PURPOSE: This rule sets criteria for provision of adoption services.

1. (1) The Division of Family Services, in administering the Adoption Exchange of Missouri, shall accept registration of families having an approved adoptive family assessment completed by the division, or other licensed child-placing agencies; registration of children designated as available for adoptive placement; and will cooperate with other state, regional and national exchanges in the registration of children with special needs.
2. (2) The Division of Family Services shall provide subsidized adoption services to children who are considered to have special needs and who have no other financial resources or limited financial resources. 13 CSR 40-38

3. (3) A child to be determined as previously 11, 1983. Amended: Filed June 28, 1983, unadoptable and eligible for subsidized adopeffective Nov. 11, 1983. tion services shall meet one (1) or more of *Original authority: 207.020 RSMo 1945, amended 1961, the following conditions: 1965, 1977, 1981, 1982.

   1. (A) Physical Handicap. Any physical abnormality or condition, whether congenital or not, which requires or is likely to require treatment or the purchase of special equipment or services;
   2. (B) Intellectual Impairment Mental development below an IQ of eighty (80) or other intellectual dysfunctioning as documented by psychological testing;
   3. (C) Racial or Ethnic Minority. The child’s ancestry is not Caucasian; and

   4. (D) Other Conditions.

      1. 1. Age. The child is five (5) years old or

older and has not reached the age of eighteen (18) years or twenty-one (21) years if the child’s condition requires extraordinary treatment or rehabilitative services.

1. 2. Member of a sibling group. Two (2)

or more children who are siblings and are being placed with the same family.

1. 3. Developmental disability. Any docu-

mented physical or mental condition not otherwise listed which prevents the child from functioning at the normal level for his/her age.

1. 4. A Mental or emotional disturbance.

A diagnosed and documented condition which impairs the child’s mental functioning, including learning dysfunctions.

1. 5. Social maladjustment. A severe

behavioral condition or inadequate social development which interferes with the child’s ability to form satisfactory relationships with others.

1. (4) A family to be eligible for subsidy shall be approved for adoptive placement by the Missouri Division of Family Services, a licensed or approved child placing agency; or for a family residing outside Missouri, a governmental child placing agency or a licensed or approved child placing agency in that state; and shall cooperate in providing financial and resource information for the division to reach an agreement with the family regarding the amount of, length or time of and the services for which the division will make a subsidy payment; and shall sign an agreement specifying the terms of the adoption subsidy.

AUTHORITY: section 207.020, RSMo 1986.* Original rule filed Dec. 30, 1975, effective Jan. 9, 1976. Amended: Filed Aug. 18, 1977, effective Dec. 11, 1977. Emergency amendment filed Oct. 2, 1981, effective Oct. 12, 1981, expired Jan. 13, 1982. Amended: Filed Oct. 2, 1981, effective Jan. 14, 1982. Amended: Filed Jan. 10, 1983, effective April