NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1975 SESSION

CHAPTER 953

HOUSE BILL 849

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A STATE FUND FOR ADOPTIVE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  Chapter 48 of the General Statutes is hereby amended by adding the words "Article 1" immediately before G.S. 48-1, said Article to be entitled, "Adoptions Procedure."

Sec. 2.  Chapter 48 of the General Statutes is further amended by adding Article 2 immediately following G.S. 48-36 to be entitled, "State Fund for Adoptive Children With Special Needs."

Sec. 3.  The following new sections are hereby added to Chapter 48 of the General Statutes, immediately following G.S. 48-36:

"§ 48-37.  Purpose. — It is the purpose of this Article to encourage, within the limits of available funds, the adoption of certain hard-to-place children in order to make it possible for children living in, or likely to be placed in foster homes or institutions, to benefit from the stability and security of permanent homes in which such children can receive continuous care, guidance, protection and love to reduce the number of such children who might be placed or remain in foster homes or institutions until they become adults.

"§ 48-38.  State Fund for Adoptive Children with Special Needs. — (a) A fund, to be known as the 'State Fund for Adoptive Children with Special Needs', shall be created from appropriations made by the General Assembly and from grants of the federal government when made available to the State. This fund shall be used exclusively for the purpose of meeting the needs of adoptive children who are physically or mentally handicapped, older, or otherwise hard to place for adoption.

(b)        Financial assistance from the fund shall not be provided when the needed services are available free of cost to the adoptive child or are covered by an insurance policy of the adoptive parents.

"§ 48-39.  Eligibility. — Eligibility for an adoptive child to receive assistance from the State Fund for Adoptive Children with Special Needs shall be determined by the Department of Human Resources under rules and regulations promulgated by the Social Services Commission."

Sec. 4.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1975.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 26th day of June, 1975.