Adoption Benefit Program - How It Got Started

Dave Thomas, founder of the successful Wendy's chain, was adopted when he was six weeks old. He credits his success to his belief that "I wouldn't be where I am today without a family." Mr. Thomas felt so strongly about adoption that he established the Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption. His company has served as a national model for benefit packages for workers who adopt. Mr. Thomas approached then Governor Paul E. Patton about the idea of creating an Adoption Benefit Program for state government employees. Governor Patton directed the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet to research the feasibility of establishing such a program. On November 1, 1998, he signed an executive order creating a mechanism whereby state employees could be reimbursed for adoption process.

The Kentucky State Personnel Cabinet administers financial assistance to state employees in the Executive Branch. The Adoption Benefit Program provides up to $3,000 to $5,000.00 per family for direct costs related to the adoption of a child. The money which is provided by the existing funds from the state agency where the adoptive parent is employed is not to exceed $150,000.00 total in one year.

SNAP stands for the Special Needs Adoption Program in the state's Health and Family Services Cabinet. Children are referred to SNAP after no more than 30 days in the state's care without a family match. SNAP kids share one or more characteristics that make them harder to place in homes because they are older; African- American, biracial member of a sibling group; or have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.

No. Reimbursed adoptions have been fairly equally spread among adoptions from overseas and  through private arrangements, such as adopting a brother's or sister's child.

When the adoption is final within the state of Kentucky, contact the Office of Employee Relations for an Adoption Reimbursement Application and an Adoption Reimbursement Notification Letter.  Please conduct the following steps to complete the applicant process:

1. Complete an Adoption Reimbursement Application (MSWord - 35 KB) and Adoption Reimbursement Notification Letter (MSWord - 23 KB) and submit it to your appointing authority.
2. Please submit an Adoption Reimbursement Application along with the following to the Personnel Cabinet:

• Finalization of the adoption;
• Certification by the Secretary of the Health and Family Services Cabinet that the adopted child is a special needs child, if reimbursement for special needs adoption is sought, and;
• A copy of an affidavit of expenses related to the adoption files and approved by the court at the time of finalization of the adoption.

If both of the adoptive parents are Executive Branch state employees, the applications for financial assistance shall be submitted jointly.

Yes, adoptive parents are eligible for the same benefits offered to birth parents:

• 12 weeks of job protected leave.
  An employee shall be entitled to a maximum of 12 weeks of accumulated leave, unpaid, family medical leave, or combination thereof for the birth, placement or adoption of a child.
• Health care benefits for your adoptive child.