July 2012

Guide to 

Adoption and Foster 

Care Programs for 

Federal Employees
Table of Contents 

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 2

Adoption ................................................................................................................................................. 2

Foster Care ............................................................................................................................................. 3

LEAVE PROGRAMS .................................................................................................................................. 4

Sick Leave for Adoption ........................................................................................................................ 4

Sick Leave to Care for a Family Member .............................................................................................. 5

Advanced Sick Leave ............................................................................................................................. 6

Donated Leave under the Voluntary Leave Transfer and Leave Bank Programs .................................. 6

Family and Medical Leave ..................................................................................................................... 7

FMLA for Placement of a Son or Daughter with Employee for Adoption or Foster Care .................... 7

FMLA for Serious Health Condition of the Child.................................................................................. 7

Annual Leave for Adoption .................................................................................................................... 8

Advanced Annual Leave ........................................................................................................................ 8

Leave Without Pay ................................................................................................................................. 9

ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES ...................................................................................................... 9

Flexible Work Schedules........................................................................................................................ 9

Compressed Work Schedules ................................................................................................................. 9

FEDERAL WORK/LIFE PROGRAMS ..................................................................................................... 10

Telework ............................................................................................................................................... 10

Federal Child Care Subsidy Program ................................................................................................... 10

DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT (DCFSA) .................................................... 11

FEDERAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM (FEHB) ..................................................... 12

RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................. 14

General Adoption Topics ..................................................................................................................... 14

General Foster Care Topics .................................................................................................................. 14

Financial Resources .............................................................................................................................. 14

Legal Issues & Adoption ...................................................................................................................... 15

Tax Issues & Adoption ......................................................................................................................... 15

Developing a Workplace Adoption Program ....................................................................................... 15
2 

INTRODUCTION 

Every year thousands of individuals decide to adopt a child or become a foster parent. Both can 

be incredibly rewarding and beneficial experiences. Similar to other significant life changes, 

adoption and foster care can also present new, unfamiliar challenges. The U.S. Office of 

Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) Guide to Adoption and Foster Care Programs for Federal 

Employees orients adoptive and foster parents with Federal leave, work/life, insurance, and 

flexible spending account programs. These benefits help Federal employees manage their work 

and family lives throughout the adoption and foster care processes. 

Adoption 

Adoption is the “social, emotional, and legal process through which children who will not be 

raised by their birth parents become full and permanent legal members of another family while 

maintaining genetic and psychological connections to their birth family” (U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, 2012, 

http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/intro.cfm). Five primary types of adoption are recognized 

by HHS: public agency, private agency, intercountry, tribal/customary, and nonagency. 

Nonagency adoptions are further categorized as facilitated, independent, and stepparent 

adoptions. See Table 1, adopted from HHS’ Child Welfare Information Gateway’s “How Many 

Children Were Adopted in 2007 and 2008?” publication for definitions; please note, these terms 

may vary across jurisdictions. In 2008, approximately 136,000 children were adopted in the 

United States. Forty-one percent of U.S. adoptions were public, 13 percent were intercountry, 

and 46 percent were other (e.g., private agency, Tribal, nonagency). These percentages have 

remained fairly consistent since 2000. 

Table 1: Definitions of Adoption Types 

Adoption Type Definition

Public agency An adoption with public agency involvement, either directly through 

a public agency or through a private agency that is contracted by a 

public agency. The public agency usually has legal and physical 

custody of the child. 

Private agency An adoption through a private agency that facilitates the adoption of 

the child after the birth parents relinquish their parental rights to the 

agency.

Intercountry An adoption of a child who is a citizen of one country by parents 

who are citizens of a different country.

Tribal/Customary An adoption in an American Indian community that does not always 

require the termination of the birth parents’ parental rights.

Nonagency There are three general types of nonagency adoptions: 
3 

Facilitated: An adoption through which a facilitator links prospective 

adoptive parents with expectant birth mothers for a fee.

Independent: An adoption in which an attorney or other person 

assists the prospective parents with the adoption process. The birth 

parents relinquish parental rights directly to the adoptive parents 

rather than an agency.

Stepparent: An adoption of a spouse’s child by the stepparent.

In general, any single adult or a husband and wife jointly can be eligible to adopt. In addition, 

many states permit second parent adoptions that allow same sex couples to adopt jointly. State 

laws vary immensely, however, and may specify further conditions of eligibility. A few 

examples of possible disparities include provisions relating to age, residency, marital status, and 

sexual orientation. 

If you are considering adoption, it is important to review and understand the adoption laws 

specific to your State. We also encourage you to review the Resources section of this guide for 

information on a wide array of adoption topics. 

Foster Care 

Foster care is a temporary living arrangement for children who cannot safely remain in their 

homes. In 2010, over 400,000 children were in foster care (HHS, Administration for Children 

and Families’ Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) FY 2010 

Data), a decline of approximately 22 percent since 2000. The majority of foster children in 2010 

were placed in either a non-relative foster family home (48 percent) or a relative foster case 

family home (26 percent). See Table 2 for definitions of types of foster care, according to HHS’ 

AFCARS; it is important to note that these terms vary across jurisdictions. 

Table 2: Definitions of Foster Care Types 

Foster Care Types Definition

Foster family home, 

relative

A licensed or unlicensed home of the child’s relatives regarded by 

the state as a foster care living arrangement for the child.

Foster family home, 

non-relative

A licensed foster family home regarded by the State as a foster care 

living arrangement.

Group home or 

Institution

A group home is a licensed or approved home providing 24-hour 

care for children in a small group setting that generally has from 7 to 

12 children. An institution is a facility operated by a public or 

private agency and providing 24-hour care and/or treatment for 

children who require separation from their own homes and group 
4 

living experience. These facilities may include child care 

institutions, residential treatment facilities, or maternity homes.

Other Includes supervised independent living runaways, pre-adoptive 

homes, and trial home visits.

For more information on foster care, we encourage you to review the Resources section of this 

guide. 

LEAVE PROGRAMS

The Federal Government offers numerous leave programs to assist employees in meeting their 

work and family obligations. The administration of these programs typically is addressed in 

agency internal policies and/or collective bargaining agreements. Therefore, you should discuss 

your specific situation with your local Human Resources office. 

OPM’s Definitions of Family Member and Immediate Relative for Purposes of Sick Leave, 

Funeral Leave, Voluntary Leave Transfer, Voluntary Leave Bank, and Emergency Leave 

Transfer specify that a family member includes an individual who is the son or daughter of the 

employee. Son or daughter is further defined as: 

1. A biological, adopted, step, or foster son or daughter of the employee; 

2. A person who is a legal ward or was a legal ward of the employee when that individual 

was a minor or required a legal guardian; 

3. A person for whom the employee stands in loco parentis or stood in loco parentis when 

that individual was a minor or required someone to stand in loco parentis; or 

4. A son or daughter (as described in 1-3) of an employee's spouse or domestic partner1

Sick Leave for Adoption 

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 6307(c), an adoptive parent2

 may use sick leave for purposes related 

to the adoption of a child. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

appointments with adoption agencies, social workers, and attorneys, 

court proceedings, 

required travel, 

 

1

 Domestic partner means an adult in a committed relationship with another adult, including both same-sex and 

opposite-sex relationships. See definitions fact sheet for more information. 

2

 For the purposes of this guide, the term “adoptive parent” refers to both those pursuing adoption and those who 

have finalized an adoption. The law, introduced as "Legislation for Federal employees Who Plan to Adopt," does 

not restrict the use of sick leave for parents to sick leave taken after a placement match has been made. 
5 

any periods of time during which adoptive parents are ordered or required by an adoption 

agency or by a court to take time off from work to care for the adopted child, and 

any other activities necessary to allow the adoption to proceed. 

An agency may request administratively acceptable evidence for the use of sick leave for 

absences related to adoption proceedings. Employees should consult their agency-specific 

human resources guidance and review applicable policies set forth in collective bargaining 

agreements for information specific to their agency. If the employee complies with the agency's 

notification and medical evidence/certification requirements, the agency must grant sick leave. 

Sick leave for adoption-related purposes does not count towards the 104-hour (13-day) limit of 

sick leave each leave year for family care and bereavement purposes or the overall limit of 12 

weeks of sick leave each leave year for all family care purposes. There is no limitation on the 

amount of sick leave that may be used for adoption-related purposes. Please note that there is no 

statutory authority to allow for the use of sick leave for foster care-related purposes. 

General information and guidance regarding sick leave for adoption is available at 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/html/skadpt.asp 

Sick Leave to Care for a Family Member 

While the statute does not allow the use of sick leave for purposes related to arranging foster 

care, sick leave may be used to care for a family member, and by definition (as previously 

discussed), a family member includes a foster child. 

Employees are entitled to use up to 104 hours (13 days) of sick leave each leave year to: 

provide care for a family member who is incapacitated as a result of physical or mental 

illness, injury, pregnancy, or childbirth, 

attend to a family member receiving medical, dental, or optical examination or treatment, 

provide care for a family member who would, as determined by the health authorities 

having jurisdiction or a health care provider, jeopardize the health of others by that 

family member's presence in the community because of exposure to a communicable 

disease, or 

make arrangements necessitated by the death of a family member, or attend the funeral of 

a family member. 

Employees are entitled to a total of 12 weeks (480 hours) of sick leave each leave year to care for 

a family member with a serious health condition (which includes 13 days (104 hours) of sick 

leave for general family care or bereavement purposes). If the employee previously has used any 

portion of the 13 days of sick leave for general family care or bereavement purposes in a leave 

year, that amount must be subtracted from the 12-week entitlement. If an employee has already 

used 12 weeks of sick leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition, he or 

she cannot use an additional 13 days in the same leave year for general family care purposes. An 
6 

employee is entitled to no more than a combined total of 12 weeks of sick leave each leave year 

for all family care purposes. 

Sick leave may not be used by an employee who voluntarily chooses to be absent from work to 

bond with or care for a healthy adopted child. (An employee likewise may not use sick leave to 

voluntarily be absent from work to bond with or care for a healthy biological child.) There is no 

provision in law or regulation that permits the use of sick leave to care for a healthy child, bond 

with a healthy child, or for other child care responsibilities. 

General information and guidance regarding sick leave is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/sicklv.asp. 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/sickfam.asp. 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/12week.asp. 

Advanced Sick Leave 

An agency may, but is not required to, advance sick leave for all sick leave purposes. An agency 

may advance a maximum of 240 hours (30 days) of sick leave to an employee for adoptionrelated purposes or to care for a child with a serious illness. An agency may grant up to 104 

hours (13 days) of sick leave for general family care purposes. 

General information and guidance regarding advanced sick leave is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/html/advsk.asp. 

Donated Leave under the Voluntary Leave Transfer and Leave Bank Programs 

The Federal leave sharing program allows Federal employees to donate annual leave to assist 

another Federal employee who has a personal or family medical emergency and who has 

exhausted her or his own available paid leave. If an employee exhausts her or his available paid 

leave, she or he may receive donated annual leave under the employing agency's voluntary leave 

transfer and/or leave bank programs. An employee may receive donated annual leave from both 

the agency leave transfer and leave bank programs. Donated annual leave may be used only for 

a medical emergency--e.g., to care for a child with a serious health condition--and may not be 

used to care for or bond with a healthy child or for adoption or foster care-related purposes. 

General information and guidance on Voluntary Leave Bank Programs is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/VLBP.asp. 

General information and guidance on Voluntary Leave Transfer Programs is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/VLTP.asp. 
7 

Family and Medical Leave 

To help balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of the family, the Family and 

Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was enacted, entitling employees to a total of 12 administrative 

workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for certain family and medical needs. 

This law ensures that family and medical leave is available on a gender-neutral basis and 

mandates job security for employees who take leave. 

FMLA for Placement of a Son or Daughter with Employee for Adoption or Foster Care 

An employee is entitled to use FMLA leave for the placement of a son or daughter with the 

employee for adoption or foster care. Subject to the supervisor's approval, FMLA leave may be 

used on an intermittent basis for absences in connection with adoption or foster care. 

The entitlement to FMLA leave expires at the end of the 12-month period beginning on the date 

of placement. Leave for a placement must be concluded within this 12-month period. FMLA 

leave may begin prior to or on the date of the actual date of placement for adoption or foster care, 

and the 12-month period begins on that date. 

An employee may elect to substitute annual leave and/or sick leave for any or all of the leave 

without pay used under the FMLA, consistent with the laws and regulations for using annual and 

sick leave. (See Sick Leave, above, for the limitations on the use of sick leave for adoption and 

family care.) 

FMLA for Serious Health Condition of the Child 

An employee is entitled to use FMLA leave to care for a son or daughter with a serious health 

condition. 

The definitions for FMLA purposes are different from those in OPM’s sick leave, voluntary 

leave transfer, and voluntary leave bank regulations. The FMLA statute does not use the term 

“family member.” Employees may use FMLA leave for a serious health condition only to care 

for a spouse, son or daughter, or parent. FMLA defines “son or daughter” as a biological, 

adopted, or foster child; a step child; a legal ward; or a child of a person standing in loco parentis 

who is under 18 years or age, or 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of 

mental or physical disability. Employees who have no biological or legal relationship with a 

child may nonetheless stand in loco parentis to the child and be entitled to FMLA leave, and in 

all cases, whether an employee stands in loco parentis to a child will depend on the particular 

facts of the situation3

. 

 

3

In loco parentis refers to the situation of an individual who has day-to-day responsibility for the care of and 

financial support of a child, or in the case of an employee, who had such responsibility for the employee when the 

employee was a child. A biological or legal relationship is not necessary. Please see CPM 2010-15 Interpretation of 

"Son or Daughter" Under the Family and Medical Leave Act for more information. 
8 

FMLA leave is in addition to other leave programs available. 

If the need for the leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide notice to the agency of his or 

her intention to take leave at least 30 calendar days before the date the leave is to begin. If the 

need for leave is not foreseeable, for example, because of a medical emergency, or short-notice 

placement of a child, the employee must provide notice within a reasonable period of time 

appropriate to the circumstances involved. An agency may require medical certification to 

support a request for leave because of a serious health condition and may require second or third 

opinions (at the agency’s expense). 

If an employee cannot provide the required medical certification for a request for FMLA leave 

for a serious health condition before the leave is to begin, the agency must grant provisional

leave. If the employee fails to provide medical certification once the leave has commenced, the 

agency may charge the employee as absent without leave (AWOL) or may allow the employee to 

request that the provisional leave be charged as leave without pay or to the employee’s annual or 

sick leave account, as appropriate. 

An employee may elect, but the agency may not require the employee, to substitute advanced, 

accrued or accumulated annual and/or sick leave, or annual leave donated under the Voluntary 

Leave Transfer or Voluntary Leave Bank Programs, for any or all of the leave without pay under 

FMLA in accordance with current law and regulations governing that type of leave. An 

employee may not retroactively substitute paid leave for leave without pay under FMLA. 

General information and guidance regarding FMLA can be found at: 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/fmlafac2.asp. 

Annual Leave for Adoption 

Employees may request the use of annual leave for purposes related to adoption and/or foster 

care. In addition, adoptive and foster parents may request annual leave to be absent from work 

to bond with or care for a healthy child. The use of annual leave is subject to the right of the 

supervisor to approve a time at which annual leave may be taken. 

General information and guidance regarding annual leave can be found at: 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/ANNUAL.asp. 

Advanced Annual Leave 

An agency may, but is not required to, advance annual leave for adoption-related purposes or to 

care for a child who is ill. An agency may advance the amount of annual leave an employee 

would accrue during the remainder of the leave year. 

General information and guidance regarding advanced annual leave is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/html/advANNUAL.asp. 
9 

Leave Without Pay 

Leave without pay (LWOP) is a temporary nonpay status and absence from duty that, in most 

cases, is granted at the employee's request. Granting LWOP is a matter of supervisory discretion 

and may be limited by agency internal policy. 

Subject to supervisory approval, an employee may request leave without pay for adoption and 

foster care proceedings or to be absent from work to bond with or care for an adopted or foster 

care child. Supervisors should refer to agency internal policy and negotiated bargaining union 

agreements prior to approval. 

General information and guidance on leave without pay is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/oca/leave/html/lwop.asp. 

ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES 

If the work requirements and agency needs permit, an adoptive parent may consider working an 

alternative work schedule (AWS). AWS enables employees to select and alter their work 

schedules to better fit their needs and help manage work, personal, and family responsibilities. 

Since AWS programs for bargaining unit employees are established by negotiated agreements, 

bargaining unit employees and their supervisors/managers should consult the applicable 

collective bargaining agreement for its AWS provisions. 

There are two categories of AWS: flexible work schedules (FWS) and compressed work 

schedules (CWS). 

Flexible Work Schedules 

FWS consist of workdays with (1) core hours and (2) flexible hours. Core hours are the 

designated period of the day, set by their agency, when all employees must be at work. Flexible 

hours are the part of the workday when employees may, within limits or "bands" set by their 

agencies, choose their time of arrival and departure. 

General information and guidance on flexible work schedules is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/WORKSCH/HTML/AWSFWS.asp. 

Compressed Work Schedules 

CWS are fixed work schedules, but they enable full-time employees to complete the basic 80-

hour biweekly work requirement in less than 10 workdays. For example, an employee may work 

10 hours every day Mondays-Thursdays and not work on Fridays. 
10

General information and guidance on compressed work schedules is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/oca/worksch/html/AWScws.asp. 

For more information on alternative work schedules, please review the Handbook on 

Alternative Work Schedules. 

FEDERAL WORK/LIFE PROGRAMS 

Telework 

Under an agency's telework policy, employees may be permitted to work at home or from a 

remote telework site. Telework can provide employees with valuable additional time to spend 

with their family members by reducing commuting time. Teleworkers, however, may not use 

telework as a mode for providing care to a child or other family members. If you are interested 

in teleworking, or already telework but want to ensure that you are an effective teleworker, we 

recommend you review the training material entitled Telework Basics for Employees. It is also 

recommended that you consult your agency’s Telework Managing Officer or telework 

coordinator. 

General information and guidance on Telework is available at: www.telework.gov. 

Federal Child Care Subsidy Program 

The Federal Child Care Subsidy Program (FCCSP) is another work/life program that may benefit 

some adoptive and foster parents. Established in 2001 (Public Law 107-67, Sec. 630), the 

FCCSP allows agencies to use appropriated and revolving funds, to help lower income Federal 

employees pay for child care. Federal agencies choose whether or not they wish to participate, 

based on considerations such as budget, mission priorities, and the demographics and needs of 

their employee population. 

Regulations (5 CFR 792.213) issued by OPM on the FCCSP define the term child to include a 

child who bears any of the following relationships to either an employee, the employee’s spouse 

or the employee’s same sex domestic partner.

4

: 

a) a biological child who lives with the Federal employee, 

b) an adopted child,

c) a stepchild, 

d) a foster child,

e) a child for whom a judicial determination of support has been obtained, or 

f) a child to whose support the Federal employee, who is a parent or legal guardian, makes 

regular and substantial contributions 

 

4

 OPM issued a proposed rule covering the children of employees’ same sex domestic partners in July, 2011. 76 FR 

45208 (July 28, 2011). As of time this handbook was prepared, the final regulation effecting this change was 

expected to be published within the next several months.
11

FCCSP applies to employees whose children are under the age of 13, or disabled and under the 

age of 18, and are enrolled, or will be enrolled, in licensed family child care homes or centerbased child care. The child care must be licensed and/or regulated by State and/or local 

authorities. 

If you are interested in the FCCSP, we encourage you to seek out your Child Care Subsidy Point 

of Contact (POC). Because each agency may create internal policies regarding the 

administration of its subsidy program, you will need to discuss details with your agency’s POCs.

Please note, the FCCSP is not mandatory; therefore, some agencies may not offer the program. 

If your agency is not listed on the Child Care Subsidy POC website, we encourage you to contact 

your agency’s Work/Life Coordinator(s) to determine what other options your agency may have 

for child care and whether they have any immediate plans to implement a subsidy program. You 

can find your agency’s Work/Life Coordinator(s) by searching OPM’s Work/Life Agency POC 

tool, or querying your local Human Resources office. 

General information and guidance on the Federal Child Care Subsidy Program is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/employment_and_benefits/worklife/familycareissues/childcare_subsidy/ind

ex.asp. 

DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT (DCFSA) 

DCFSA is another resource that can provide financial assistance for child care to adoptive and 

foster parents. DCFSA allows a Federal employee to be reimbursed on a pre-tax basis for child 

care expenses for qualified dependents that are necessary to allow the employee or his or her

spouse to work, look for work, or attend school full-time. A qualifying dependent for the 

DCFSA is your dependent for income tax purposes:

who is under age 13, or 

of any age (including, but not limited to, your parents and parents-in-laws, or your 

spouse) who is mentally or physically incapable of caring for himself or herself. 

In order to have a DCFSA, you (and your spouse if you are married) must have earned income 

during the year. Under section 129 of the Internal Revenue Code 

(http://www.irs.gov/publications/p15b/ar02.html#en_US_2012_publink1000193662), the 

maximum amount that can be elected for a DCFSA is the lesser of: 

$5,000 for single individuals or married couples filing joint returns, 

$2,500 for married couples filing separate returns, 

the employee's earned income (if less than $5,000/$2,500), or 

the spouse's earned income (if less than $5,000/$2,500). 

It is very important to discuss your elections with your spouse to ensure the household limit is 

not exceeded. If you and your spouse elect more than the $5,000 household limit, the Federal 
12

Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) will not be able to cancel your election per IRS 

guidelines. You will need to resolve the over-deduction through your Federal income tax return. 

For more information regarding tax dependents and/or your Federal income tax return, please 

visit: http://www.irs.gov/. 

General information and guidance regarding DCFSA is available at: 

https://www.fsafeds.com/fsafeds/SummaryOfBenefits.asp#WhatIsADCFSA. 

FEDERAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM (FEHB) 

Children under age 26, including legally adopted children, are eligible for coverage under your 

FEHB Self and Family enrollment. Foster children are eligible if they meet certain requirements 

described below. Your employing agency makes the determination whether the child meets the 

requirements for an adopted or foster child based on documents you provide. 

For adopted children, applicable State law governs whether and when a child has been adopted. 

The child is adopted if the adoption decree is final. The child also is considered adopted if the 

adoption decree is interlocutory5

 and State law provides that the rights of the child generally are 

the same as those of an adopted child. The effective date of your adopted child’s coverage as a 

family member is the day the adoption decree is final. A child living with you under a preadoption agreement may qualify as a foster child.

Foster children are also eligible for FEHB coverage if they meet the requirements listed here: 

the child must be under age 26 (if the child is age 26 or over, he or she must be 

incapable of self-support6),

the child must currently live with you, 

the parent-child relationship7 must be with you, not the child's biological parent, 

you must currently be the primary source of financial support for the child, and 

you must expect to raise the child to adulthood. 

A grandchild is not an eligible family member, unless the child qualifies as your foster child. 

 

5

 Interlocutory refers to an adoption that is not final. Since terms may vary among jurisdictions, you should review 

applicable laws and guidance for your State.

6

 Your agency is responsible for determining whether your dependent child age 26 or over is incapable of selfsupport because of a mental or physical disability that began before age 26. Guidance for making the determine is 

available at: http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/reference/handbook/fehb29.asp#childincapableofselfsupport. 

7

 A "regular parent-child relationship" is one in which you are exercising parental authority, responsibility, and 

control over the child by caring for, supporting, disciplining, and guiding the child, including making decisions about 

the child's education and health care. 
13

For your foster child to be covered under your FEHB enrollment, you must provide 

documentation of your regular and substantial support of the child; and sign a certification 

stating that your foster child meets all the requirements described above. More information is 

available in the Family Matters section of the Federal Health Benefits Program Handbook. 

The effective date of your foster child's coverage as a family member is the first day of the pay 

period in which your employing office receives all of the properly completed documents that 

establish the eligibility of the child as a foster child. When your foster child's mother is an 

eligible family member under your enrollment, you may request that the effective date be the 

first day of the pay period in which the child is born. 

Additional information on coverage of adopted children and foster children may be found is in 

the FEHB Handbook at 

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/reference/handbook/fehb28.asp#famcoverage. 

For further information on the FEHB Program and on coverage for adopted children and foster 

children, we also encourage you to contact your local Human Resources office.

General information and guidance on eligibility for FEHB coverage is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/eligibility/index.asp. 

Lastly, general information and guidance on FEHB is available at: 

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp. 
14

RESOURCES 

There are many great organizations and resources that focus on adoption and foster care. Below 

is a sample which may provide you with additional information. 

Your agency’s Work/Life coordinator(s) can help you navigate the benefits and programs 

applicable to you, as an adoptive or foster parent. You can find your agency’s Work/Life 

coordinator(s) by searching OPM’s Work/life Agency POC tool at www.opm.gov/worklife or 

querying your local Human Resources office. 

General Adoption Topics 

HHS’ Administration for Children and Families’ Adoption website has resources on all aspects 

of domestic and intercountry adoption. Here you can find information on the U.S. history of 

adoption, adoption definitions and language, and core issues of adoption. 

AdoptUSKids is a service of HHS’ Administration for Children and Families’ Children’s 

Bureau. The mission is two-fold: to raise public awareness about the need for foster and 

adoptive families for children in the public child welfare system, and to assist U.S. States, 

Territories and Tribes to recruit and retain foster and adoptive families and connect them with 

children. 

General Foster Care Topics 

HHS’ Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Child Welfare/Foster Care Statistics website offers 

resources with State and national data on the number of children in the child welfare system, 

trends in foster care caseloads, and well-being outcomes. 

AdoptUSKids is a service of HHS’ Administration for Children and Families’ Children’s 

Bureau. The mission is two-fold: to raise public awareness about the need for foster and 

adoptive families for children in the public child welfare system; and to assist U.S. States, 

Territories and Tribes to recruit and retain foster and adoptive families and connect them with 

children. 

The National Military Family Association shares information and resources on adoption benefits 

available to military families, including getting started, reimbursements, leave, and health care 

issues. 

HHS’ Caring for Children in Foster Care provides resources and information for foster parents 

about caring for foster children. Resources cover a wide array of topics, such as considerations 

for children affected by abuse or neglect, strategies for helping foster children succeed, making 

cultural connections, and child empowerment. 

Financial Resources 

HHS’ Cost of Adoption Factsheet describes universal expenses, adoption-specific expenses, 

resources to help defray the costs of adoption, and additional financial resources. 
15

Legal Issues & Adoption 

HHS’s “Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a Child for Adoption?: Summary of State Laws”

provides information on State-specific adoption laws. 

Tax Issues & Adoption 

The U.S. Internal Revenue Office (IRS) Adoption Credit and Adoption Assistance Programs 

provide information on a tax credit and exclusion available for qualified expenses paid to adopt 

an eligible child.

Developing a Workplace Adoption Program 

The resources in this section are intended for Federal Work/Life coordinators interested in 

planning and implementing a workplace adoption program. 

The Employer Provided Adoptions Benefits Factsheet developed by HHS’ Child Welfare 

Information Gateway describes the types of workplace benefits, eligibility and conditions, and 

employers that offer adoption benefits. 
United States

Office of Personnel Management

Employee Services

1900 E Street, NW

Washington, DC 20415

ES/AVS/WLW-03