Foster Care planning is supposed to include provisions for educational stability. Part of that includes reimbursements for transportation costs. This letter sets out the reimbursement formulas. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Foster Care
ACIN I-53-11: Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Capped Allocation Project Five-Year Extension Proposal (9/22/11)
An announcement of the short-term extension, through 2013, of a waiver that allows participating counties to expend Title IV-E funds on both eligible and non-eligible children and families, and provide payments for direct services to children and families that are not allowed under the current Title IV-E regulations. Los Angeles and Alameda are included, and other counties may apply. The extension will give the state more time to complete it’s 5 year waiver request. (This waiver has been in place since 2007.) [Download]
ACL 11-63: Foster Care Rate (AB 106) (September 20, 2011)
Sets out the foster care benefit rate increases for children in family care mandated by AB 106. This ACL addresses AFDC-FC and Kin-GAP. CDSS is going to issue a separate ACL concerning adoption assistance. Please note: 1. The increases apply to children placed with approved relatives, not just those living with licensed foster parents. Some counties were not applying the increase to children in the care of relatives. This ACL should clarify the situation. 2. The ACL correctly notes that AB 106 did not increase the specialized care increment (SCI.) However the SCI is an amount over and above the basic rate. Therefore children who receive an SCI will get a rate increase. It will just be an increase in the basic rate not the SCI. 3. The effective date of the increase is May 1, 2011, with a COLA that was effective July 1, 2011. Given the release date of the letter, some cases may be owed a retroactive adjustment. [Download]
ACL 11-59: CalWORKs): Implementation Of New Aid Codes For Foster Children In The CalWORKs Program (9/6/11)
In the past, foster children placed with relative caretakers who were not eligible for federal foster care benefits, were not identified as foster care cases. This meant that they were put into the CalWORKs-linked Medi-Cal, and required to enroll into a Medi-Cal managed care health plan, in violation of state law. Foster children have the right to choose between fee for service Medi-Cal and a managed care health plan unless they reside or are placed in a county with a County Organized Health System. [Download]
ACL 11-53: Letter of Intent (LOI) and County Plan to Request Participation in the Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP), the Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP-PLUS), and/or The Transitional Housing Program-Plus-Foster Care (THP-PLUS-FC) (7/25/2011)
Pursuant to Assembly Bill 12, which expands foster care eligibility beyond age 18 for foster youth over the next several years, all counties are required to submit plans for the programs listed above which provide housing and supportive services for foster youth. [Download]
ACL 11-54: Foster Care: California Necessities Index Increase In Group Home Rates (7/27/11)
New rates, effective 7/1/11. [Download]