Federal Block Grant Award Summary

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families awarded $7.196 million in adoption assistance funding to the Human Services Vermont Agency of (a division of the Vermont Department of Public Safety) for the period October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Under the Adoption Assistance program (CFDA 93.659), Vermont delivers Federal Financial Participation (FFP) to support adoption subsidy costs for children with special needs who cannot be reunited with their biological families. This block grant enables Vermont to facilitate permanent placements and ongoing financial support for adoptions of difficult-to-place children with physical, emotional, or developmental challenges.

As a state-administered program, Vermont uses the funding to implement adoption subsidies through its Title IV-E Plan framework, with quarterly expenditure reporting and ACF approval requirements. The block grant structure provides Vermont flexibility in determining specific implementation strategies while remaining subject to 45 CFR Parts 75 and 1355-1356 regulatory requirements and mandatory record retention protocols. Funding is distributed on a quarterly basis based on estimated expenditures, with final amounts adjusted to reflect only actual allowable claimed costs.