Special Needs Adoption
There are hundreds of children living in the Minnesota foster care system who need permanent homes. They need more than parents, meals, and a place to sleep. They need to become part of a family, with people who will love them, care for them, and provide them with strong role models. LSS offers a tremendous amount of support for children and parents following the adoption.
What is "Special Needs?"
The term “special needs” is used to describe children who come to adoption because of a termination of the parental rights of their birth parents. The court system has decided that it is in that child’s best interest to remain in foster care until an adoptive family is found.
The Children
Due to their traumatic life history, some children may present special challenges. The children may have mental health diagnoses, and a small percentage of the waiting children have physical and developmental disabilities. While these children can be challenging to parent, there are special rewards in parenting them. The adoptive family will know that they are making a lifetime commitment to a child, which helps the child make healthy and positive adjustments to life. There are single children, and children in sibling groups of two or more. Families are sought for children from 6 to 18 years old.
Special Commitment
Parents who adopt special needs children need to have patience for the long term, tolerance, understanding, a sense of humor, the ability to face rejection, the ability to love unconditionally, the ability to accept without judging, the strength to be consistent and set limits, and the awareness that emotional healing doesn’t come quickly.
No Fees – Minnesota’s Waiting Children
LSS will assist in completing the application, conduct the Home Study, and provide updates, adoption preparation and education, foster parent adoption studies, relative adoption studies, and post-placement support. There are no fees for Minnesota families adopting a child through Minnesota’s Waiting Children program, because the State of Minnesota reimburses LSS for the adoption costs.
Also, the child may be eligible for a federal or state adoption subsidy (adoption assistance). These payments are designed to help offset costs associated with raising your special needs child. Benefits may include monthly stipends, medical assistance, social services, and non-recurring adoption expense reimbursement.
Interstate Program – Children Waiting in the United States
LSS can also assist adoptive families who would like to pursue the adoption of a child under the guardianship of a state other than Minnesota. These families will pay some fees including a program fee, adoption study fee, and post-placement support. LSS will work with families on a case-by-case basis to assist in determining which of these fees (if any) the other state is willing to cover.
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
To request registration materials, information meeting dates
or to speak with an adoption worker about our special needs
programs, please contact:
Lynne Haggar
Adoption Program Information Specialist
612.879.5202 or 1.888.205.3769 (toll free)
Lynne.Haggar@lssmn.org
Other Useful Information
Special Needs Adoption Process
Special Needs Waiting Children
Special
Needs Adoption Fees
Special Needs Adoption Resources
Special Needs Adoption Program At-A-Glance
(PDF)
Getting
Started
Special Needs FAQs
