Federal Block Grant Award Summary

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services received a $50.2 million Adoption Assistance block grant (CFDA 93.659) from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This award provides Federal Financial Participation (FFP) to support adoption subsidy costs for children with special needs who cannot be reunited with their biological families. The program facilitates permanent placement and ongoing financial support for difficult-to-place children with physical, emotional, or developmental challenges, enabling Oklahoma to offer adoption subsidies that make these placements economically viable for prospective adoptive families.

Under this block grant, Oklahoma DHS administers the adoption assistance program through a Title IV-E Plan framework, with flexibility to determine implementation strategies within federal guidelines. The agency works with the Administration for Children and Families Regional Child Welfare Program Manager for plan approval and consultation. Quarterly awards are disbursed based on estimated expenditures, which are subsequently reconciled with actual allowable claimed expenses. Oklahoma DHS collaborates with community organizations and local non-profit entities as sub-recipients to effectively deliver these federally-funded adoption support services across the state.