A press release from the Minnesota Department of Health:

The Minnesota Department of Human Services will receive a $1.3 million federal award for its success in finding adoptive families for children in foster care. In 2008, 757 children were adopted from the state’s foster care system. The award is part of $35 million in adoption incentive awards made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to 38 states and Puerto Rico.

Hundreds of Minnesota children are still waiting for adoptive families. Most have been traumatized during their critical developmental years. Many will need additional educational, medical or psychological help as they grow toward maturity.

“What these children need most are safe, loving, families to care for them for life,” said Minnesota Department of Human Services Assistant Commissioner of Children and Family Services Chuck Johnson. “This financial award is a great compliment to county social service agencies and private adoption agencies that have worked with us and each other to find families who best meet children’s needs, particularly teenagers and sibling groups.”

The adoption incentives program was created to provide stronger incentives for states to improve their efforts in placing foster children in adoptive families. The program grants states $4,000 for every foster child adopted above their 2007 baseline, plus $8,000 for every foster child age nine and older, and $4,000 for every other special needs child adopted above the respective baseline.

“This incentive award will help pay for statewide, culturally competent post-adoption services such as crisis help, education and training, parent support groups, and parent-to-parent and family-to-family connections,” said Johnson. “In these tough economic times, these services are a great help and stabilizer to families.”

Approximately 7,300 children receive Adoption Assistance payments, which help adoptive families meet children’s special needs. In addition to this financial help, post-adoption services help sustain family stability, alleviate crises and provide the tools to prevent adoption disruptions or dissolutions.