State Contact

Marcia Anderson
Department of Children and Families (DCF)
Office of Children and Youth in Placement
505 Hudson Street
Hartford, CT  06105
860-550-6608
Marcia.Anderson@ct.gov

List of Specialists
https://portal.ct.gov/DCF/CTFosterAdopt/Subsidy

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Adoption Resources on the Web

https://portal.ct.gov/DCF/CTFosterAdopt/Adoption

Connecticut’s state-specific medical assistance:
https://portal.ct.gov/husky

Connecticut’s adoption subsidy links:
https://portal.ct.gov/DCF/CTFosterAdopt/
Adoption#SubsidizedAdoption

Click on Financial and Other Services Available in the left navigation pane.
Click on Financial and Other Support to Foster or Adopt a Child.

Connecticut’s General Statutess, §17a-117 to §17a-121a
https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_319a.htm

Connecticut’s Agency Regulations, Subsidized Adoptions of Special Needs Children, Section 17a-116-6 to 17a-116-14
https://portal.ct.gov/DCF/Policy/Regulations/Subsidized-Adoption

Connecticut’s Policy Manual, Adoption Subsidies, Chapter 26-2
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DCF/Policy/Policy-and-Practice-Guides/26-2-Adoption-Subsidies.pdf

In Connecticut a special needs child is a child who is difficult to place in an adoptive family because of one or more of the following conditions:

  • physical or mental disability
  • serious emotional maladjustment
  • a recognized high risk of physical or mental disability
  • over age eight
  • the age of two and over and racial or ethnic factor which present a barrier to adoption
  • is a member of a sibling group that should be placed together
  • has been certified as a special needs child by the Department

Basic rates based on age:

Age Per Diem
0-5 $25.99
6-11 $26.29
12-18 $28.52

Children adopted from a therapeutic foster home may receive up to the monthly maintenance payment they received in foster care as adoption assistance, but may not exceed that rate.

Children who are defined as “medically complex” may receive adoption assistance commiserate with the child’s medical condition based on the care he or she requires. The maximum per diem for medically complex children is $47.10. Children may be considered medically complex if they are: (a) diagnosed with a life-threatening condition; (b) diagnosed with an injurious medical condition that results in substantial physical impairment; (c) HIV-positive; or (d) diagnosed with AIDS, and meet criteria for nursing care level of need. The child must require specific care to meet this definition.

Medically complex children are reviewed annually. The review requires that the medical doctor certifies the child’s medically complex status. If the child’s medical condition improves and they no longer certified as medically complex, the child’s adoption assistance rate will reduce to the basic rate.

Adoption financial subsidies end at age 18 and medical coverage ends at age 21.  However, if the youth was adopted on or after their 16th birthday, the financial subsidy can continue until their 21st birthday if they meet certain criteria.

When a child in the state’s foster care system is adopted by a family residing in Connecticut, the child is eligible for one year of child care paid for through Care4Kids and Department of Social Services regardless of family income. The family must apply for Care4Kids after finalization to access this service.

After the first year, the family applies for Care4Kids for their child as does any other working Connecticut parent, and must meet the eligibility guidelines, including income. For eligible children, Care4Kids will provide child care until the child turns age 13.

Families who live in Connecticut, including those families who have adopted children, who need residential treatment for their child may apply for the Voluntary Services Program. If eligible, parents may not have to contribute to the cost of placement. Adoption assistance will be renegotiated with the adoptive family when the child is placed and while DCF provides the costs for the residential facility. To access the program, families should call the Department’s Hotline at 800-842-2288.

Any family who has adopted a child from the state’s foster care system or is caring for a related child through the Department’s subsidized relative transfer of guardianship program is eligible to receive post-adoption /guardianhip support services from the Connecticut Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) , https://health.uconn.edu/adoption-assistance/ or 877-679-1961.

Additional supportive services may be available from the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families (CAFAF), which can be reached at 860-258-3400 or http://www.cafafct.org.

Connecticut has a subsidized guardianship program, children must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • are under 18 years of age
  • have been in the custody of the Department through a voluntary placement agreement or through a court order for at least six consecutive months;
  • have been placed in with a relative caregiver who has been licensed for foster care for at least six consecutive months, and neither reunification nor adoption are the best permanency options for the child.

There are three types of subsidies available under this program:

  • A monthly subsidy
  • A medical subsidy
  • An exceptional expense subsidy

Children are eligible for the above subsidies until they reach 18 years of age, or 21 years of age if they are in full-time attendance at a secondary school or technical school/college or if they are in a state-accredited job training program.

Any child adopted from the DCF foster care system after December 31, 2004 can receive assistance with post-secondary education costs. DCF will provide financial assistance toward the cost for any degree or accredited program after high school that the adopted child is accepted into, provided the child attends full time. The maximum amount of financial assistance is the annual cost of the Central Connecticut State University, including tuition, fees, and room and board. For more information, contact Paul Gressly (860-550-6559) in the DCF Subsidy Unit.