Councilmember David A. Catania - Year Anniversary Of Adoption Voucher Implementation

"Thank you for visiting my on-line office. Here you will find information about a number of my initiatives that are important to the people of the District of Columbia. I hope you find this information helpful, and please let me know if I can be of assistance to you."

January 6, 2009
09:50 pm
33° F
Cloudy

Year Anniversary Of Adoption Voucher Implementation

WASHINGTON DC...District of Columbia Councilmember David A. Catania (R-At Large) will host a celebration for the successful first year of the District’s innovative Adoption Voucher Program. The celebration will recognize the hard work of the employees of the Children and Family Services Administration in distributing those funds to adoptive families. The event will be held on February 12, 2002, from 11a.m. to 1p.m. in Room 110 at the John A. Wilson Building.

The Adoption Voucher Fund Act, passed in 2000, began an innovative program to help ease the process of placing children languishing in the District's foster care into permanent homes. The funds are separated into a home study voucher and a legal assistance voucher. Under Catania's Act, prospective parents who have declared their intent to adopt a child from the District's foster care system are eligible to receive a voucher of up to $1,500 for a full Home Study and a voucher for up to $5,000 to assist in legal fees. In the past year, 114 applicants have received Home Study Vouchers, and 183 applicants received Legal Assistance Vouchers.

"The successful implementation of the Adoption Voucher Program is such an important step in increasing the movement of children out of the District's foster care and into loving homes with permanent adoptive parents," said Catania.

There are approximately 3,000 children in the District's foster care system, with 1,000 currently up for adoption. For more information regarding the Adoption Voucher Program, contact Sharon Knight at 727-3655 or visit www.dcadoptionvoucher.com.