14 Foster-Adoptive Resources
Families approved to provide foster/adoptive care (FA) must be approved adoptive families who are accepting a child for the purpose of adoption.
The foster/adoptive care (FA) approval is designed to enhance adoption permanency planning for children in CD custody or Class I juvenile courts. It enables staff to authorize out-of-home care payments for children in CD custody for maintenance, special expenses, if needed, and Medicaid to families who are in need of temporary financial assistance.
Children in the custody of Class I juvenile courts and placed with an approved foster/adoptive care (FA) family are entitled only to maintenance and Medicaid services. Payments may be provided until custody is transferred for adoption or the child is removed from the home, whichever occurs first.
This approval does not apply to foster or relative families who are later approved to adopt a child in their care who is in CD custody. These families are already approved and do not need to be approved again to receive out-of-home care payments.
Rule Requirements
Rule 13 CSR 40-50.010 includes the following approval requirements:
- Prior approval as an adoptive resource, and have had a child placed or are in the process of having a specific child placed;
- The filing of a petition for adoption of a specific child;
A petition for adoption may be filed before a specific child is actually placed in order to meet the rule requirement.
The signing of a CM-6, Cooperative Agreement for the Purchase of Foster/Adoptive Care (FA): The approval period is up to nine months. This period may be extended, as necessary, but not to exceed up to nine months until custody is transferred, an adoption subsidy agreement is approved for an eligible child, or the child is removed, whichever occurs first.
It is not necessary that actual physical placement of the child occur for the cooperative agreement to be signed. However, the plan for the child must be placement and it must occur within a reasonable time after the approval begins.
Memoranda History:
CD14-64, CD17-42