TANF Kinship Care Supportive Services 400-19-140-20

(Revised 9/1/2021 ML #3629)

View Archives

 

Supportive services may provide reimbursements within the limits established by the department under the Foster Care Program. Any approved supportive services reimbursement will be paid retroactively and will require proof of costs incurred. Eligibility for TANF Kinship Care supportive services is the date of application or the date of eligibility whichever is later.

 

Supportive services may be paid for up to 90 days from the application date or date of eligibility, whichever is later while waiting for the results of the finger print based criminal background check (referred to as background check).

 

In order for supportive services to continue beyond the 90th day, the foster care case manager must provide verification of an approved background check for individuals age 18 years or older in the home.

 

In certain situations, the department may receive information included as confirmation that a background check does not meet NDCC 50-11 requirement. However, the offense and date of conviction may not warrant denial of a kinship care placement. In these situations, the foster care case manager will make the final determination. For example, does the individual meet the foster care licensing relative waiver options?

 

Payment of supportive services will be prohibited beyond the 90th day if the eligibility worker has not received the results of the background check or has received confirmation the adult with whom the child was placed has a criminal background.

 

TANF Kinship Care supportive services provide reimbursement for:

  1. Child Care - Child care may be reimbursed to the caretaker as a TANF Kinship Care supportive service. Effective with the benefit month of August 2011, there is no maximum on the amount of child care that can be reimbursed or allowed as an expense, provided the costs are reasonable and comparable to the market rate for the area.
  1. Reimbursement is available for the caretakers' paid employment, a combination of paid employment and education/training, or work search where care is necessary unless the spouse of the caretaker, or an individual (a responsible adult household member) acting in the place of a child's parent resides in the home and is available to provide the child care.
  1. The child care provider must be a licensed, certified, registered or an approved relative provider unless the eligibility worker and foster care case manager determine conditions prevent care from being provided outside the home or verified barriers prevent child care arrangements outside the home.
  1. The Kinship Care child to whom care is provided must be younger than 13 years of age. Requests for reimbursement for care provided to children between 13 and 18 years of age will require current, medical evidence from a physician, psychologist, or clinical specialist that clearly confirms the need.

Payment of Child Care expenses is issued as a TANF benefit and not through the Child Care Assistance Program.

  1. Clothing Allowance Reimbursement - Initial and Special:
  1. Initial Clothing Allowance - During the first five months after the child enters a TANF Kinship Care arrangement, the child’s clothing needs can be met with an initial clothing allowance, if needed. The initial clothing allowance must be requested and prior approval received. A list of clothing purchases and receipts must be submitted to the county for reimbursement. The need for the initial clothing allowance should be included in the permanency planning document. The system limits the amount a payment may be made based on the age of a child but does not keep track of the five month period. Tracking the five month period is a manual process and should be kept in the TANF Kinship Care casefile.

Note: Once a child receives the initial clothing allowance, they should not receive it again while residing within the same TANF Kinship Care home. While it is expected that clothing purchased and reimbursed by Kinship Care follows the child, an additional allowance may be authorized if the child moves to the home of a new caretaker/relative.

Initial Clothing Allowance rates:

  • Children ages 0 – 4 years of age $400 maximum per year per child.

  • Children ages 5 – 12 years of age $400 maximum per year per child.

  • Children ages 13 – 18 or over 18* years of age $400 maximum per year per child.

  1. Special Clothing Allowance - A special clothing allowance may be authorized to replace clothing lost in a fire, flood, theft, or other disasters, or for sudden spurts of growth. The special clothing allowance rate is for emergency and extraordinary circumstances and should rarely be used in meeting the needs of the child. The supportive service is not an entitlement, but an exception.

Special Clothing Allowance rates:

  1. Children ages 0 – 4 years of age $250 maximum per year per child.
  2. Children ages 5 – 12 years of age $325 maximum per year per child.
  3. Children ages 13 – 18 or over 18* years of age $400 maximum per year per child.

*over age 18 – a child who is a fulltime student in a secondary or a vocational or a technical school that is equivalent to secondary school, before the end of the calendar month in which the student attains age 19, the student may reasonably be expected to complete the program of such school.

  1. Emergency Needs - Payment for emergency needs not to exceed $500 per case may be authorized may be reimbursed to meet expenses for which non-payment would threaten the placement or interrupt its permanence as determined by the eligibility worker and foster care case manager. The $500 is a one-time option that may be reimbursed in one payment or several payments not to exceed a total of $500.  Reimbursement for miscellaneous expenses will be allowed only if the Kinship Care caretaker requested and received specific approval from the eligibility worker and foster care case manager prior to the services being provided. Discussion between the eligibility worker and foster care case manager need to occur to come to an agreement on the services prior to the services being provided. If no agreement exists, reimbursement will not be allowed.Some examples of items that may qualify in this category are a bed, bedding, crib, highchair, damage by a child in Kinship Care placement, etc.
  1. Legal Fees - Legal fees incurred by the caretaker relative necessary to obtain legal guardianship of the TANF Kinship Care child can be paid under supportive services. Funds designated for this purpose, are currently administered by NDDHS Children and Family Services (CFS) and CFS is first payer before TANF Kinship Care. Reimbursement for legal fees may be allowed only if the caretaker relative requested and received specific approval from the eligibility worker and foster care case manger prior to the services being provided. TANF Kinship Care supportive services are payer of last resort for these expenses. Reimbursement may not exceed $700. Normally this supportive service is available once per TANF Kinship Care placement.
  1. School Supplies/Activity fees/Allowable Irregular Maintenance - Payment may be made under supportive services for:  
  1. School supplies or activity fees charged for participation in school and community activities (e.g. uniforms or supply rentals, activity fees, transportation costs, school pictures, field trips, school supplies, class ring, prom dress/tux, camps, music lessons/lease/purchase of musical instruments).
  1. Allowable irregular maintenance payments may be for personal incidentals of the child such as personal hygiene items, cosmetics, over the counter medications, special dietary foods, infant and toddler supplies (including high chairs and diapers), and miscellaneous items.

Note: Since car seats are available through various health districts entities in North Dakota, these agencies must be utilized. In the rare instance where a car seat is not available through a health district entity, the eligibility worker and foster care case manager should discuss the need. Authorization for reimbursement is prohibited if no need exists or the purchase was made prior to the eligibility worker’s approval.

 

Following are the allowable rates established under Family Foster Care:

  1. Children ages 0 – 4 years of age $200 per year
  2. Children ages 5 – 12 years of age $500 per year
  3. Children 13 and over 18 or 18* $700 per year
  1. Transportation Costs - Payment of transportation costs may be authorized for reasonable travel of the TANF Kinship Care child to the child's parental home, reasonable parental travel to the child’s Kinship Care placement home or other arranged location for visitation or other travel expenses as identified in the permanency plan. The allowable reimbursement rate for travel is $0.45 per mile.

Note: Travel reimbursement must be claimed by date, purpose, and miles driven and reimbursed through the TANF Vendor Payment Process.