In a previous post, I provided a brief overview of the Adoption Assistance program. One part of Adoption Assistance is the Supplemental Maintenance Payment. This payment is “available when a child has a diagnosed physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral disability that requires care, supervision, and structure beyond that ordinarily provided in a family setting for a child of the same age. The amount of payment for supplemental maintenance is based on the severity of the child’s needs and the effect of the child’s needs on the adoptive family.”
I think of this as being similar to a Difficulty of Care (DOC) payment that foster parents receive.
This form is an example of what is used to determine a child’s “level.” In order for this form to be properly filled out, there needs to be a lot of documentation of the child’s behaviors and diagnosis/diagnoses. Additionally, it should be noted that there has been a “tightening” by the Minnesota Department of Human Services recently when it comes to Adoption Assistance, and so adoptive parents should be ready for some “pushback” when they submit their Adoption Assistance Agreement. It is SO important to advocate for your child when it comes to this part of the Adoption Assistance process.