Financial Assistance With Adopted Children Placement In Therapeutic & Alternative Boarding Schools For California

As the parent of an adopted child, you have chosen to give a child a better life. However, when it comes to adopting an older child from the California foster care system, parents are likely taking in a child who will face difficulties. All of these children have experienced trauma to a certain extent, and it can make the adjustment to an adoptive parent’s home hard on everyone involved. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in California understands this difficulty and has developed a program to assist families.

To assist parents in adopting children from the foster system in California, the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) was created. It extends to many programs from medical to housing, with a specific program to financially assist parents who want to place their child in a residential care facility. Basic eligibility requirements for enrollment in AAP benefits are:

• Child must be U.S. citizen
• The child must have at least one barrier to their adoption (example – keeping sibling group together, older than 3 years old, professional assessment of disability)
• Child was under the legal guardianship of the state
• Child adopted through licensed California agency, either private or public agency.

The information for the above program applies the L.A. County. We chose them as the example county as they are the most populous county in California and many adoptions occur through L.A. County. Follow this link to check your county’s specific adoption assistance program requirements.

Program For Placing Your Adopted Child In Residential Care Facility

If you meet the eligibility requirements for AAP benefits, then you can make a request to receive financial assistance in placing your adopted child in a residential treatment facility. You need to follow a series of steps to make the request.

1. A certified social worker needs to review your child’s health and education history notebook and possibly their adoption case file to see if there was any documentation of a history of emotional or mental problems.
2. Your social worker will then talk to you and your family regarding any documentation you have that shows your child has need of out-of-home treatment placement. Medical documentation is best. Your family should also have a facility chosen so the social worker can review its appropriateness for your child as well as the treatment center’s classification level.
3. The social worker will then tell you the benefit rate you will receive to help place your child in a residential treatment center.
4. Your social worker will also explain how your other benefits (if you are currently receiving APP benefits) will be affected.
5. Once you have agreed to the AAP benefit, the social worker will manage and submit the paperwork to the appropriate authorities.
6. You will be informed when your adopted child’s placement benefits will begin.

Again, this is the process for an adopted child from L.A. County. There may be some variation when it comes to other California counties.

Allow HYTN Find The Right Treatment Center For Your Adopted Teen

To increase the chances of your application for financial assistance being approved, you need to select the appropriate treatment facility for your adopted child. There are many programs available, but most are tailored to cater to specific kinds of emotional, physical, and mental disorders.

Help Your Teen Now is here to help parents find the right treatment center to place their child in. We have helped thousands of children and their families find the best place for the child to heal and grow. Contact us today and allow us to help you assess just what treatment facility will help you and your child move forward together toward a better future.