Mississippi State Adoption Assistance Program

https://www.mdcps.ms.gov/foster-and-adoptive-parents/adoptive-parent-resources

Mississippi’s state-specific medical assistance:
http://www.medicaid.ms.gov/

Mississippi Code, Adoption Supplemental Benefit Law, 93-17-51 through 93-17-69:
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/mscode/

click on I Agree,
then click on the plus sign in front of Title 93,
then click on the plus sign in front of Chapter 17,
then click on the Section titled Adoption Supplement Benefit Law,
then click on the description of the statute

Mississippi Adoption Policy (Adoption Assistance section 12):
https://www.mdcps.ms.gov/sites/default/files/about-us/policies-%26-procedures/Adoption-Policies-Procedures-Final-3.9.2018-Updated-6.10.21.pdf

In Mississippi a child with special needs is defined as a child who has at least one of the following circumstances that may be a barrier to adoption without financial assistance:

• two years of age or older
• Member of a sibling group of two or more children placed together for adoption, including fictive siblings
• Physical disability
• Mental disability (IQ of 70 or less)
• Developmental disability
• Emotional disturbance
• Medical condition(s)
• History of abuse that puts a child at risk of having special needs ($0 agreement with Medicaid)

Basic Special Needs

Special Needs I ($440 per month)—Children qualify for this rate if they have ongoing medical conditions requiring frequent medical attention or daily medications or interventions, and the SSI application is either pending or has been denied.

Special Needs II ($500 per month)—Child is receiving SSI benefits at the time of adoption.

Therapeutic Rate (up to $700 per month)—This rate is for children who have multiple diagnoses (whether mental health or medical or a combination) for which they continue to receive therapeutic intervention. The rate is also used for children who have a single diagnosis that is causing significant impairment in multiple settings (at home, at school, with peers, etc.).

Medically Fragile Rate ($900 per month)—The adoptee has a medical condition or multiple medical diagnoses that:

• Are life threatening in nature,
• Require specialized medical care in the home,
• Will require corrective major surgery/ recurrent surgeries, or
• Means the prognosis for full recovery is negligible and the child is not expected to ever live independently.

Assistance payments terminate when a child reaches age 18. However, the state may choose to extend assistance until children turn 21 if they have a mental or physical disability that warrants continuation.

The Adoption Assistance Program does not include a provision for the payment of residential treatment. DHS will help families who adopted through DHS explore funding options for residential care. There are a number of residential treatment programs that are approved Medicaid providers and can be accessed for youth who have Mississippi Medicaid. There is also a MYPAC program which is an intensive in-home therapeutic intervention available through Medicaid and is designed to keep the child in his/her own home or community.

Post-adoption services in Mississippi are administered by DHS Family and Children’s Services Resource Family Units, which are located in each region. Parents should contact the local Department of Family and Children’s Services office to access services or contact the regional office. A list of the regional offices is available at http://www.mdhs.state.ms.us/fcs_rd.html or from 601-359-4999.

Partners in Permanency (PIP), a program administered through a private adoption agency, also provides post-adoption services to all adopted children in Mississippi. To read about services and find contact information, visit https://www.scscy.org/adoptionpermanencyservices

Mississippi established a Child Adoption Credit of up to $5,000 for qualified adoption expenses. Qualified applicants can apply for the credit the year the adoption is finalized, and unused credit may be carried forward for three years. Please visit www.dor.ms.gov for more information.