Office of Work-Life Programs -
Adoption Reimbursement
Who is Eligible for this Program? The Adoption Reimbursement Program is available to the
following members of Team Coast Guard:
Active Duty Coast Guard
Coast Guard Reservists on active duty for at least 180 days
Note: All other member of Team Coast Guard, while not eligible for
reimbursement, are encouraged to use the National Adoption Directory and
other web sites provided below to assist them in obtaining adoption
information.
Purpose of Program The Adoption Reimbursement Program is intended to subsidize
the adoption of children under 18 years of age for members of the Coast
Guard.
Program Confidentiality Discussions of the Adoption Reimbursement Program are used
for reviewing, approving, accounting, and disbursing of adoption
reimbursements. All discussions between a member using the Adoption
Reimbursement Program and the Adoption Reimbursement Program Manager are
confidential, with the exception of government audits, to determine
appropriate use of government funding.
Definitions The following definitions apply to the Adoption
Reimbursement Program:
Adoption. The legal procedure by which a person or
couple takes a child who is not his or her biological offspring into the
family and raises the child as their own. Adoption severs all legal ties
between the adoptee and his or her birth parents (except in the case of
stepchildren adoptions, where one biological parent is the spouse of the
adopting parent and whose legal ties to the children are therefore
unabridged) and establishes such ties between the adoptee and the
adoptive parents. The adoptee has the same status with his or her
adoptive parents as do any non-adopted siblings.
Inter-country Adoptions. The legal adoption of a
child coming from a country other than the United States and its
territories.
Qualifying Adoption Agency. (1) A State or local
government agency which has responsibility under State and local law for
child placement through adoption; (2) A nonprofit, voluntary adoption
agency which is authorized by State or local law to place children for
adoption; (3) Any other source authorized by a State to provide adoption
placement if the adoption is supervised by a court under State or local
law; or (4) A foreign government or an agency authorized by a foreign
government to place children for adoption, in any case which – (a) The
adopted child is entitled to automatic citizenship under Section 320 of
the Immigration and Naturalization Act (8 U.S. C. 1431). (b) A
certification of citizenship has been issued for such child under
Section 322 of that Act (8 U.S.C. 1433).
Qualifying Adoption Expenses. Reasonable and
necessary expenses that are directly related to the legal adoption of a
child under 18 years of age, but only if such adoption is arranged by a
qualified adoption agency or other source authorized to place children
for adoption under State or local law. Such term does not include any
expense incurred – (a) By an adopting parent for travel; or, (b) In
connection with an adoption arranged in violation of Federal, State, or
local law.
Reasonable and Necessary Expenses. The term
“reasonable and necessary expenses” includes: (1) Public and private
agency fees, including adoption fees charged by an agency in a foreign
country; (2) Placement fees, including fees charged adoptive parents for
counseling; (3) Legal fees (including court costs) in connection with
services that are unavailable to a member of the armed forces under
Sections 1044 or 1044a of this Title; and, (4) Medical expenses,
including hospital expenses of the biological mother of the child to be
adopted and of a newborn infant to be adopted.
State or local law. The law of a State or locality
within the United States including with a U.S. Territory, a U.S.
Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia.
Services and Resources Available
The following service and resource is available within the Adoption
Reimbursement Program:
National Foster Care & Adoption Directory (formerly the National
Adoption Directory) - The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory provides
national adoption resources along with adoption related information specific
for each State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands.
Program References The following reference provide details of the Adoption
Reimbursement program:
Related Program Information
The Coast Guard does not endorse the web sites listed below. They are
provided to help in your search for adoption information. It is important to
check references and to research programs found on the web. DO NOT send
monies to unidentified sources. Please email links that you find not working
or services not appropriate for members of Team Coast Guard to the point of
contact listed below.
Related Web Sites
The following web sites provide information related to the Adoption
Reimbursement Program:
Links from pages within this site to non-Coast
Guard sites are provided as a customer service and do not represent
any implicit or explicit endorsement by the United States Coast
Guard of any commercial or private issues or products presented
there.
NOTE: Outside links will open in a new browser window.
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