COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has signed an executive order introducing the Ohio Adoption Grant Program, which offers up to $20,000 in financial support to parents who have completed an adoption process after January 1, 2023.
The grant program provides financial aid to parents adopting children under 18, covering private adoptions and those facilitated by a public children’s services agency, such as foster and kinship caregivers. Stepparent adoptions are excluded. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Director, Matt Damschroder, said the $10,000 grant is available for most adoptions, with additional funds for foster caregivers adopting a child in their care or instances where the child has special needs. The grant program replaces the state’s previous adoption tax credit, offering three tiers of one-time payments.
Applicants can complete the grant application online at AdoptionGrant.Ohio.gov, providing two forms of identification, documentation related to the finalized adoption, and proof of foster care or special needs, if applicable.
Governor DeWine established the Children’s Services Transformation Advisory Council aimed at enhancing Ohio’s children’s services system. The council proposed 37 recommendations to eliminate barriers to permanency by expanding the pool of prospective adoptive families.
All recommendations are either fully implemented or in progress. Governor DeWine expressed his commitment to supporting families through adoption, stating, “Our goal is to make Ohio the best state to start and raise a family.”