Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 6 - Division of Family and Children's Services › Chapter 1 - DFCS Policy Manual › Section 18-6-1-E - Eligibility Foster Care Financial Assessment › Section 18-6-1-E-I - OVERVIEW OF TITLE IV-E ELIGIBILITY

Current through June 25, 2024
A.
Introduction
Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS)/ Division
					 of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) has been designated to administer or
					 supervise the administration of the Title IV-E State Plan. DFCS also
					 administers or supervises the administration of the State Child Welfare
					 Services Plan under Subpart 1 of Title IV-B of the Social Security Act.
With direction from the youth court, DFCS has the
					 responsibility for placing children in Resource Homes or child care
					 institutions. Payments are made for each child whose placement and care in a
					 Resource Home or child care institution is the responsibility of DFCS, which
					 administers the approved State Title IV-E plan, or any other public agency with
					 whom the DFCS has made an agreement, which is still in effect.
The Title IV-E Program, authorized by Title IV, Part E of
					 the Social Security Act, provides funds to states for maintaining certain
					 children in foster care or in adoptive families. It also provides funds for the
					 administration of the program and for the training of staff who work with the
					 children. Children classified as Title IV-E eligible must have some
					 relationship to the general Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
					 program under Title IV, Part A of the Social Security Act and must meet certain
					 other criteria outlined in this Section.
Other funds used for board payments are Title IV-B,
					 (Subpart 1), Child Welfare Service (CWS) or through local funds. Local funds
					 are available when a child has income available to cover all or part of the
					 monthly board payment. Local funds are used in conjunction with Title IV-E and
					 CWS funds. Medicaid is funded through Title XIX.
For purposes of title XIX, any child with respect
					 to whom foster care maintenance payments are made under this section is deemed
					 to be a dependent child as defined in section 406 (as in effect as of July 16,
					 1996) and deemed to be a recipient of aid to families with dependent children
					 under part A of this title (as so in effect). For purposes of subtitle I of
					 title XX, any child with respect to whom foster care maintenance payments are
					 made under this section is deemed to be a minor child in a needy family under a
					 State program funded under part A of this title and is deemed to be a recipient
					 of assistance under such part.
(
					 42 U.S.C.
					 672
											§ 472(h)(1)
The Title IV-E program is coordinated at the local
					 level with the programs at the State or local level assisted under Titles IV-A,
					 IV-B and XX of the Act and under all appropriate provisions of Federal law. The
					 Title IV-E plan for foster care and adoption assistance payments is in effect
					 in all political subdivisions of the State and is mandatory upon those
					 political subdivisions administering it.
(1)
the State agency administering
				  the approved State Title IV-E plan, or
(2)
any other public agency with
				  whom the State agency administering or supervising the administration of the
				  approved State Title IV-E plan has made an agreement which is still in
				  effect.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/laws_policies/policy/pi/2007/pi0702b.htm
(
See
also, (
				  42 U.S.C.
				  671
											§ 471 )
Payments:
* Foster care maintenance payments for a child in foster
					 care may cover the cost of (and the cost of providing) the following:
* food,
* clothing,
* shelter,
* daily supervision,
* school supplies,
* a child's personal incidentals,
* liability insurance with respect to the child,
* reasonable travel to the child's home for visitation
					 with family, or other caretakers
* reasonable travel for the child to remain in the school
					 in which the child is enrolled at the time of placement.
Local travel associated with providing the items listed
					 above is also an allowable expense. In the case of child care institutions,
					 such items must include the reasonable costs of administration and operation of
					 such institutions as are necessarily required to provide the items described in
					 the preceding sentences. (
See
Social Security Act, Sec. 472
					 (b)(1) & (2))