Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) 624-05-15-115-30

(Revised 7/1/2025 ML #3928)

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Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) is a permanency alternative permitted under ASFA that allows a young person age 16 or greater to age out of foster care and transition into adulthood with a stable living arrangement that is not the child's home of origin, adoption, guardianship, or kinship care.

 

APPLA is intended to be a last resort. ASFA explicitly prohibits long-term foster care as a permanency option. APPLA will involve a committed caregiver or parental figure who will ensure the child maintains meaningful and permanent connections into adulthood.

 

When to Select Goal of APPLA:

The agency must provide reasons why APPLA is in the best interest of the child. The custodian must document the compelling reason for the alternate plan to court. Reasons may include any of the following:

  1. A child, age 16 or greater, requests the custodial agency to allow them to “age out of care”.

  2. The parent and child have a significant bond, but the parent is unable to care for the child because of an emotional or physical disability.

  3. The Tribe has identified APPLA for the child.

  4. Only after reunification, adoption, legal guardianship, and relative placement have been ruled out.

  5. When a child has entered the 18+ program.

When Not to Select This Goal:

  1. Compelling reasons do not include the agency promoting benefits of the 18+ program. APPLA should only be considered when reunification, adoption, guardianship, and relative placement have been ruled out.

How to Implement this Goal:

Although APPLA has been identified as a permanency goal for a child, the case plan should still focus on building relationships between the child, family and adults who are important to the child. The Safety Framework Practice Model still applies to children with a goal of APPLA. The agency should engage in parent/caregiver relationship building for the child. The expectation is that the agency will continue assessing impending danger and protective capacities throughout the life of the case. The parent/caregivers are still expected to engage in the PCFA/PCPA processes and work with the agency on goal development that assists in strengthening their family for when the child is discharged from foster care.