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Post-Adoption Assistance Program

Last updated on April 4, 2023

This program can provide financial assistance for services related to a child's specific needs, such as counselling, therapy or corrective dental/medical expenses. Adoptive parents can apply for financial support only with the assistance of their Adoption Social Worker. 

The funding, which is for children who have special placement needs and have been placed through the provincial government includes:

  • A basic maintenance payment
  • Respite, therapy or equipment services

Your social worker will be able to provide information relevant to your family's circumstances.

Eligibility is based on a family's assets – families with gross assets that do not exceed $300,000 (excluding the primary residence, vehicle, pensions and RRSPs) may be eligible for post-adoption assistance. A social worker must also designate that the child's situation requires financial assistance.

Maintenance payments: A family with a net income of less than $80,000 a year is eligible to receive the full basic monthly maintenance payment of $806.78 for a child under 12 years of age, and $926.53 for children 12 years and older up until their 19th birthday. If a family's net income is over $80,000 a year, benefits will decrease gradually based on the number of dependent children in the family.​

The Ministry of Children and Family Development is pleased to announce that the ministry is increasing the Post Adoption Assistance maintenance rate effective April 1, 2023.

Adoptive Parents who are eligible will now receive the below rates:

  • Maintenance rate for children aged 0 to 11 years from $806.78 to $849.36.
  • Maintenance rate for children aged 12 to 19 years from $926.53 to $1,135.81.

Specific services: All eligible families may receive coverage for specific services that are not covered by the parents' extended medical plans – these include:

  • Counselling
  • Health assessments
  • Special needs child care
  • Speech, physiotherapy or occupational therapy
  • Corrective dental and orthodontics
  • Respite care
  • Tutoring
  • Homemakers