Question: Can I Maintain FCM Until a Child's Adoption Finalizes?

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Category: Questions/Hints/Tips

Published on Friday, 10 February 2012 16:39

Written by SACWIS Administrator

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Question:  Sometimes our kids don't receive adoption assistance (AA) until after their adoption is finalize, so they receive FCM until custody is terminated.  We would track this in SIS by keeping the child in the foster placement setting, terminating custody, and then entering the AA events. However, can we maintain this practice in SACWIS?  Will the AA determination work if the child is not in placement, such as when we do the court information terminating custody and then the AA termination? What order of actions should we take for AA to work?

Answer:  Yes, you can still issue FCM until the child's adoption is finalized.  As in SIS, you will need to keep the child in the foster care placement until you want to switch to AA.  You can begin the child’s AA record as soon as the adoptive family is identified.  However, you will not be able to complete the record until the child is ready to make the switch. 

The order in which you change or terminate records is important.

1. You must record the adoptive placement and determine eligibility before the Legal Status of Permanent Custody (PC) is terminated.
2. Once you complete the AA record and the status of the record is "Approved," the child’s custody and placement can be ended. 
3. In this situation, the child's adoptive placement will begin and end on the day their adoption is finalized. 
4. The system will allow you to back date the termination of the Legal Status and Placement record. 
5. This will not effect the subsidy record as long as eligibility has been determined and saved. 
6. So, if the child's adoption finalizes on June 1st, but you don't complete the AA record until June 5th, you can still terminate PC and placement as of June 1st.

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