The Permanency Care Assistance (PCA) program helps children and youth who could not be reunited with their parents or adopted. It gives another permanent option to children who might otherwise grow up in foster care. PCA provides financial support to kinship caregivers who want to give a permanent home to children. It also includes healthcare for the child. 

What are the eligibility requirements for Permanency Care Assistance? 

To be eligible for Permanency Care Assistance (PCA), you must: 

1.  Apply to become a foster parent. 
2. Care for the child as a foster parent for at least six months. 
3. Negotiate and sign a PCA agreement. 
4. Go to court to get permanent managing conservatorship of the child. 

Here are some other PCA requirements: 

• DFPS must determine that reunification and adoption are not appropriate permanency options for the child. 
• The child must demonstrate a strong attachment to you. 
• You must have a strong commitment to caring permanently for the child. 
• Older youth must be consulted about the PCA plan. 
• You must negotiate, sign, and abide by the PCA agreement, which takes effect on the date you receive permanent managing conservatorship. 
• DFPS must have temporary or permanent managing conservatorship of the child on the day before the court transfers permanent managing conservatorship to you. 

PCA payments can begin the month after the court transfers permanent managing conservatorship to you. If the agreement is not signed before the transfer of permanent managing conservatorship, eligibility is lost permanently.

What is the amount of the Permanency Care Assistance monthly payment? 

The amount of financial support you receive depends on the child’s authorized service level at the time the PCA agreement is signed. 

The payment for a child with a Basic service level is up to $400 per month. The payment for a child with a Moderate or above service level is up to $545 per month. These payments are similar to adoption assistance payments. 

Older Youth and Permanency Care Assistance 

PCA benefits will continue until the youth turns 21 years old, if: 

• The youth was at least 16 years old when you signed the PCA agreement. 
• The youth meets certain educational or employment eligibility requirements. 

If you have permanent managing conservatorship and receive PCA benefits, the youth can also still apply for educational training vouchers and free college tuition. 

Permanency Care Assistance Successor Guardian 

A Permanency Care Assistance (PCA) successor is a person who is appointed to permanently care for the child if the kinship caregiver dies or becomes incapacitated. Appointing a successor preserves the child’s eligibility for PCA benefits. 

The PCA successor may receive PCA payments if all of the following conditions are met: 

1. You (the kinship caregiver) complete an amendment to your PCA agreement to name a potential successor, or the court names another individual to assume legal custody of the child. 
2. The PCA successor’s background check information meets DFPS standards. 
3. The PCA successor signs a PCA agreement with DFPS. 
4. The PCA successor submits to DFPS proof demonstrating that the court has given him or her legal custody of the child. 

Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program 

Youth who entered Permanency Care Assistance after age 16 and have not turned age 21 may be eligible for the federal Education and Training Voucher program. The program helps youth to participate in post-secondary and vocational or technical programs. However, the youth receives Education and Training Voucher funds only after he or she uses all other types of educational assistance, such as Pell grants, scholarships, and the Texas tuition and fee waiver. If these other financial aid programs do not cover the cost of attendance, the youth may receive up to $5,000 per year in Education and Training Voucher funds. 

For more information, talk to the child’s caseworker, kinship development worker, adoption caseworker, or Preparation for Adult Living Program caseworker. 

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