Subdivision 1.General information.

(a) Payments to parents under adoption assistance must be made monthly.

(b) Payments must commence when the commissioner receives the adoption decree from the court, the child-placing agency, or the parent. Payments must be made according to requirements and procedures prescribed by the commissioner.

(c) Payments shall only be made to the adoptive parent specified on the agreement. If there is more than one adoptive parent, both parties must be listed as the payee unless otherwise specified in writing according to requirements and procedures prescribed by the commissioner.

(d) Payment must be considered income and resource attributable to the child. Payment must not be assigned or transferred to another party. Payment is exempt from garnishment, except as permissible under the laws of the state where the child resides.

Subd. 2.Medical assistance eligibility.

Eligibility for medical assistance for children receiving adoption assistance is as specified in section 256B.055.

Subd. 3.Payments.

(a) The basic maintenance payments must be made according to the following schedule for all children except those eligible for adoption assistance based on being an at-risk child:

A child must receive the maximum payment amount for the child’s age, unless a lesser amount is negotiated with and agreed to by the prospective adoptive parent.

(b) Supplemental needs payments, in addition to basic maintenance payments, are available based on the severity of a child’s disability and the level of parenting required to care for the child, and must be made according to the following amounts:

A child’s level shall be assessed on an assessment tool prescribed by the commissioner. A child must receive the maximum payment for the child’s assessed level, unless a lesser amount is negotiated with and agreed to by the prospective adoptive parent.

Subd. 4.Reimbursement for special nonmedical expenses.

(a) Reimbursement for special nonmedical expenses is available to children, except those eligible for adoption assistance based on being an at-risk child.

(b) Reimbursements under this paragraph shall be made only after the adoptive parent documents that the requested service was denied by the local social service agency, community agencies, the local school district, the local public health department, the parent’s insurance provider, or the child’s program. The denial must be for an eligible service or qualified item under the program requirements of the applicable agency or organization.

(c) Reimbursements must be previously authorized, adhere to the requirements and procedures prescribed by the commissioner, and be limited to:

(1) child care for a child age 12 and younger, or for a child age 13 or 14 who has a documented disability that requires special instruction for and services by the child care provider. Child care reimbursements may be made if all available adult caregivers are employed, unemployed due to a disability as defined in section 259A.01, subdivision 14, or attending educational or vocational training programs. Documentation from a qualified expert that is dated within the last 12 months must be provided to verify the disability. If a parent is attending an educational or vocational training program, child care reimbursement is limited to no more than the time necessary to complete the credit requirements for an associate or baccalaureate degree as determined by the educational institution. Child care reimbursement is not limited for an adoptive parent completing basic or remedial education programs needed to prepare for postsecondary education or employment;

(2) respite care provided for the relief of the child’s parent up to 504 hours of respite care annually;

(3) camping up to 14 days per state fiscal year for a child to attend a special needs camp. The camp must be accredited by the American Camp Association as a special needs camp in order to be eligible for camp reimbursement;

(4) postadoption counseling to promote the child’s integration into the adoptive family that is provided by the placing agency during the first year following the date of the adoption decree. Reimbursement is limited to 12 sessions of postadoption counseling;

(5) family counseling that is required to meet the child’s special needs. Reimbursement is limited to the prorated portion of the counseling fees allotted to the family when the adoptive parent’s health insurance or Medicaid pays for the child’s counseling but does not cover counseling for the rest of the family members;

(6) home modifications to accommodate the child’s special needs upon which eligibility for adoption assistance was approved. Reimbursement is limited to once every five years per child;

(7) vehicle modifications to accommodate the child’s special needs upon which eligibility for adoption assistance was approved. Reimbursement is limited to once every five years per family; and

(8) burial expenses up to $1,000, if the special needs, upon which eligibility for adoption assistance was approved, resulted in the death of the child.

(d) The adoptive parent shall submit statements for expenses incurred between July 1 and June 30 of a given fiscal year to the state adoption assistance unit within 60 days after the end of the fiscal year in order for reimbursement to occur.