Adoption Assistance Program

Overview

EAS 35325-35352.2

The AAP is a federally funded entitlement program for “Special Needs” children that replaced the AAC Program effective October 1, 1982. AAP helps families with eligible children meet the financial, medical, and other essential needs of adopted children through the Social Services Agency or independent state operated adoption programs.

Age

The following applies for adoptive children:

Children 0-18 years are eligible if an AAP Agreement has been signed prior to completion of adoption or at the time of adoptive placement.
NMD adoptions between the ages of 18 to 20 years old.
Youths between 18 and up to 21 years old are eligible for continuing AAP if determined to have a documented mental or physical condition or are participating in the extended adoptions program. The determination is made by the Service Program PASW.

Definitions

Adoption Assistance Program Agreement (AD 4320)

A written agreement between the adoptive parents and a State agency that identifies the assistance and/or services that will be provided to adoptive parents on behalf of their special needs child(ren).

Deferred Payment Agreement

Deferred agreements, which must be signed by the adoptive parent(s), allow the AAP parent(s) to elect to not apply for AAP benefits however retain the child’s eligibility for an AAP grant at a future time and qualify for Medi-Cal benefits when needed.

Special Needs Child

A child relinquished or legally freed for adoption who, without adoption assistance payments, would require permanent foster care placement due to one or more of the following factors:

Age (three years or older),
Race, ethnic background, color, or language,
Physical, mental, emotional and/or medical handicaps, or adverse parental background,
Membership in a sibling group which should remain intact, and
Determined to be at risk of court dependency by county agency.

Final Decree of Adoption

A court order finalizing legal adoption of the child to the petitioners.

ICAMA - Interstate Compact on Adoptions and Medical Assistance

An agreement between the states that provide interstate cooperation for medical accessibility to protect the interest of adopted children’s medical benefits. The agreement allows AAP children to receive benefits from one state while residing in another. The AAP benefits remain with the state that finalized the adoption agreement.

Non-Minor Dependent (NMD)

NMD means a foster child, as described in Section 675(8)(B) of Title 42, who is a current or former dependent child or ward of the juvenile court who satisfies all of the following criteria:

He or she has attained 18 years of age but is less than 21 years of age.
He or she is in foster care under the responsibility of the county welfare department, county probation department, or Indian tribe that entered into an agreement.
He or she is participating in a transitional independent living case plan.
NMDs are eligible to EFC benefits at age 18 up to 21 years. These youths are eligible for NMD adoption which must be completed in juvenile court.

Review/Recertification/Reassessment (RRR, RV or RD)

The reassessment of eligibility which is completed by the agency with the cooperation of the adoptive parent(s) to determine whether changes in either the child's needs or the adoptive parent(s) circumstances affect eligibility for/or the amount of the Adoption Assistance payments. This process is referred to as the “RRR, RV or RD”.

Adoption Social Workers

Adoption Social Workers work closely with FCE to ensure that the adoptive parents receive uninterrupted benefits while eligible for AAP benefits. There are specific classifications of Adoption Social Workers referenced in this chapter. The classifications are:

Service Program Adoption Supervisor - Supervises social workers who finalize adoptions.
Service Program Adoption Social Worker - Social workers who finalize adoptions.
Service Program Post Adoption Supervisor - Supervises social workers that provide services to adoption families.
Service Program Post Adoption Social Worker - Social workers that provide services to adoption families after the adoption are finalized.