SB 346

This bill requires the Department of Children and Families to administer a

competitive grant program under which it awards a grant to one organization in each

fiscal biennium for the purpose of providing financial assistance to prospective

adoptive families. The bill appropriates $5,000,000 in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium

for this grant program.

Under the bill, an organization is eligible for the grant if it operates a financial

assistance program for prospective adoptive families. The bill requires DCF to

impose conditions on the use of the grant, including that no more than 2.5 percent

of it may be used for administrative expenses and awards are limited to $10,000 per

family and may only be awarded to or on behalf of families in this state who are

adopting children in this state. Under the bill, DCF must also require that the grant

recipient place conditions on the financial assistance, including that only families

that have reached a certain stage in the adoption process are eligible and that the

grant recipient may reclaim financial assistance it has awarded if the financial

assistance is used improperly or not used by a certain deadline.

Under the bill, DCF must require the grant recipient to submit to DCF a report

describing how the grant was used, which DCF must then submit to the appropriate

standing committees of the legislature.