State-Designated Special Needs, Post-Adoption Support, and State Fiscal Stress.

The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 2007 and its 2003 reauthorization offered bonuses to states that provide more children waiting in foster care with permanent families through adoption. Under ASFA, a majority of states increased the generosity of post-adoption financial support. Moreover, states increased the number and proportion of adopted children that received adoption assistance because the child had a special need. Administrative data indicate that states more diligently recorded the special needs of children, which was necessary to support increases in state requests for federal reimbursements and performance bonuses.