Department of Social Services

Adoption Subsidy Program

In the adoption subsidy program, the Department of Social Services tries to find and maintain stable and permanent homes for handicapped and other hard-to-place foster children. To encourage the adoption of these children, the Department pays adoptive parents monthly stipends to help cover the costs of caring for the children. We examined the Department's administration of the program and found that improvements are needed. For example, we determined that the local social services districts often do not screen adoptive parents in accordance with all Department procedures, and may not take adequate steps to ensure that the children are still in the care of the adopted parents. We identified a number of instances in which stipends may have been paid after the children had died. We also identified weaknesses in the procedures used to recruit adoptive parents and make the parents aware of all the children in need of adoption.

For a complete copy of Report 96-S-2 click here.
For a copy of the associated follow-up report click here.
For a copy of the 90-day response click here.