SACWIS
Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System. SACWIS refers to the system used by states to report child welfare information to the federal government.

SSI, SSI Benefits
Supplemental Security Income is a program through the Social Security Administration that provides monthly cash benefits and, in most states, Medicaid eligibility to persons, including children, with specific, defined, handicapping conditions. Children eligible for SSI must be significantly disabled.

sealed records
In a traditional adoption, sealed records are the birth certificate and other confidential information to which the adoptee is denied access. Sealed records are required under some state laws. In others, records may be sealed until the adoptee reaches the age of majority.

search
In adoption, search may refer to (1) a process used by the agency to locate a missing birthparent in order to notify him/her of rights and responsibilities in regard to a child, (2) a process whereby a birthparent or adoptee seeks information and/or contact with a family member from whom they were separated through adoption proceedings, or (3) the process used by a family and/or the family's worker or agency to attempt to locate a child for the family.

second-parent adoption
The adoption of a child by the unmarried parent's domestic partner. Second-parent adoptions are similar to stepparent adoptions, but are not permitted in every jurisdiction.

self-contained classroom
A separate classroom where students with severe problems can receive special education instruction from one teacher for the majority of the school day.

sending agency
In an interstate adoption, the agency that has custody of the child until finalization, and makes placement decisions for him or her.

service subsidy
An adoption assistance agreement, prepared during the pre-placement period, may include other forms of assistance in addition to a monthly financial payment, such as respite care, medical equipment, or physical therapy. For more information, see the checklist of service subsidies.

siblings, sibling group
Brothers and/or sisters, children of the same parent. Many adoption professionals believe that, whenever possible, siblings should be placed together or remain in contact.

sibling group adoption
The adoption of two or more siblings or half-siblings by the same family at the same time.

sliding scale
A scale or table used to determine fees charged for services which allows the fee to be based on the client's ability to pay.

social security, social security benefits, Social services benefits
The terms social security benefits or social services benefits may refer to any of a range of services, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Social Security Survivors Benefits, Medicaid, and Food Stamps. For more information, see Social Security Act.

social summary
A child assessment or child profile, also called a social summary, is the written document completed by a child's caseworker which provides comprehensive information about the child, including family history; medical, educational, psychological and educational assessments; history of previous placements; and daily routines. Usually completed before an agency begins to recruit families for a child, it should be made available to any family (or family's worker) that the child's agency is seriously considering.

special education
Special education refers to educational programs which are adapted to meet the educational requirements of children with various kinds of special educational needs and learning differences. Special education may involve self-contained classrooms, the use of a resource room, or mainstreaming. A child may be accommodated by a number of possible interventions, such as smaller class sizes, the use of behavioral management techniques in the classroom, the use of computers or other audiovisual equipment, or individually tailored assignments.

special needs
In the context of adoption, under federal guidelines, children with special needs are children who have a condition or history making it difficult to place them without adoption assistance, and who cannot or should not be returned to their birthfamilies. Special needs may refer to a child with specific physical, medical, mental, learning, or emotional disabilities, or may be determined by factors such as age (school-aged children and teens), sibling status, race (in some states), and risk factors such as a family history of mental illness. Guidelines for classifying a child as having special needs vary by state, according to state statute.

special needs child
While this term is still used by some, including the Internal Revenue Service, many people in the adoption community feel it is more appropriate to refer to "a child with special needs" or a "waiting child."

special needs adoption
The adoption of a child with special needs. Generally this includes a more extensive training process and often it involves lower or waived fees.

state adoption specialist
In each of the 50 states, an individual who is the designated authority on adoption for that state. The state adoption specialist is familiar with the laws of that state, and is a resource for complex adoption questions. For contact information for the state adoption specialist for each state, click on the left State and National Resources.

step-parent adoption
The adoption of a child by the parent's new spouse.

subsidy
Many waiting children are entitled to state or federal adoption assistance payments, also called financial assistance or subsidy. These payments are based on a child's needs or eligibility and not on the family's income. They provide a check for the child each month until the child reaches age 19 (sometimes age 21). Adoptive families may also be eligible for other resources for financing an adoption.

supplemental security income
Supplemental Security Income is a program through the Social Security Administration that provides monthly cash benefits and, in most states, Medicaid eligibility to persons, including children, with specific, defined, handicapping conditions. Children eligible for SSI must be significantly disabled.

support group
A group of individuals who share a common concern or experience, who provide support for one another. Many adoptive parents make use of adoptive parent support groups. Parents of children with special needs can find support groups with others whose children share that special need, through organizations or websites that focus on specific disabilites.