A reminder of the rules and procedures for processing benefits for disaster victims. Comes with a Q & A. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Author: Webdog
ACL 07-39: Temporary Placement Of Foster Child With Relative Or Nonrelative Extended Family Member (NREFM) In An Emergency Situation (10/25/07)
Effective 1/07, a statutory modification provides temporary placement of a foster child on an emergency basis when the current foster caregiver suddenly becomes unavailable to continue providing care. The new provisions uses the same requirements as for emergency placements when the child is initially taken into protective custody. Immediately following the emergency placement of a child with a relative/NREFM, the county child welfare agency shall evaluate and approve or deny the home for purposes of AFDC–FC eligibility.
Once the emergency is resolved, the county must determine whether the child will remain with the relative/NREFM or be returned to placement with the original caregiver. [Download]
ACIN I-62-07: Notice Of Action And Right To Request A State Hearing On Interim Assistance For Payment Pending Cases (10/25/07)
There is a new Reimbursement (IAR) Program form, to comply with a change in federal law. Previously, Social Security send a client’s entire retroactive SSI payment to the Interim Assistance (IA) agency as a lump sum. The IA agency reimbursed itself, sending the balance to the client, along with a Notice of Action and Right to Request a State Hearing.
The Deficit Reduction Act included a provision by which certain initial SSI benefits are paid to IA clients in installments, rather than in lump sums. The retroactive SSI remains pending, SSA sends the IA agency a notice, and the IA agency must request reimbursement from SSA. After the IA has requested reimbursement, SSA will forward the balance to the client in installments.
The new form has added language listing the initial SSI/SSP IAR amounts and IAR time periods; this form provides information regarding procedures for clients who wish to appeal their initial SSI/SSP benefit amounts and/or the amounts SSA sends to the county IA agencies from their initial SSI/SSP
benefit payments. [Download]
ACIN I-60-07: Best Practices For Reducing And Eliminating Foster Care Overpayments (10/26/07)
A clarification that the requirement to repay the federal government as soon as a county discovers an overpayment means after provision of due process to the recipient. Comes with an attachment of various strategies. [Download]
ACL 07-28: SB 1641 (Foster Care Placements) (10/25/07)
Senate Bill 1641 requires a Foster Care placement agency to ensure, “to the fullest extent possible,” the placement best meets the day-to-day needs of the child by assessing which type of placement (relative, family home, group) meets the health, safety, and well-being needs of the child, in the least restrictive most family-like environment, and in which the child is permitted to engage in reasonable, age-appropriate day-to-day activities. And just in case reason leaves us, the bill requires foster caregivers to use a “prudent parent standard” to determine day-to-day activities that are age-appropriate, and specify that they are not allowed to permit the child to engage in day-to-day activities that carry an unreasonable risk of harm or subject the child to abuse or neglect. [Download]
ACL 07-40: Electronic Records And Electronic Signatures (10/19/07)
DSS goes high tech. Government Code 12168.7 requires the state to develop standards for the electronic recording and storage of documents. Which has not been done. Nonetheless, CDSS advises counties to figure out IT appropriate standards, and go for it. Also info on what makes an electronic signature acceptable. [Download]