Adoption Reimbursement

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Are you planning to or in the process of adopting a child? Federal law authorizes reimbursement for certain expenses associated with adoption to a maximum of $2000 per child and not to exceed $5000 per calendar year.

Of course, there are requirements and limitations you must be aware of. For instance, the adoption must be arranged by qualified adoption agencies or a source authorized under state or local law. Private and stepchild adoptions must be finalized in a U.S. court.

In order to qualify for the reimbursement, service members must be serving on continuous active duty for at least 180 days and the adoption must be finalized while on active duty. In addition, the claim must be submitted while on active duty and within the timeframe specified in DoD Instruction 1341.09 (within two years of the date that the adoption was finalized for claims submitted on and after July 5, 2016; within one year for claims submitted prior to that date).

Complete policy and procedures can be found in DoD Instruction 1341.9 and Volume 7A, Appendix A for the DoD Financial Management Regulation. Here you can also find what expenses can be reimbursed as well as those that are excluded.

More information is also available for…

Air Force Family Support Centers; Marine Corps family support, finance, personnel, legal assistance offices; and military chaplains can be good places to start gathering information for your application.

Your personnel office will assist you complete your application, ensure your submission is complete and send the package to DFAS Cleveland for adjudication.

The preferred method of submission for your claims is electronically via askDFAS here

For questions concerning a claim, please submit via askDFAS.

NOTE: It takes approximately 4-6 weeks for a determination to be made. For claims that are approved, payment will be issued via direct deposit. If a claim is denied or additional information is necessary, the service member will be notified in writing.

Page updated September 2, 2021