Payment Factors 623-05-20

 

Payment - General Principles 623-05-20-05

(Revised 4/25/16 ML #3469)

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PI 18-08

 

 

All foster care standard maintenance payments must be authorized the last week of the month prior to the scheduled standard check write. NDDHS has an established payment schedule for various programs. The calendar of payment dates is sent to all foster care providers the end of each calendar year, showing which date of the month the foster care standard maintenance payment will be issued from NDDHS and either mailed or direct deposited into the account of the provider.

 

Overlapping Payments

In general, when a child moves from one foster care placement to another during a month, payment should be made to each provider for the day of the move. The overlapping date can be paid when a child’s placement changes from:

• a facility to another facility not under the same umbrella agency.
• a facility to a family foster home or to a PATH home.
• a PATH home to a family foster home (not PATH) or facility.
• a family foster home to a facility or PATH provider.

The exception to this rule is when the placements are within the same provider or umbrella agency. PATH and dual-licensed facility providers fall under the overlapping date exception.

Examples:

1. When a child moves from one PATH provider to another PATH provider, only one provider is paid for the move date.
2. When a child moves from one level of care to a higher or lower level of care within the same facility; the umbrella facility is only paid for one day.

	Start Date	End Date
DBGR – PRTF	1/1/03	6/14/03
DBGR – RCCF	6/15/03

 

Features of the CCWIPS system are:

1. Providers will receive one payment during the regular monthly check write, for all children placed in their care.
2. The monthly payment will be accompanied by a remittance advice showing each segment of every payment included for each child’s care.
3. The main check write will be the second to the last working day each month, with the opportunity to issue weekly supplemental payments as needed.
4. All maintenance payments will be paid at a daily rate. This means that payment amounts will vary from month to month. The remittance advice accompanying the payment will provide a detailed explanation.
5. County social services, Division of Juvenile Services, and Regional Human Service Centers are responsible for entering court order, placement, provider and care plan information into FRAME and CCWIPS in order to generate a payment to the applicable provider.
   1. A full payment will calculate when a court order, provider license, placement date, and care plan is current for the payment month.
   2. A partial payment will calculate when a court order, provider license, or placement date expires or ends prior to the last day of the payment month.
   3. No payment will calculate when a court order, provider license, placement ends, or no current care plan in place prior to the payment month.
   4. Over or under payments may occur when additional information is entered, which effect the payment calculation. Once all information has been updated, a payment may be issued during the next supplemental check write.

6. Questions about the timeliness or amount of a foster care payment will be directed to the county office responsible for processing the payment.
7. Questions regarding subsidized adoption payments can be directed to the central office, CFS Adoption Administrator.
8. Deductions from foster care maintenance payments cannot be withheld from unpaid obligations incurred by the foster care provider on behalf of the foster child, such as child care, etc. Such obligations are the responsibility of the foster care provider.  
9. Providers are encouraged to set up direct deposit to receive maintenance payments more quickly (typically within 24 working hours of the date in which NDDHS issues payment). If a provider chooses to get a paper check sent in the mail, NDDHS is not responsible for timeliness of the US Postal Service.
   1. Direct Deposit information can be sent to CFS. A provider must show verification by providing a bank direct deposit form or a voided check indicating the bank routing number and account number. The provider should indicate if the account is savings or checking and also if they are a subsidized adoption or a foster care provider.