Other planned permanent living arrangement (OPPLA), also known as another planned permanent living arrangement (APPLA), is a term created by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 to replace the term "long-term foster care." With OPPLA, the child welfare agency maintains care and custody of the youth and arranges a living situation in which the youth is expected to remain until adulthood. OPPLA or APPLA is a permanency option only when other options such as reunification, relative placement, adoption, or legal guardianship have been ruled out.
Find information and resources about the use of OPPLA or APPLA as a permanency option for youth in foster care, including State and local examples.
Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997
Children's Bureau, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Provides the text of the ASFA of 1997.
Implementing the Older Youth Permanency Provisions of the Strengthening families Act: The Court's Role
Pokempner (2016)
American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law
Reviews the provisions for older youth in foster care in the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, which made changes to another planned permanent living arrangement.
Issue Brief: The Role of the Court in Implementing the Older Youth Provisions of the Strengthening Families Act (PDF - 650 KB)
American Bar Association (2016)
Provides information on how courts can successfully implement the provisions of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act that relate to older youth, including the changes to the use of another planned permanent living arrangement.
The Multisite Accelerated Permanency Project: Permanency Roundtables as a Strategy to Help Older Youth in Foster Care Achieve Legal Permanency
White, Corwin, Buher, O'Brien , DiLorenzo, Kelly, & Morgan (2015)
Journal of Social Service Research, 41(3)
Explores the use of permanency roundtables to achieve legal permanency for older youth. Findings showed that 1 year after the roundtables, 8.5 percent of the youth had achieved permanency. Other benefits included increased staff understanding of the importance of legal permanency and the identification of strategies to address barriers to achieving legal permanency.
Pathways to Permanency: Collaborating on the APPLA Provisions of P.L. 113-183 [Infographic] (PDF - 167 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States & Center for Courts (2016)
Describes how agencies and courts can work together to effectively use "another planned permanent living arrangements" (APPLA) within Federal statutory mandates and guidelines, including describing the circumstances that must be documented by agencies and found by courts when APPLA is used.
Pathways to Permanency: Expanding on Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) Provisions and Youth Engagement to Improve Permanency (PDF - 225 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Defines child welfare agency and court responsibilities related to the APPLA provisions of P.L. 113–183 and provides background information on the purpose of APPLA and the importance of youth engagement and voice in permanency planning.
Permanency Planning
Better Care Network
Provides a variety of articles on the process of preparing children and youth for out-of-home placements.
Permanency Planning Goal
Lawyers for Children
Outlines expectations for youth leaving foster care and making a permanency plan.
Youth Transitioning From Foster Care 2007
American Bar Association
Outlines the American Bar Association's (ABA's) policy recommendations related to Federal and State law and policy affecting youth in foster care transitioning to adult independence
State and local examples
Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA) Subcommittee
Nebraska Children's Commission
Highlights Nebraska's APPLA subcommittee, which focuses on how youth can transition from care, especially those with independent living as their permanency goal. The goals of the subcommittee are including more youth voice in determining and achieving permanency goals, using a team approach to permanency goals, promoting APPLA best practices, and more.
APPLA
Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (2019)
Reviews APPLA and when it can be determined as a youth's permanency goal in Michigan.
Section 16: Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (PDF - 135 KB)
Oregon Department of Human Services (2015)
Explains another planned permanent living arrangement (APPLA) in Oregon, including types of APPLA plans, when APPLA can be used, the process for approval of an APPLA plan, case plans, court reviews, permanency reviews, and more.