Comparison of Adoption Subsidy and Foster Care Payment Amounts

Comparison of Adoption Subsidy and Foster Care Payment Amounts | ASPE:

For adoption subsidies funded by Title IV-E, the subsidy amount is capped at the level of the foster care payment that a family would receive on behalf of a child. However, adoption subsidy rates that are set lower than foster care payments could represent a disincentive for foster families to adopt a child if foster parents are concerned about whether they could meet a child's needs after adoption. To assess whether this potential barrier exists, we compared the median adoption subsidy amounts with the median amount received by children in foster care on a national and state level.