Pennsylvania Code › Title 55 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part V - Children, Youth and Families Manual › Subpart C - Administration and Fiscal Management › Article II - County-Administered Services › Chapter 3140 - PLANNING AND FINANCIAL REIMBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR COUNTY CHILDREN AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS › Subchapter C - ADOPTION ASSISTANCE › Appendix A - TITLE IV-E INDEPENDENT LIVING (IL) PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION PROCESS

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
Goals of the Title IV-E IL
						  Program.
(1) Children in placement are often deprived of the
						  caring and support of a functioning natural family. Their family background is
						  often one of poverty including generations of dependence on the public welfare
						  system. Without social support and programs, many of these children will repeat
						  the economic dependence learned in their families. Critical to breaking this
						  generational cycle of dependence is the opportunity for meaningful,
						  self-sustaining employment or further education.
(2) The goal of the Commonwealth's IL Program is to
						  provide children making the transition from placement to independent living
						  with the skills and resources necessary to make them independent and productive
						  members of society.
(3) To accomplish this goal, the Title IV-E IL Program
						  is directed at:
(i) Assisting counties in developing a continuum of
						  community resources and services that help dependent and delinquent youth in
						  placement make the transition to independence and self-sufficiency.
(ii) Improving the coordination and use of existing
						  community resources to meet the transitional living needs of youth in
						  placement.
(iii) Establishing or expanding IL services for IV-E
						  eligible youth who are 16 to 18 years old.
(iv) Maximizing the use of all Federal and State funds
						  available for IL services to children in placement who could benefit.
(b)
Counties eligible to submit an
						  application.
(1) An allocation of Title IV-E IL Program money will
						  be made to counties with Title IV-E eligible children who were in placement on
						  March 30, 1988. Counties will be informed by separate letter of their
						  allocation. However, only those counties with youth in placement who meet or
						  who will meet the Title IV-E IL Program eligibility criteria during Federal FY
						  1988-89 are eligible to submit an application.
(2) To be eligible for Title IV-E IL services, youth
						  shall be 16, 17 or 18 years of age, and receiving Title IV-E Placement
						  Maintenance.
(3) Counties that expect to have youth in placement
						  during 1988-89 who meet these requirements may submit an application for the
						  amount of their allocation. Smaller counties with limited allocations are
						  encouraged to join with a nearby county or counties to submit a joint
						  application. Counties that choose to submit joint applications shall identify
						  the lead county for purposes of payment, audit reporting and the like, in their
						  application.
(c)
Funding.
(1) There is no local match required to receive Title
						  IV-E IL funds.
(2) Title IV-E IL funding shall be used to increase
						  spending for IL services and the amount of existing (FY 1987-88) spending for
						  IL services shall be maintained. The new funds can be used to initiate new
						  programs and services or expand existing services. For counties that
						  participated last year, these funds may be used to continue or expand the
						  program begun with the initial grant.
(3) To maximize the use of funding available for IL
						  services to youth, the county shall:
(i) Use Title IV-E IL dollars to provide services for
						  Title IV-E eligible youth. Wherever possible, the grant money should be used to
						  pay for social services for Title IV-E eligible youth now being paid for with
						  State and local dollars. The grant funds can also be used to develop new or
						  expand existing services for eligible youth. Title IV-E IL funds may not be
						  used to fund placement maintenance costs such as food, rent, clothing or board
						  payments.
(ii) Use existing State and local IL dollars, when
						  possible, to fund IL services and programs for youth who are not Title IV-E IL
						  eligible. This is where much of the expansion in a county's IL program can be
						  realized. State and local dollars are much more flexible than Title IV-E IL
						  funds. They can be used to provide services to youth under 16 years of age and
						  over age 18, aftercare services for youth who have left placement and a broader
						  range of practice living experiences.
(d)
Program activities for which Title IV-E IL
						  funds can be used.
(1)
Support.
Title IV-E IL funds can
						  be used to support:
(i) Direct services for 16, 17 and 18 year old youth
						  who are receiving Title IV-E Placement Maintenance Assistance. Counties may not
						  use Title IV-E IL funds to pay for rent, food, clothing or board
						  payments.
(ii) A prorated share of direct services when they are
						  provided both to Title IV-E eligible youth and those youth who are not Title
						  IV-E eligible. For example, the proportional cost of a group counseling program
						  serving both Title IV-E and non-Title IV-E eligible youth.
(iii) The cost of indirect service activities that
						  benefit both Title IV-E eligible and non-Title IV-E eligible youth when it can
						  be shown that the activity is needed to establish or provide services to Title
						  IV-E eligible youth. Indirect services are those activities that support the
						  provision of direct IL services. Some examples are: staff and foster parent
						  training, community coordinating activities, program evaluation and community
						  education and outreach to support transitional living programs for all
						  youth.
(2)
Examples.
Examples of the types of
						  direct and indirect services and activities for which Title IV-E IL funds can
						  be used are listed in paragraph (3). The lists are not exhaustive and are meant
						  to serve as guides. Counties are not strictly bound by the lists in preparing
						  their applications and are encouraged to develop new and innovative services
						  and approaches to achieve the goals of the IL Program and meet the needs of
						  youth in their communities.
(3)
Direct services.
(i) Direct services are activities conducted on behalf
						  of a youth to achieve the goals and objectives established in the youth's IL
						  plan. The Federal law that established the Title IV-E Program also requires
						  that an IL case plan be developed for youth receiving Title IV-E IL services
						  and, wherever appropriate, for other youth age 16 or over. The youth's IL case
						  plan shall be part of the youth's family service plan and include a description
						  of the services which will help the youth prepare for transition from foster
						  care to independent living.
(ii) For purposes of the Title IV-E IL Program, direct
						  services include, but are not limited to, the following:
(A) Individualized assessment of the IL needs of
						  eligible children and the development of an IL case plan based on that
						  assessment.
(B) Services related to education and vocational
						  training, such as:
(I) Career planning.
(II) Preparation for GED or higher education.
(III) Job readiness.
(IV) Job search assistance.
(V) Job placement.
(VI) Tutoring or other remedial education.
(VII) Job follow-up activities.
(C) Programs and services in basic living skills such
						  as:
(I) Money management.
(II) Home management.
(III) Consumer skills.
(IV) Identifying and using community resources.
(V) Use of transportation.
(VI) Health care.
(VII) Locating housing.
(VIII) Problem solving/decision making.
(IX) Time management.
(X) Communication skills.
(D) Individual and group counseling as well as
						  workshops and conferences to promote:
(I) Self esteem.
(II) Self confidence.
(III) Development of interpersonal and social
						  skills.
(IV) Preparation for transition to independence and
						  termination from substitute care.
(E) Stipends to youth for participation in and
						  completion of IL activities. Stipends can be used as a "nest egg" to fund
						  start-up costs of IL, such as a security deposit for an apartment, apartment
						  utilities and furnishings, and tuition for education and training.
(F) Activities that promote and assist teen parents and
						  their children in making the transition from foster care.
(G) The cost of staff that provide direct
						  services.
(4)
Indirect services.
For purposes of
						  the Title IV-E IL Program indirect services include, but are not limited to,
						  the following:
(i) Training efforts.
(A) Training of staff to acquire knowledge and skills
						  needed to develop IL programs and IL case plans.
(B) Training of staff, foster parents and other child
						  care providers to provide for the IL needs of children in care such as life
						  skills education.
(C) Purchase of workbooks, audiovisual and other
						  resources to be used in training staff, foster parents and youth.
(ii) Community, outreach and education efforts designed
						  to stimulate support for housing, employment, education, other opportunities
						  for youth leaving care.
(iii) Interagency coordination to support IL activities
						  and services at the local level such as:
(A) An interagency steering committee.
(B) Interagency cooperative agreements that define
						  roles and responsibilities for planning, implementing, funding, staffing and
						  accountability for the various components of the IL initiative.
(iv) System change efforts including:
(A) Development and implementation of IL policies,
						  procedures and service delivery including requirements and models for the
						  development of IL case plans.
(B) Development of an evaluation system for IL programs
						  and case plans.
(v) Staff costs-Title IV-E IL funds may be used to fund
						  staff positions whose duties relate directly to administration of IL programs
						  or services, or both.
(vi) Equipment such as audio/visual or computer
						  hardware and software that will be used to support the IL program
						  effort.
(vii) Staff and training activities are eligible for
						  reimbursement under Title IV-E. Therefore, counties should use the Title IV-E
						  IL funds for staff and training activities only when reimbursement is not
						  available under Title IV-E Placement Maintenance.
(e)
Coordination with other service
						  providers.
(1) The success of this program is dependent on the
						  involvement and support of other community agencies and programs. Education,
						  job readiness, access to employment and housing are critical to the successful
						  transition of youth from placement to independent living. The development of
						  cooperative relationships between the county children and youth agency and
						  education, job training, job placement, housing, counseling and other social
						  service agencies is important to the success of the program.
(2) To ensure this cooperation, the county's Title IV-E
						  IL program should be developed and implemented with the involvement and support
						  of:
(i) Local education and vocational programs. Counties
						  should attempt to involve school districts, community colleges and
						  vocational/technical programs in planning and developing the IL program.
(ii) Job placement and training agencies. The local
						  Private Industry Council and the administrative entity for the Council should
						  be involved in the development and implementation of the program. A letter of
						  support should be obtained from the Council.
(iii) Other public and private housing and social
						  service agencies. These should include the juvenile court and probation office,
						  county MH/MR agency, drug and alcohol agency, local housing authority, private
						  counseling, social service and job placement agencies and services, including
						  Federal Job Corps programs.
(iv) Whenever one or more of these agencies or
						  organizations will be involved in the implementation of the IL program by
						  providing staff, funds, services or other support, a letter describing the
						  specific nature of the agency's support for the program should be
						  included.
(3) One of the primary reasons for involving other
						  agencies and programs is to make maximum use of existing community resources
						  and services. Working with these agencies to develop a Title IV-E IL Program
						  will help to build community services for all youth. Whenever possible,
						  counties should use and work with existing programs rather than create new
						  programs.
(f)
Program application process and
						  content.
(1)
Process
.
(i) To receive its Title IV-E IL Program allocation a
						  county shall submit an application for Title IV-E IL Program funds to the
						  Department. Counties that participated last year are required to submit a
						  complete application for second year funding.
(ii) A county's application shall be postmarked or
						  received by the Department by August 19, 1988. Funds allocated to counties that
						  do not submit an application by the deadline will be reallocated for use by
						  other counties. Counties that receive small allocations are encouraged to join
						  with a nearby county or counties to submit a joint application.
(iii) Counties shall send three copies of their
						  application to: Robert Diethorn, Office of Children, Youth and Families, Post
						  Office Box 2675, Health and Welfare Building, Annex, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
						  17105-2675.
(2)
Content
. The county's application
						  shall contain the following five sections. The narrative sections of the
						  application-subparagraphs (iii) and (iv)-shall follow the outline for these
						  sections as follows:
(i)
Certification of the executive
						  officers.
This form shall be signed by the county executive or a
						  majority of the county commissioners.
(ii)
Need for the program and current
						  effort.
Follow the instructions for completing this form. All
						  information shall be provided. Counties that participated in the first year
						  shall update the information contained on the form submitted last year.
(iii) Program description.
(A) Describe the goals of the county's IL program and
						  how Title IV-E IL Program funds will be used to expand and improve services for
						  youth in placement.
(B) Describe the intended outcomes of the program. The
						  outcomes should be defined in measurable terms, for example, the number of
						  youth prepared for or placed in self-sustaining employment.
(C) For counties that participated last year, update
						  the outcome measures and, if appropriate, add new ones.
(D) Describe direct and indirect services to be
						  developed.
(E) List and describe the specific direct and indirect
						  services to be established, expanded or enhanced through the program. Direct
						  services refer to activities that address the needs of youth directly, for
						  example, life skills education. Indirect services are activities directed at
						  building and improving agency or community resources for youth in need of IL
						  services. Each service shall be described in sufficient detail to provide a
						  clear understanding of what is being proposed. The description should
						  include:
(I) The goal of the service-what does the service seek
						  to accomplish?
(II) How will the service be delivered or carried
						  out-what are the activities or approach used to provide the service?
(III) Who will deliver the service or carry out service
						  activities-what agencies will be involved?
(IV) Whether the service will be supported with Title
						  IV-E IL funds, State and county funds, or both,
(V) The number of Title IV-E IL eligible and
						  non-eligible youth to be served in each direct service.
(VI) An estimate of the Title IV-E IL eligible and
						  non-eligible youth who will benefit from each indirect service.
(VII) For counties that participated last year, update
						  or add service descriptions and update the number of Title IV-E and non IV-E
						  eligible youth to be served in each service.
(F) Describe the current IL program to be
						  maintained.
(G) Identify those parts of the county's current IL
						  program that will be continued without change and give the number of Title IV-E
						  II eligible and non-eligible youth to be served during the year in each service
						  listed.
(iv)
Coordination for resource development and
						  service delivery.
(A) Identify by name the agencies and organizations
						  that will be involved in the program. Describe how they will be involved in the
						  development and implementation of the program and list the services that are
						  available from each of the agencies and organizations identified.
(B) Letters of support from agencies that will be
						  active participants in the IL program-for example, providing resources: space,
						  staff, dollars, equipment and the like-accepting referrals should be attached
						  to the application. A letter should identify the specific type and level of
						  support the agency will provide.
(v)
Budget.
(A) Follow the instructions for completing the
						  CY-809-Title IV-E IL Program Budget.
(B) The services listed on the budget form shall
						  reflect the IL services provided by the project. If services such as
						  assessment, training, transportation, counseling, and the like are identified
						  in the program description, those services should also be identified on the
						  budget form.
(g)
Review and approval of
						  applications.
Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) staff will
						  review applications submitted and recommend approval based on how well the
						  applications address the criteria in paragraphs (1)-(3). OCYF wishes to assure
						  the approval of all applications. Staff will be available to work with counties
						  as necessary to clarify or revise applications to meet review criteria.
(1)
Review criteria.
(i)
Required information
-Is the
						  application complete? Does it contain the required information? Does it contain
						  the required forms? Does the application follow the prescribed format?
(ii)
Maintenance of effort
-Does the
						  application show that Title IV-E IL funds will not supplant current funding for
						  IL services in the county?
(iii)
Scope
-Does the application
						  display support for a comprehensive approach to IL services that includes
						  education, employment and counseling services for youth?
(iv)
Coordination
-Does the application
						  reflect the active participation of local education and vocational programs,
						  job placement and training agencies, and other public and private housing and
						  social service agencies?
(2)
Approval process.
(i) Staff will present their findings and
						  recommendations to the Deputy Secretary for Children, Youth and Families, who
						  will make the final decision on approval or disapproval of applications.
(ii) A county will be notified in writing of approval
						  or disapproval of its application. If the application is disapproved, the
						  notification will identify the specific reasons for disapproval.
(3)
Program reporting.
(i) Counties will be required to submit quarterly
						  fiscal reports to the Department. Reports are due within 45 days of the end of
						  each fiscal quarter. The reports are to be submitted on forms provided by the
						  Department.
(ii) Fiscal reports will show expenditures for county
						  children and youth IL service activities as well as Title IV-E IL Program
						  expenditures. Expenditures shall be shown by service and intermediate cost
						  category.
(iii) Program reports shall be submitted for each youth
						  receiving IL services under the county's program at the time of program entry,
						  program completion, 90 days after completion and at the end of the program year
						  on forms provided by the Department.
(iv) Program reports shall include:
(A) A description of the IL services planned and
						  provided to each youth.
(B) The age, race, sex, living arrangement, marital and
						  parental status, duration of foster care and special needs of each youth
						  served.
(C) The results achieved 90 days after the youth
						  completed the program including:
(I) Employment status.
(II) Educational status.
(III) Housing status.
(IV) Services being received.
(V) Whether the youth is living independent of agency
						  maintenance programs.
(D) A summary of coordinating and training activities
						  conducted during the year and a description of the results or products of the
						  activities,
(E) Recommendations for program modifications.