House Passes Moul Bill to Permit Higher Subsidies for Families of Difficult Adoptions
HARRISBURG – By a unanimous vote, the House today advanced legislation sponsored by Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams) that would enable adoptive families to appeal the amount of the state subsidy provided to them by their county Children and Youth Services agency.
“The Adoption Opportunities Act provides adoption subsidies for families who adopt a child or children, but in situations in which the adoption placement is difficult due to a physical or mental disability or other extenuating circumstances, the normal subsidy may be insufficient for the care and maintenance of the child. My legislation would remedy this,” said Moul.
House Bill 1528 would enable families who have adopted a child with a mental or physical handicap, severe emotional disturbance, an older child, siblings or different ethnicity, to appeal their adoption subsidy to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. The subsidy may cover maintenance, medical, surgical and psychological expenses, and other costs stemming from the adoption.
“Adoptive children with special needs require special care and services,” said Moul. “Current law does not provide a mechanism whereby adoptive families can ask for additional funding to provide appropriate care for the special needs child or children they adopt. My bill will do this.”
House Bill 1528 now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Dan Moul
91st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Donna Pinkham
717.260.6452
dpinkham@pahousegop.com
RepMoul.com