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Social Services Agency
Social Services Agency

Adopting a child

Two women taking a selfie with their son

When you adopt a child, it brings a permanent and legal change in relationships as the child legally becomes a member of your family. We are here to help you through this emotional decision and journey.

Adoptions through our department are available to caretakers of dependent children of the court in out-of-home care who are unable to return to their parents and need a permanent home. If you are interested in adoption, you must first become a Resource Family.

Adoption process

  1. Get approved as a licensed resource parent. 
    Apply to become a licensed resource parent and successfully complete an adoption resource approval.  You may ask for an application online or by calling 1-408-299-KIDS.
     
  2. Begin finalization process. 
    After a resource approval is complete and the child is freed for adoption, an adoption finalization social worker is assigned to the case.

    The finalization process includes: 1) Completing and initial home visit, and reviewing full disclosure information including all available data about the child from the case files; 2) the completion of the forms for the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP), a federally funded program which provides financial benefits for adopted children with special needs; and 3) signing of the additional AAP forms, including the Adoptive Placement Agreement form, and drawing up and filing an Adoption petition with the court. The final step, the adoption hearing in court or a virtual hearing, usually takes place within three to six months after a social worker is assigned.
     
  3. Attend adoption hearing in court.
    You will appear for a finalization hearing in court or virtually, an event that completes the adoption process. About 12 months later, you can expect to receive the new birth certificate from the State of California.

Adoptive family resources

Young boy riding on the shoulders of his mom with another woman standing next to them

After the adoption process is complete, you can access a range of post-adoption resources, including counseling services. Our post-adoption services team can connect you to these services. 

Adoption Assistance Program

 

If you are adopting a child who was a dependent of the Court, they usually qualify for a federally funded program called the Adoption Assistance Program. AAP can include both financial and medical benefits. Adopted children who are not dependents may not be eligible for AAP. Examples include children adopted through an independent adoption, voluntary relinquishment, or stepparent adoption may not be eligible for Adoption Assistance benefits. 

If your adopted child is eligible for benefits from AAP and they receive a survivor benefit from Social Security from their deceased birth parent, this will not affect their AAP eligibility. AAP benefits cannot be reduced for eligible children because of other income source for the child. This includes income from birth parents, birth relative, adoptive parents, Social Security Administration (SSA) Survivors Benefits and Supplemental Security Income Benefits (SSI). You must, however, report your child’s AAP benefits to the Social Security Administration (SSA), which may deduct your AAP benefits from your child’s SSI grant.

AAP eligibility if you move out of County

Once you qualify for the Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) benefits, they will continue even if you move out of the county, the state, or the country. However, the adoptive parents need to notify our post-adoption team in writing regarding the changes of address to ensure that the AAP benefits will continue uninterrupted.