Federal grant programs / Department of Health and Human Services

Adoption Assistance (93.659)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$19 billion
• Grant awards322
• Typical award$31.1 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$3.1 billion
• Size rank32 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceFormula grants

Key findings

• Annual funding fell from $3.6 billion in fiscal 2021 to $3.1 billion in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 32nd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 73% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 52 states and territories.

What the program funds

The Title IV-E Adoption Assistance Program supports states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations and tribal consortia (tribes) in securing permanent adoptive homes for children with special needs who cannot safely return to their families. The goal is to prevent inappropriately long stays in foster care and to promote the healthy development of children through increased safety, permanency and well-being.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Funds are available to states (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa) and to tribes with approved Title IV-E plans.

What the money can and cannot pay for

All parents adopting special needs children are eligible for the nonrecurring cost of adoption up to $2,000. Adoption assistance payments may be used only in support of the adoption of children who meet the definition of special needs and satisfy categorical eligibility criteria as specified in the statute. A state or tribe may receive Federal Financial Participation (FFP) only if its Title IV-E plan has been approved by the Secretary. Funding is also available for administrative and training costs necessary to administer the program. The program was amended through Public Law 113-183 effective October 1, 2014 to require title IV-E agencies to calculate and report annually the savings from the use of revised categorical eligibility requirements. These savings must be calculated in accordance with the Department's specified method or an alternative method and then represent additional non-federal funding to be expended on title IV-B and Title IV-E programs as specified in section 473(a)(8) of the Social Security Act (the Act).;

Matching requirements

Statutory Formula: Title IV-E, Part NA, Subpart NA,Public Law Pub. L. 74-271 Social Security Act.42 USC 674The non-federal share of program costs (difference between total cost and FFP) in each funding category constitutes the required match to be met by the Title IV-E agency. Matching funds from state agencies must be appropriated monies raised from non-Federal revenue sources. Matching funds from tribal agencies must also be appropriated monies, but may, at the option of the tribe, include Federal funds specifically authorized by Federal statutes to be used as match for other Federal programs. Additionally, in accordance with 45 CFR 1356.68 for administration and training costs only, tribal matching funds may be included as in-kind expenditures (or contributions) from allowable third-party sources.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines

Award range and average, in the agency's words

FY 2024 awards for states ranged from $1,399,549 to $831477857 with an average of $76,903,340 FY 2024 awards for tribes ranged from: $4,383 to $194,782 with an average of $87,096.20.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.