The Development of Adoption Law

This article will provide a short history of the law of adoption and a brief introduction to some of the more controversial legal issues involved in the adoption of children in the United States today. Its purpose is not to discuss fully all of the legal issues that may arise in adoption, but rather to […]

Adoption Assistance: An Introduction – Clearinghouse Review Article

“Adoption Assistance: An Introduction” by Alice Bussiere has been published in the July-August, 2011 issue of Clearinghouse Review. Bussiere writes that adoption assistance programs provide crucial support for families adopting children with special needs. However, such federal and state programs can be difficult for both parents and their advocates to navigate. Adoption advocates need to […]

Mark A. v. Wilson Stipulated Judgment

Mark A. v. Wilson was filed in January 1998 alleging that the State’s administration of the Adoption Assistance Program, a federally funded program that provides families with financial support when they adopt hard to place foster children, requires parents to provide extensive financial data before they can be considered for the program and discourages families […]

Mark A. v. Wilson First Amended Complaint

Mark A. v. Wilson was filed in January 1998 alleging that the State’s administration of the Adoption Assistance Program, a federally funded program that provides families with financial support when they adopt hard to place foster children, requires parents to provide extensive financial data before they can be considered for the program and discourages families […]

A.S.W. v. Mink Ninth Circuit Opinion

A.S.W. v. Mink, a class action lawsuit, challenged the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) actions to unilaterally reduce and, in some cases, end Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) payments for children with special needs and deny families the right to an administrative fair hearing to contest DHS’s actions. Oregon implemented a unilateral across the board […]

A.S.W. v. Mink Complaint

A.S.W. v. Mink, a class action lawsuit, challenged the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) actions to unilaterally reduce and, in some cases, end Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) payments for children with special needs and deny families the right to an administrative fair hearing to contest DHS’s actions. Oregon implemented a unilateral across the board […]

Overpayments – YLC Fact Sheet

This fact sheet describes what overpayments are and what the rules are if the overpayments occur in the following programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC-FC) (Foster Care), Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payments (Kin-GAP) and Adoption Assistance Program (AAP).

AB 154 Fact Sheet

AB 154 would increase the incentives of to promote the adoption of children in foster care, particularly those with special needs and older youth.