12.6 Reviewing and Signing the Adoption Assistance Agreement | CWS

The Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) will:

The County Director/Designee will:

The SSCM will:

The County Director/Designee will:

This is a legal and binding agreement between the agency and the pre-adoptive parent(s) regarding adoption assistance benefits. It establishes types, duration, amount(s) of benefits, and other agreed upon stipulations. A fully executed Adoption Assistance Agreement refers to an Adoption Assistance Agreement that was negotiated with the adoptive parent(s); reviewed and discussed with the adoptive parent(s); and all required signatures (adoptive parent(s), County Director/Designee and authorized department representative) and dates obtained.

All required parties must sign and date the Adoption Assistance Agreement to indicate agreement with the assigned benefits prior to adoption assistance payments beginning. All signatures must be in place within 30 days of the adoption placement date and prior to finalization. For the children in the permanent custody of DFCS, the signing of the Adoption Assistance Agreement will be coordinated with the Adoption Placement Signing. For children not in the permanent custody of DFCS, such as private/independent adoptions, the review and signing of the Adoption Assistance Agreement will be executed prior to the finalization of the adoption.

For foster parent adoptions, the adoption placement signing is often arranged for the beginning of a month to ensure continuity of payment for the child and to prevent duplicate payments from the foster care program funds and the adoption assistance program funds.

The Adoption Assistance Agreement must only be launched from Georgia SHINES. Should there be difficulty launching the adoption assistance agreement, contact for assistance the Data Integrity Specialist (DIS), Georgia SHINES support personnel, and/or the Social Services Administration Unit (SSAU). If necessary, SSAU can manually create an Adoption Assistance Agreement for use at the adoption placement signing. If the issue persists, it may be necessary to postpone the signing if it does not cause a hardship to the adoptive family. Once the issue is resolved in Georgia SHINES attach and complete the adoption assistance agreement.

DFCS recognizes the adoption of children by both members of a same-sex marriage, in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. Based on this ruling, both members of a same-sex marriage who are identified as the adoptive placement are allowed to sign the adoption assistance agreement. Until Georgia SHINES which generates adoption assistance agreements can be updated the name of one of the members of the same-sex marriage may be handwritten on to the agreement by a DFCS staff person, if done so prior to adoption finalization. The SSAU may be consulted regarding such cases and may generate an agreement outside of the SHINES system for signing, if requested to do so.

There are four types of independent adoptions:

If a child does not meet the eligibility criteria of a child with special needs prior to adoptive placement, but has background factors that may lead to significant medical, physical, or emotional problems in the future, a deferred Adoption Assistance Agreement is completed with the pre-adoptive parent(s). If significant medical, physical, or mental conditions develop at a later date, adoption assistance may be instated if it is determined by DFCS these developed conditions meet the special needs eligibility criteria. Deferred Adoption Assistance is only available for DFCS-involved adoptions.

For adoptive parents who decide to voluntarily suspend adoption assistance benefits while their child receives SSI, the deferred Adoption Assistance Agreement may be used to designate the child’s eligibility for adoption assistance benefits while receiving SSI and provide the opportunity to activate adoption assistance benefits at a later date (see policy 12.4 Adoption Assistance: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) & Adoption Assistance).

On March 03, 2014, DFCS transitioned from a standard fee-for-service Medicaid program to a statewide Medicaid Care Management Organization (CMO) through Amerigroup Georgia Managed Care Company. The transition impacted children in DFCS custody and children receiving adoption assistance as they became members of a new program called Georgia Families 360˚ which is separate from Georgia Families, the general Medicaid program administered by the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH). Georgia Families 360˚ is designed to provide coordinated care across multiple services and focus on the physical, dental and behavioral needs of member children. The program is designed to ensure each member has a medical and dental home, access to preventive care screenings, and timely assessments. It also seeks to ensure medical providers adhere to clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based medicine. Families receiving adoption assistance have the option of enrolling in Georgia Families 360˚or choosing fee-for-service Medicaid.

Each Georgia Families 360˚ member is assigned to a regional Care Coordination Team with a specified Care Manager. The CCT members are Masters level staff, the majority of whom hold a professional license to practice in their respective field. The CCT completes a Health Risk Screening (HRS) on youth in care to identify medical and/or behavioral needs. They ensure each child is assigned to a Primary Care Physician (PCP) and Primary Care Dentist so every child has a medical and dental home. The CCT is responsible for coordinating the health components of the Comprehensive Child and Family Assessment (CCFA), including the initial physical assessment, dental screening and trauma assessment. Care Managers are the primary partner of the SSCM for identifying and making referrals for needed services. Care Managers ensure each youth has an individualized care plan that addresses both physical and behavioral health needs. They work with community agencies to ensure appropriate services are provided.

Any services not authorized by the CCT will not be paid for out of Medicaid. Therefore, it is imperative that all medical/dental, behavioral health and developmental care be coordinated with the CCT to avoid any uncovered expenses.