OAR 413-130-0080: Payment for Nonrecurring Expenses

(1) An agreement, indicating the nature and amount of nonrecurring expenses, must be signed prior to the final judgment of adoption. Payment for nonrecurring expenses is made when the Department receives the final judgment of adoption. (2) The Department will reimburse an adoptive family up to $2,000 for each eligible child for approved nonrecurring expenses, including but not limited to: (a) The cost of a home study; (b) Court costs; (c) Legal fees, as authorized by the Department; (d) Physical and psychological examinations required for the adoption; and (e) Travel to visit with the adoptive child prior to the placement. (3) The Department will consider requests for nonrecurring expenses that: (a) Are submitted with written documentation to the Adoption Assistance and Guardianship Assistance Unit; (b) Are not in violation of state or federal law; and (c) Do not duplicate expenses covered by: (A) The Interstate Compact on Placement of Children (ORS 417.200 - 417.260); (B) A Department contract with a licensed adoption agency; or (C) Another resource available to the adoptive family. (4) When a pre-adoptive family indicates that they will be using a qualified vendor attorney, the Adoption Assistance and Guardianship Assistance Unit must send the pre-adoptive family a list of qualified vendor attorneys. (5) The pre-adoptive family may select and contact an attorney from the list of qualified vendor attorneys, in which case the pre-adoptive family must: (a) Sign the legal fees agreement; and (b) Send the legal fees agreement to the attorney, who will sign it and return it to the Department for payment after the judgment of adoption is received. (6) The pre-adoptive family may privately retain an attorney, in which case: (a) The adoptive family is responsible for paying the attorney; and (b) The Department will reimburse the adoptive family reasonable charges equal to the amount allowed for a qualified vendor attorney unless the Adoption Assistance and Guardianship Assistance Coordinator has determined that a higher amount may be considered due to extraordinary circumstances.