Adoption/Guardianship of a Dependent Child

Taking responsibility for a child is an important decision in one's life. As a guardian, you become the primary person responsible for the child's needs and progress in life. Not only must you consider the child in this process, but you must also consider yourself, other family members, and the family environment.

Forms:

• Enrollment and Beneficiary Designation for the Health Plan

• Pension Beneficiary Designation (only if you are unmarried)

• Statement of Support

Additional Information:

Welfare SPD

• Section 1.9 - Family and Medical Leave Act

• Section 3 - Eligibility Rules for Dependents

• Section 12.1 - Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation

• Section 15.1 - Enrollment Procedure

• Section 15.4 - Coordination of Benefits

Pension SPD

• Section 3.4.3 - Waiver of Break-in-Service During Maternity and Paternity Leave

External Related Links:
(These are listed for your convenience. The sites and the contents of the sites are not sponsored or endorsed by your benefit plans. Use them at your own risk.)

• Unique Families: Adoption and Special Needs - Support for parents of children with special needs or children who are adopted. Mailing lists, articles by parents and professionals, resources.
• Adoptive Parents - Comprehensive About.com links compiled by Nancy Stanfield.
• International Adoption - Information and online publications provided by US State Department.

Benefit Plan Checklist
	Legally adopted children, foster children and children who live in your home and for whom you or your legal spouse are the legal guardian are covered by the Welfare Trust in the same way as genetic children. You must complete a new Enrollment and Beneficiary Designation for the Health Trust and provide a copy of the legal adoption, foster or guardianship papers to the Trust Customer Service Office. The Plan may also require proof that you provide the child's support. This must be done within 31 days of the arrangement in order to ensure coverage.
	You will want to review your designation of beneficiary for the life insurance under the Welfare Trust. If you are unmarried, you will also want to review the designation of beneficiary for the Pension Plan.
	Review the rules for coordination of benefits. Coordination of benefits rules govern who will have the primary coverage for your child if both you and your spouse have group health coverage.
	If you think you might be taking Family/Maternity/Paternity Leave you should review section 1.9 of the Welfare SPD and section 3.4.3 of the Pension SPD to see how your benefits may be affected.

Planning Notes:

Financial planners recommend that whenever there is an addition to your family you should update a number of personal plans and documents. Here is a checklist of some items which you may need to update, revise, or consider:

• Will

• Living Trust

• Estate Plan

• Durable Powers of Attorney

• Designation of Beneficiary: IRA, 401k, Life Insurance

• Adequacy of Life Insurance

• Adequacy of Disability Insurance