Adoptive parents and guardians of children from Indiana’s foster care system will soon receive more money to help with costs, the Indiana Department of Child Services announced in a news release Wednesday.
Beginning July 1, families will be entitled to the same amount of financial assistance that went toward their child’s care while they were in the foster system, the release said.
Currently, families receive financial assistance equal to at least 50% of the amount the child received in foster care, and they can negotiate for more support based on individual circumstances. DCS said the increase to 100% supports relief for families and reduces the need for negotiations that can delay sustainability for children.
“We often hear from families who are interested in adoption or guardianship, but they are concerned that they may not be able to afford the additional costs required to meet a child’s needs,” said Indiana Executive Director Eric Miller DCS. “By making help more readily available, we are creating more opportunities for Hoosier children to find their forever homes and better supporting the families who make that possible.”
Grants and financial assistance are provided through Indiana DCS’s Indiana Adoption Assistance Program and the Guardianship Assistance Program.
For more information about Indiana’s adoption program, visit: https://www.indianaadoptionprogram.org.
This article originally appeared on the Indianapolis Star: Indiana DCS increases funding for families to support foster children
