Governor's Press Office Press Release:

TAMPA –

Governor Charlie Crist today applauded Florida’s successes in transforming state foster care while addressing child advocates, legislators and state child welfare system leaders from 18 states in Tampa. Florida was chosen as the host state for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices policy institute, Changing the Outcome: Achieving and Sustaining a Safe Reduction in Foster Care, because of its success in safely reducing the number of children in foster care, including the Governor’s statewide Explore Adoption initiative.

“In Florida, we have revolutionized our approach to foster care, and our efforts are helping more families stay together and dramatically increasing the adoption of foster children into loving families,” said Governor Crist. “Fewer children in foster care means fewer children with childhood memories filled with an ever-shifting series of foster homes and schools.”

Florida’s successes include receiving $9.75 million in federal adoption incentives that reward states for adoptions of older children in foster care or those with special needs. Announced in September, the federal bonus funds come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. A total of $35 million in adoption incentive bonuses is going to 38 states and Puerto Rico, with the next highest award going to Texas, which received nearly $5 million.

“Governor Crist and his administration are highlighting public adoption among a broad range of Floridians, and many wonderful children are now finding their forever families,” said Florida’s Chief Child Advocate Jim Kallinger. “Florida families have opened up their hearts and homes to our children, and for that, we are very thankful.”

In 2008, Governor Crist launched a statewide Explore Adoption initiative aimed at promoting the benefits of public adoption and urging families to consider creating or expanding their families by adopting a child who is older, disabled or part of a sibling group. The initiative works to “put a new face on public adoption” by telling the many stories of families whose lives have been enriched by adopting Florida’s children. The goal of Explore Adoption is to recruit permanent and loving families previously unknown to the approximately 850 children in foster care who need a forever family.

Since July 1, 2009, more than 600 adoptions of foster children have been finalized and approximately 200 completed adoptions are anticipated during November 2009. Governor Crist has declared November National Adoption Month, calling for a renewed focus on adopting teenagers from state foster care. Teenagers are one of the hardest-to-place groups of children in foster care. Last December, the Florida Department of Children and Families created the “Longest Waiting Teens” initiative to encourage the adoption of teenagers. The goal is to find families for the 103 children – including teenagers and their siblings. Since the initiative began, 26 have been adopted.

The “Longest Waiting Teens” project identifies youth who have been in foster care the longest and are readily available for adoption. The initiative helps community-based care organizations focus on finding adoptive families for the youth, and caseworkers develop new strategies to meet this goal. Many of the teens currently in foster care have been there for more than five years, and a disproportionate number of them are African American males.

Earlier this year, Governor Crist announced Florida’s record-setting 3,777 adoptions through Florida’s public adoption system during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009. This record follows the previous year’s record of 3,674 in 2007-08, up from 3,079 in 2006-07. Additionally, during the 2008-09 fiscal year, Florida saw the fewest children entering foster care since 2003. As of July 1, 2009, there were 19,797 children in out-of-home care, down 32 percent (9,483 children) from 29,280 children in January 2007.

General Benefits of Adoption:

Explore Adoption highlights some of the incentives available to families who adopt children from state care. In addition to free health care through the Medicaid program and free college tuition to one of Florida’s state universities, colleges or vocational schools, many children adopted from state care are eligible for a monthly stipend to help defray some of the costs related to adding a child to your family.

·Adoption Assistance – In Florida, adopted children with special needs are eligible for monthly adoption assistance. The monthly stipend may be negotiated up to the full amount of the child’s foster care rate at the time of adoption, depending on the child’s needs. Adoption assistance is funded with federal or state funds, depending on the child’s eligibility, and continues even when the family moves to another state.

·Adoption Tax Credit – Every family’s tax situation is different, but if your family’s income is below $204,410, the adoption tax credit is worth looking into. The tax credit is applied to your total tax liability and could increase your refund. The form number is 8893. The form and instructions are available at www.irs.gov.

·Employer Adoption Benefits – The National Adoption Center provides a listing of employers who provide adoption benefits. To request a copy, contact the National Adoption Center at 1-800-TO-ADOPT.

In addition, state and public school employees who adopt a child are eligible for a one-time adoption benefit of $5,000 or $10,000. The benefit is also available to employees of community colleges, universities and water management districts. The greater benefit is for families adopting older children, sibling groups or children with medical challenges. The benefit earned the State of Florida recognition as the “2009 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace” in government by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

To learn more about the Governor’s Explore Adoption initiative that focuses on adopting teens, siblings groups and children with special needs from state foster care, please visit www.AdoptFlorida.org or call 1-800-96-ADOPT.