California Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) Guide

Eligibility depends on the child, not on the family's income. CDSS states that "the use of a means test for AAP eligibility and determination of the monthly negotiated AAP rate is prohibited."

To be eligible, a child must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or have a qualifying immigration status under federal law.
• Meet all three parts of the special needs determination, which the county makes under California Code of Regulations Title 22, section 35326. Your county adoption worker can explain how it applies to your child.

Per CDSS's AAP questions and answers (All County Letter 15-50), a child adopted by their own birth parents does not meet the special needs determination.

Most AAP children are adopted from foster care. In limited circumstances, a child adopted through an independent, private agency or Tribal adoption may also be eligible.

Receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), survivor's benefits or any other financial assistance does not affect a child's AAP benefits.

To request AAP, prospective adoptive parents submit the AAP 1 form, Request for Adoption Assistance Program Benefit, to their county adoption agency or department.

Timing matters more than anything else. According to CDSS, the request, the eligibility determination, the benefit negotiation and the signed AAP agreement "must be completed prior to the adoption finalization." Ask about AAP early, while the adoption is still in process.

If your family does not need a monthly payment now, CDSS encourages you to sign a deferred AAP agreement. It keeps your child's eligibility so you can request benefits at a future date. You can also sign a Medi-Cal-only AAP agreement and request the monthly rate later.

The monthly payment is negotiated between the adoptive parents and the county. CDSS sets these rules for it:

• It is based on the child's care and supervision needs and the circumstances of the family.
• It may not exceed the rate the child would have received in foster care.
• It can be renegotiated at any time, at the parents' request, for example when the child's needs change.

Children with higher care needs may qualify for a Specialized Care Increment (SCI) on top of the basic rate, and children served by a California Regional Center may be eligible for the Dual Agency rate. CDSS publishes the current rates in All County Letter 26-45 (July 1, 2026), which applies a 3.59 percent increase for Fiscal Year 2026-27.

The payment is not tied to any specific good or service: per All County Letter 15-50, parents can use it as they see fit to meet the child's needs. Costs above the negotiated rate are the parents' responsibility, so it is worth documenting your child's needs carefully whenever you negotiate or renegotiate.

• Medi-Cal: AAP-eligible children can receive Medi-Cal (Medicaid) coverage. CDSS notes that it is the adoptive parents' responsibility to make sure the child receives every benefit they are eligible for, including Medi-Cal.
• One-time adoption expenses: reimbursement of nonrecurring adoption expenses of up to $400 per child may be available.
• Tax credits: federal and state adoption tax credits may apply. For the California credit (Credit for Child Adoption Costs, code 197), contact the Franchise Tax Board at 1 (800) 852-5711.

Many families never hear about this benefit: AAP can pay for wraparound services. CDSS explains how in All County Letter 24-66 (August 30, 2024).

• Why: AAP may fund wraparound "in lieu of out-of-home placement" for an AAP-eligible child whose mental, behavioral or emotional health needs go beyond basic care. In CDSS's words, "the goal of Wraparound services paid by AAP is for adopted children to remain in the adoptive home."
• How long: up to 18 months per episode or condition. Parents can request another 18 months if a new, different episode or condition occurs. When AAP benefits have been extended to age 21, AAP may also cover wraparound for the nonminor.
• Who chooses the provider: the parents. They may choose any California wraparound provider that is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is aligned with the California Wraparound Standards, and serves the child where the family lives in California.
• How it is paid: the parents ask the county to renegotiate the child's total monthly AAP rate. The county keeps paying the parents their regular AAP amount and pays the rest directly to the wraparound provider.
• What the county needs: current documentation, from the last six months, from a professional who works with the child, such as a mental health provider, showing that the child's needs require wraparound; and the contract or proposed contract with the provider.

Wraparound paid by AAP is only available while the child lives in California.

LEAF Wraparound works with AAP families across Northern and Central California. If you are not sure whether your child's situation fits, talk to our team, or read how our wraparound program works.

Adoptive parents must tell the county right away if:

• Your mailing address or state of residence changes.
• The child no longer lives in your home.
• You no longer provide any type of support to the child.
• You are no longer legally responsible for the child's support.

AAP continues if your family moves to another state or country, and it can continue in a subsequent adoption. CDSS lists only three reasons an AAP case can end: the child turns 18, or 21 when benefits were extended; the parents are no longer legally responsible for the child's support; or the county determines that the parents are no longer providing support to the child.

Read your AAP agreement carefully before you sign it: CDSS treats the signed agreement as a contract that stays in effect until it ends under its own terms or is amended. When the county takes an action on your child's AAP, it notifies you with a Notice of Action (form NA 791), as All County Letter 16-29 requires. If you disagree, you can ask for a State Hearing, and according to that notice your aid may continue unchanged if you ask before the effective date of the action.

For questions about your child's AAP, start with your county adoption agency. For general questions, the CDSS Adoption Services Branch can be reached at AAP@dss.ca.gov or (916) 651-8089.

This guide summarizes public guidance from the California Department of Social Services as of October 2026. Rules and rates change, so confirm the details for your child with your county.

1. California Department of Social Services. Adoption Assistance Program. Accessed October 12, 2026.
2. California Department of Social Services. All County Letter No. 24-66: Wraparound Services Paid by Adoption Assistance Program. August 30, 2024.
3. California Department of Social Services. All County Letter No. 26-45: Adoption Assistance Program rates, Fiscal Year 2026-27. July 1, 2026.
4. California Department of Social Services. AAP 1: Request for Adoption Assistance Program Benefit (form, revised 11/22).
5. California Department of Social Services. All County Letter No. 15-50: Adoption Assistance Program questions and answers. August 21, 2015.
6. California Department of Social Services. All County Letter No. 16-29: Adoption Assistance Program, Notice of Action and Identification of Overpayment. November 7, 2016.
7. Laws cited by CDSS: Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-272); California Welfare and Institutions Code sections 16115 to 16125, 16121(b) and 18250 to 18258; California Code of Regulations, Title 22, sections 35325 to 35352.2.