ASFC Report Questions and Answers Reporting Document Agency Supported Foster Care
Question / Answer / CitationWho makes the determination if a youth is IV-E eligible? / DHHS is the Title IV-E agency for Nebraska. Eligibility determinations are made in accordance with Federal Regulations. / Social Security Act Section 471(a)(2)
If a youth is not IV-E eligible is still necessary to complete the expense report? / Yes, all payments must be reviewed for reasonableness, and to show that payments for Title IV-E eligible children are not more than those who are not IV-E eligible. / N/A
Can you provide more information on the definitions of foster care payments (food, transportation, clothing, etc?)
Please further define shelter?
Please further define daily supervisor? / Foster care payments are defined as payments to cover the cost of food, clothing, shelter, daily supervision, school supplies, a child’s personal incidentals, liability insurance with respect to a child and reasonable travel to the child’s home for visitation and reasonable travel for the child to remain in the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement.
Routine transportation that a parent would provide is included as part of state’s daily rate for foster care, this is a maintenance cost.
Transporting to and from school of origin and to various appointments such as Medical, counseling and court or administrative costs.
Further definition of shelter and daily supervision is not provided in the federal regulations.
Shelter is defined in the dictionary as: Something that provides cover or protection, as from the weather.
Supervision is defined in the dictionary as:
Have the oversight and direction of. / Social Security Act Sections 472, 474, 475(4)
Is it possible to receive a copy of the letter from the Feds dated May 24, 2013, which Thomas referenced, regarding IV-E funds? Is this letter public information? / The form was developed based on in person technical assistance from ACF, and a review of the federal regulations cited within the question and answer document. / N/A
Which youth are included on the expense report? Does it include youth who reside in emergency shelter care? / All youth each agency served through agency supported foster care. Youth in shelter care and group home care would not be included. / N/A
What are considered allowable administrative costs? / Salaries and wages related to pre-placement activities such as determination of eligibility and preparation for placement would be allowable administrative costs. Please reference the link below for all questions and answers related to allowable administrative costs for Title IV-E. / 45 CFR 1356.60(c)(2)(i)
Regarding the foster care maintenance, the stipend is not considered income per the government how is this claimed? / Foster care stipends (payments to foster parents) should be placed in the stipend column. / LB 820 (2012)
LB 530 (2013)
Who is included in reporting? Group home residential and Foster care OR just foster care? / The agency should report the number of youth the agency served through Agency Supported Foster Care. Youth in shelter care and group home care would not be included. / N/A
Define Pre-placement activities / Allowable costs related to pre placement activities may include the determination of eligibility, preparation for placement, placement and referral costs before the child is placed in foster care. / 45 CFR 1356.60(c)(2)
What category does staff training fall into? / Please record under the non-allowable administrative. / N/A
What is the best way to get information on youth which are IV-E eligible? / This is not applicable as all youth must be reported on. / N/A
When do we exclude 3b/probation youth? / All youth served by DHHS for case management must be reported on, please do not exclude any DHHS/OJS child/youth the agency provided foster care services for. If the agency provides foster care services to youth served by NFC for case management or by probation please work with those entities for reporting requirements. / N/A
In ESA, should they include NFC youth? If so, what number is included in the “total DHHS foster care payment to agency” category? / It will be necessary to work through NFC for their reporting requirements and only list DHHS youth on the reports provided by DHHS. / N/A
What is the difference between Foster care maintenance and foster care stipend? / Foster Care Maintenance payment is the payment to foster parents minus the stipend amount. The stipend is a temporary payment made as an enhancement to the maintenance payment, and must be tracked separately for this reporting period. / LB 820 (2012)
LB 530 (2013)
What if agencies don’t have their month end by August 15th do they send June data or July’s possible data? / The report submitted by August 15, 2013 would be data for July 2013 payments to the agencies and those payments the agency made to foster parents. / N/A
Sara Goscha 7/30/2013
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