New Hampshire State Adoption Assistance Program

https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/child-protection-juvenile-justice
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New Hampshire’s state-specific medical assistance information:
https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/medicaidOpens in a new tab

Part He-C 6438 Adoption Subsidies:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rules/state_agencies/he-c6400.htmlOpens in a new tab (Scroll to He-C 6438)

In New Hampshire a child’s eligibility for adoption assistance is based on his or her identified special needs. A child’s special needs are conditions or factors that make it reasonable to conclude the child cannot be adopted without medical services, behavioral health services, social services, or adoption assistance payments.

Conditions that may qualify a child as a child with special needs include but are not limited to:

1. Medical needs that require specialized care in the home.
2. Serious emotional disturbance that requires constant supervision and trained intervention above what is typically required for children of a similar age.
3. Developmental needs that require specialized supervision, home modifications, and/or specialized equipment, or
4. Other intense needs that require professional services.

Other factors that may qualify a child as a child with special needs include:

1. Child is part of a sibling group of at least 3 siblings, one of whom has a special needs condition described above; or
2. Child is at least six years old or older and recruitment of adoptive parents has not been successful.

Adoptive parent(s) who apply for adoption assistance must identify their current circumstances that might qualify them for adoption assistance such as; commitment to the child, number and ages of family members including children, if any, in their family, family needs and income, ability to adopt a child without adoption assistance, community and other resources available to meet the child’s needs, and extra expenses required to meet the child’s needs.

Adoption assistance ends when children turn 18 unless otherwise specified in the agreement for a different date.  

Post-adoption services in New Hampshire are administered by the DHHS, Division for Children, Youth and Families.  Granite State College, in partnership with the state, provides training for foster and adoptive families on an ongoing basis on a range of subjects including attachment issues, ADHD, and developmental disabilities. For more information, parents can contact Granite State College 888-228-3000 (general college number) or 603-513-1147 (the Education and Training Partnership), or visit https://www.unh.edu/cwep/?page_id=30

Youth are eligible for the tuition waiver if they are younger than age 23 and meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Was in state foster care for the immediate 6-month period before his or her 18th birthday;
• Was in state guardianship or custody on his or her 18th birthday;
• Was adopted while in state guardianship or adopted from the care, custody, and control of the department following a surrender of parental rights; or
• Was in an out-of-home placement under the supervision of the Division for Juvenile Justice Services on his or her 17th birthday.

To find out more about the application process for this program visit, https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt476/files/documents/2021-11/tuitionwaiver.pdf