A594

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblyman BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

Allows direct deposit of adoption subsidy payments.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act concerning subsidized adoption and amending P.L.1973, c.81.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 2 of P.L.1973, c.81 (C.30:4C-46) is amended to read as follows:

2. The Division of [Youth and Family Services] Child Protection and Permanency shall make payments to adoptive parents on behalf of a child placed for adoption by the division whenever:

a. The child because of physical or mental condition, race, age, or membership in a sibling group, or for any other reason falls into the category of a child hard to place for adoption;

b. The adoptive family is capable of providing the permanent family relationships needed by the child; and

c. Except in situations involving adoption by a child's resource family parent, there has been a reasonable effort to place the child in an adoptive setting without providing a subsidy.

Payments shall be made on behalf of a child placed for adoption by the division except that whenever a child who would otherwise be eligible for subsidy payment is in the care of an approved New Jersey adoption agency pursuant to P.L.1977, c.367 (C.9:3-37 et seq.) a child shall, upon application by the agency and satisfaction of the regular requirements of the adoption subsidy program, be approved for participation in the adoption subsidy program. In any case the division may approve payment in subsidization of adoption for a child without legal transfer of care or custody of the child to the division. The division shall adopt regulations for administration of this program with respect to these children, except that all children are evaluated for eligibility in the same manner as children already under the care, custody, or guardianship of the division.

d. The division shall establish policies and procedures to allow for the disbursement of subsidy payments by direct deposit into an adoptive parent's bank account. Such disbursement shall be made upon written request of the adoptive parent.

(cf: P.L.2004, c.130, s.82)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires that the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families establish policies and procedures to allow for the disbursement of adoption subsidy payments by direct deposit into an adoptive parent's bank account upon written request of the adoptive parent. Currently, adoption subsidy payments are made by paper check and mailed by the Department of Treasury to the adoptive parent's current mailing address.