Federal and State Financial Participation Rates in Title IV-E Adoption Assistance After July 1, 2011

Family and Children and Adult Services Procedure Letter (FCASPL) 203A issued on October 5, stated that effective July 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011, the federal financial participation (FFP) rate for both Title IV-E adoption assistance and Title IV-foster care maintenance will be 63.69%. The Ohio Senate's version of the biennium budget may keep the state's adoption assistance participation rate at monthly payments of $250 or less. The Ohio House version of the budget accepted Governor Kasich's proposal to lower the state's participation rate to payments at or below $230 per month. Without negotiated participation by county agencies, Ohio's adoption assistance rates would be among the very lowest in the country. For this reason, the negotiation process is of crucial importance to adoptive parents.

Rules and procedures governing the negotiation of federal Title IV-E adoption assistance agreements and the right to appeal agency decisions remains the same. In my experience, adoptive parents who are willing to inform themselves and to take an active role in negotiating adoption assistance agreements always obtain a better support plan for their special needs children than parents who passively accept an agency proposal which they feel is inadequate.


Total Monthly Adoption Assistance Payment:$500

If the state's participation rate remains at adoption assistance payment of $250 or less, costs would breakdown as follows for a negotiated adoption assistance payment of $500 per month

First $250
Federal Share:$159,23 (63.69% of $250); State $90.78 (36.31% of $250); County 0


Remaining $250
Federal Share:$159.23 (63.69% of $250); State 0; County 36.31% of $250)

(Totals: $500
Federal Share:$318.45 63.69% of $500 State 90.78 of $500; County $90.78 of $500


Total Monthly Adoption Assistance Payment:$1,000


If the state's participation rate remains at adoption assistance payment of $250 or less, costs would breakdown as follows for a negotiated adoption assistance payment of $1,000 per month.

First $250
Federal Share:$159,23 (63.69% of $250); State $90.78(63.69% of $250;County 0

Remaining $750
Federal Share:$477.68(63.69% of $750;State 0; County $272.33(36.31% of $750)

Totals: $1,000
Federal Share:$636.90 (63.69% of $1,000);State $90.78 ;County $272.33

The distribution, of course, will change slightly if the Ohio House version prevails and the state maximum financial participation is limited to monthly adoption assistance payments of $230 or less. We will keep you up to date on the final state budget figures.