The factors to be considered by the secretary in setting the amount of any payment or payments to be made pursuant to RCW
26.33.320 and
74.13A.005 through
74.13A.080 and in adjusting standards hereunder shall include: The size of the family including the adoptive child, the usual living expenses of the family, the special needs of any family member including education needs, the family income, the family resources and plan for savings, the medical and hospitalization needs of the family, the family's means of purchasing or otherwise receiving such care, and any other expenses likely to be needed by the child to be adopted. In setting the amount of any initial payment made pursuant to RCW
26.33.320 and
74.13A.005 through
74.13A.080, the secretary is authorized to establish maximum payment amounts that are reasonable and allow permanency planning goals related to adoption of children under RCW
13.34.145 to be achieved at the earliest possible date. To encourage adoption of children between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, and in particular those children between the ages of fourteen and eighteen who are hard to place for adoption, the secretary is authorized to include as part of any new negotiated adoption agreement executed after October 19, 2017, continued eligibility for the Washington college bound scholarship pursuant to RCW
28B.118.010.
The amounts paid for the support of a child pursuant to RCW
26.33.320 and
74.13A.005 through
74.13A.080 may vary from family to family and from year to year. Due to changes in economic circumstances or the needs of the child such payments may be discontinued and later resumed.
In fixing the standards to govern the amount and character of payments to be made for the support of adopted children pursuant to RCW
26.33.320 and
74.13A.005 through
74.13A.080 and before issuing rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of RCW
26.33.320 and
74.13A.005 through
74.13A.080, the secretary shall consider the comments and recommendations of the committee designated by the secretary to advise him or her with respect to child welfare.