County of Responsibility

The Service Program Adoption Social Worker or RDSS shall determine the County responsible for issuing the AAP payment.

  • The responsible County is the county that would have issued the Foster Care or CalWORKs payment if the child had not been adopted.
  • When no prior public benefits are issued, the responsible county is the county where the child was living prior to the adoptive placement.
  • The County of benefits responsibility does not change, even if the family moves out of the county, state or country.

Benefits

AAP benefits are to follow the child and be used to benefit the child, not to be counted as income for a parent. Adoptive parents are not recipients of AAP benefits; rather, AAP benefits are made on the child’s behalf to meet his or her needs. An adopted child who receives AAP benefits from California may move anywhere in the world and still receive monthly subsidy payments until the age of 18 or 21, as long as the youth meets the eligibility requirements.

Types of AAP Benefits

There are currently seven (7) types of AAP benefits available:

  1. Basic Needs AAP: This monthly grant is intended for basic child-rearing expenses. The family will receive an amount equivalent to the prevailing foster care rate, unless the family declines this financial aid or defers the opportunity for benefits until a future time.

    1. Note: An AAP eligible child can receive Medi-Cal only, a monthly payment does not need to be a part of the benefits.

  2. AAP with a Special Care Increments: This monthly grant provides an increase to the basic rate for financial support for the child’s special cognitive, emotional, behavioral or medical needs, or care related to such special needs. Adoptive parents must provide written documentation by a licensed professional describing the child’s special needs which is retained in the adoption SW file.
  3. Medical Coverage: AAP-eligible children can receive Medi-Cal or Medicaid. Refer to Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (ICAMA) for medical, dental and other health expenses. The coverage can serve as the child’s primary insurance if there is no other coverage, or as secondary medical insurance if the child is covered under the adoptive parents’ health plan.
  4. Non-recurring Expense: An adoption expense to be paid to the adoptive parent/s for the cost incurred during the adoption process. The reimbursement for the expenses cannot exceed $400 dollars, regardless of the amount incurred during the adoption process.
    The reimbursement amount is one time only per child expense. This expense is handled by the adoption social worker or the RDSS and is not paid through CalSAWS. An “Adoption Assistance Program Nonrecurring Adoption Expense Agreement (AAP 8); along with supporting receipts are necessary to pay this reimbursement.
  5. AAP Wraparound: This monthly grant pays for special services wrapped around challenges faced by children who are at risk of group home placement. The services are “wrapped around” the individual’s needs with the goals of building, strengthening and maintaining a normative life-style preventing a restrictive and costly placement while the youth remains with the adoptive parents. The AAP wraparound rate is always the state-approved wraparound rate.

    1. Note: Wraparound payments are NOT PAID to the adoptive parent(s). This payment is paid to an identified service provider assigned for adopted children under the Wraparound case.

  6. Dual Agency Children: This monthly grant is for children who receive services through SARC or any regional center in the adopted parents area. The rate is approved by the post-adoption SW.  Refer to Dual Agency Children (DAC) [W&IC Section 11464 (c)(1)].
  7. Out of Home Placement: This monthly grant is paid directly to a group home when a voluntary or involuntary out of home placement occurs. Refer to Out-of-Home Placements.

Related Topics

Adoption Assistance Program [EAS 35325 - 35352.2]