§ 9-9-410 - Subsidy agreements -- Duration.
9-9-410. Subsidy agreements -- Duration.
(a) The subsidy agreement shall be binding and constitute an obligation against the State of Arkansas until the adopted child reaches the age of eighteen (18) years or the benefits available to him or her under the subsidy agreement are provided by other state or federal programs or the adoptive parents no longer qualify for a subsidy under the current rules and regulations for subsidized adoptions.
(b) If funding for the subsidized program is discontinued, all contracts that have been executed under this section and 9-9-408 and 9-9-411 shall continue to be honored and shall be a valid claim against the State of Arkansas in keeping with the original subsidy agreement as long as eligibility for the subsidy continues under 9-9-411.
(c) The subsidy agreement may be extended until the age of twenty-one (21) years if the child has a documented disability or condition that prevents the child from existing independently from the adoptive family. To be eligible for the extended subsidy, the family of the child must have applied for supplemental security income benefits prior to the child's turning eighteen (18) years and have been denied.