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

(Revised 6/1/10 ML #3218)

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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.

 

Once Kinship Care Study, Child Abuse and Neglect Background Check, Kinship Placement, and Kinship Care Agreement are completed, supportive services can be paid and continue to be paid until the 90th day, when results of the Criminal Background Check are required. In order for supportive services to continue beyond the 90th day, the Social Worker must provide verification of a successful Criminal Background Check on the adult with whom the child is placed. A successful Criminal Background Check may include confirmation of a criminal background; however, the offense and date of conviction may not warrant denial of a kinship care placement. Payment of supportive services will be prohibited beyond the 90th day if the TANF Eligibility Worker has not received the results of the Criminal Background Check or received confirmation that 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 or as an expense from earned income. The rates for child care cannot exceed the maximum allowed under the Child Care Assistance program by more than 25 percent.
  1. Reimbursement is available for the caretakers paid employment, a combination of paid employment and education/training, or work search where care is necessary and no other responsible adult member resides in the home.
  2. The child care provider must be a licensed, certified, registered or an approved relative provider unless the TANF Eligibility Worker and Social Worker determine conditions prevent care from being provided outside the home or verified barriers prevent child care arrangements outside the home.
  3. 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).
  4. Reimbursement for the costs of care may not exceed current Child Care Assistance rates by more than 25%, and is subject to the Child Care Assistance Tier schedule (allowable cost is defined by the number of hours of care provided to the child, as related to the number of hours in which the caretaker relative was engaged in allowable activities).  

Example: The maximum allowed for an infant in a center is $480 per month. A Kinship Care child maximum would be $600 ($480 X25% = $120 + $480 = $600).

 

Payment of Child Care expenses are made through the automated computer system through the 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. Approval 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 foster home.  If the child moves to a new foster home, the child is again eligible to receive the initial clothing allowance.  However, there is an expectation the clothes will follow the child.  

  1. Special Clothing Allowance - A special clothing allowance (should the need arise) 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.
  2. Following are the allowable rates for the initial and special clothing allowance (should the need arise) established under Family Foster Care:
  3. Children ages 0 – 4 years of age $150 maximum per year per child.
  4. Children ages 5 – 12 years of age $225 maximum per year per child.
  5. Children ages 13 – over 18 or 18* $300 maximum per year per child.
  1. Emergency Needs - Payment for emergency needs may be reimbursed to meet expenses for which non-payment would threaten the placement as determined by the TANF Eligibility Worker and Social Worker, and cannot exceed $500. 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 TANF Eligibility Worker and Social Worker prior to the services being provided. 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.
  2. 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 TANF Eligibility Worker and Social Worker 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 placement.  
  3. 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).
  2. 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.

 

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
  4. Transportation Costs - Payment of transportation costs may be reimbursed on travel for the TANF Kinship Care child for reasonable travel to the child's parental home for visitation or other travel expenses as identified in the permanency plan. The allowable reimbursement rate for travel is $0.45 per mile.