and developmental disability. Contact Granite State College at the general number: 888-228-3000 (toll free) or 603-271-4946 for the Education and Training Partnership. See the University System of New Hampshire, Granite College: http://www.granite.edu/etp/index.html Information on adoption search services can be found under the Frequently Asked Questions: No direct respite services are provided. Referrals are made to Community Services. The need for respite care is taken into consideration in determining a family's need for financial subsidy. However, many private organizations offer a variety of respite options. See the ARCH National Respite Network Respite Locator Service, search by state to locate New Hampshire’s respite programs, link: http://www.respitelocator.org/. To contact DHHS, DCYF, see the contact and information: 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. 11. If the additional assistance (listed above in questions #8 -10) is to cover specific services (e.g., counseling/mental health services, respite care, etc.), must these services be explicitly identified in the adoption assistance agreement? No. They would be listed in the family’s application for assistance. 12. How are residential treatment costs covered (if at all) for adoptive families? What procedures must a family follow to receive these services? Residential treatment is not covered by adoption subsidy. Access is obtained through private insurance, the Education Department, or filing of an abuse/neglect, CHINS, or delinquency petition. Note: Some residential treatment centers are Medicaid providers. However, only limited costs are covered (i.e., the therapeutic portion of the treatment). 13. A deferred adoption assistance agreement is one in which the initial monthly maintenance amount is $0. Does New Hampshire offer such agreements? Yes, New Hampshire offers deferred adoption assistance. 14. Does New Hampshire operate a subsidized guardianship program? No.
15. Who makes the final determination of a child's subsidy eligibility in New Hampshire? What roles, if any, do workers and administrators at the county, district, or regional level play in eligibility determination and/or assistance negotiation? Families must demonstrate that they are unable to meet the needs of the child without an adoption subsidy. Circumstances which are considered include, but are not limited to:
These eligibility requirements apply to subsidies funded both through Title IV-E and state/county funds. The Adoption Program Specialist makes eligibility determinations for both child and family. 16. Will New Hampshire consider my family income to determine my child's eligibility for adoption subsidy? No income scales are used. 17. When do subsidy payments begin? Adoption assistance payments and benefits may begin in New Hampshire at placement. 18. Do children adopted from private agencies in New Hampshire receive the same subsidies as those children adopted from public agencies? Yes (if all other program criteria are met). 19. When my child turns 18, which benefits, if any, are available to our family? None. Eligibility may continue until a child reaches age 18, according to New Hampshire statute RSA-170-F. 20. A child's adoption assistance agreement may be periodically reviewed by the state. What is the typical process used in New Hampshire? Continued need for subsidy is reviewed annually. A special review may be requested in writing at any time by any party involved in the adoption subsidy. A special review must be conducted if one of the adoptive parents dies or if the adoptive parents are divorced or separated. 21. Can adoption assistance agreements be modified if requested by adoptive parents? Adoptive parents can make a request to change the adoption assistance agreement at any time. Requests can be made to the adoption assistance worker and can be either written or verbal. Requests for change are based on a change in the circumstances of the family or the needs of the child and each request is considered on an individual basis. If the parent disagrees with an answer to the requested change, they have the right to request an appeal of the decision and seek a fair hearing. See Question #22 for more information on the fair hearing process in New Hampshire. 22. What are the exact steps a family must go through to access the fair hearing/appeal process in New Hampshire? Adoptive parents may appeal any Department of Children, Youth and Family decision that affects their child’s adoption assistance benefits. Requests for fair hearing can be in writing regarding eligibility, review, termination and suspension of the adoption assistance. Contact Linda Magoon at the following address: Department of Health and Human Services 23. Families may request a subsidy after the finalization of an adoption under certain circumstances. Below is the process by which families access a subsidy after finalization. For information contact Cathy Atkins at 603-271-4707.
24. How is the subsidy program operated and funded in New Hampshire? The program is state supervised/state administered. This means that both policy and eligibility decisions are made by personnel at the state office. The federal contribution to Title IV-E-eligible children is 50.00% in New Hampshire. This is known as the Federal Financial Participation (FFP) rate. The remaining cost of the program is funded by 37.5% state funds and 12.5% county funds. 25. Below are other programs that may differentiate New Hampshire's adoption assistance program from others around the country. New Hampshire offers extensive training to adoptive parents through a partnership with Granite State College. See question #10 for more information.
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North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
970 Raymond Avenue, Suite 106
St. Paul, MN 55114
phone: 651-644-3036
fax: 651-644-9848
e-mail: info@nacac.org
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