108A-50.2. Adoption Promotion Fund.

(a) Funds appropriated by the General Assembly to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, for the Adoption Promotion Fund shall be used as provided in this section. The Division of Social Services of the Department of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services and representatives of licensed private adoption agencies, shall develop guidelines for the awarding of funds to licensed public and private adoption agencies upon the adoption of children described in G.S. 108A-50 and in foster care. Payments received from the Adoption Promotion Fund by participating agencies shall be used exclusively to enhance the adoption services. No local match shall be required as a condition for receipt of these funds. In accordance with State rules for allowable costs, the Adoption Promotion Fund may be used for post-adoption services for families whose income exceeds two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level.

(b) Of the total funds appropriated for the Adoption Promotion Fund each year, twenty percent (20%) of the total funds available shall be reserved for payment to participating private adoption agencies. If the funds reserved in this subsection for payments to private agencies have not been spent on or before March 31 of each State fiscal year, the Division of Social Services may reallocate those funds, in accordance with this section, to other participating adoption agencies.

(c) The Division of Social Services shall monitor the total expenditures in the Adoption Promotion Fund and redistribute unspent funds to ensure that the funds are used in accordance with the guidelines established in subsection (a) of this section.