Adoption Services

Some foster children will never go back to their birth family. We are committed to the principle that every one of these children deserves a "forever family". We have the firm belief that a safe, permanent, and nurturing home can be found for any child who needs one. We also firmly believe that we are responsible for enabling this. Adoption Services are designed to find permanent homes for children and to provide support to the families who adopt them.

Children waiting for adoption include:

• Children with special needs, such as physical, mental, and emotional disabilities
• Sibling groups and teenagers
• Minority children, especially African American males

Many children available for adoption are eligible for monthly maintenance payments, medical benefits, and other services. Adoption Assistance is available for all children whose status and special needs meet certain criteria. Children who are considered special needs include children with physical, mental, developmental, and emotional disabilities as well as sibling groups, older children, and children of color. The child's Department of Social Services determines individual eligibility based on specific criteria. The agency then negotiates with adoptive parents to meet needs through an adoption assistance agreement.

The monthly adoption assistance payment in North Carolina is computed on a graduated level based on the age of the child. Most of North Carolina's 100 local county Departments of Social Services have raised their rates to the following payment structure:

$390.00 for children 0-5
$440.00 for children 6-12
$490.00 for children 13-18

Supplemental adoption assistance payments for HIV positive children are also available and are set at the following level:

$800.00 per month/child with indeterminate HIV status
$1000.00 per month/child confirmed HIV-infected, asymptomatic
$1200.00 per month/child confirmed HIV-infected, symptomatic
$1600.00 per month/child terminally ill with complex care needs

North Carolina, as do most states, utilizes an exchange program that serves to connect children needing homes to families wanting to adopt. The exchange employs a variety of methods to connect children and families including a Photo Adoption Listing Service (PALS) book and web site. These are used to circulate pictures and descriptions of children, allowing a family to identify, with its agency, the child whose needs will be best met as part of their family. The PALS books can be found in all 100 county Departments of Social Services, some public libraries and other agencies, and institutions with high visibility and use. Many of the foster children available for adoption are on the web site. It may be accessed by clicking of the Foster Child Adoption link, or from any internet -connected computer at the following address: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/adopt/aboutadoption.html.

If you would like more information about Adoption Services in North Carolina, contact the NC Kids Adoption and Foster Care Network at 1-877 NCKIDS-1 (1-877-625-4371). You may also contact your local county Department of Social Services.

For additional information on efforts being made to find permanent homes for children, please feel free to complete our information form or go to the Foster Child Adoption web site.

Questions and Answers-Confidential Intermediary

Agencies and Counties with CI Services

Page updated 03/25/2008