Rule and Procedure Table of Contents
a) Books and School Rental Fees/Milk | b) Summer School Fees | c) Post Secondary Education Fees | d) School Supplies | e) Required Special Class Supplies | f) Summer School Supplies | g) Gym Shoes/Equipment | h) School Athletic Insurance | i) Graduation Expenses | j) School Trips | k) Public Transportation for School | l) Tutoring | m) Post Secondary Preparation Fees
NOTE: The payment items listed below are limited to children who are receiving the following board payment type service codes: 0101, 0103, 0106, 0107, 0115, 0151, 0152, 0153, 0154, 0701, 0704, 0705, 0801, 0804, 0805 and wards in DHS facilities. For all other type service codes such items are included in a contractual rate.
a) Books and School Rental Fees/Milk Fees |
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Type Service Code Document
1301 Book and School Fees/Milk Fees CFS 932
Instructions: Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is responsible for public and private elementary or secondary school expenses for children in residential care attending school (on-grounds or local) under the jurisdiction of the local school district. Additionally, payment for milk fees may be authorized when the school does not participate in the milk reimbursement program. In addition, ISBE has issued regulations concerning the issuance of waivers of school fees for children whose parents are unable to afford them, including but not limited to children eligible for free lunches or breakfasts under the Federal School Lunch Program. Under the regulations, school districts are required to provide for the free loan of required textbooks and instructional materials to these children. Since DCFS wards are eligible for the Federal School Lunch Program, DCFS wards are eligible for waivers for required textbooks and instructional materials.
Waiver of school fees other than those for textbooks and other instructional materials is discretionary. Staff need to check with the local school district to determine what other fees are included in their waiver policy.
b) Summer School Fees |
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Type Service Code Document
1301 Book and School Fees CFS 932
Instructions: Staff shall ask the school district to waive fees for wards in summer school. If the school district waiver policy does not include summer school fees and the district refuses to pay, the Department will bear the cost as required.
c) Post Secondary Education Fees |
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Type Service Code Document:
1301 Book and School Fees CFS 932
1303 Tuition for Trade Schools CFS 932
Instructions: Allowable for post secondary education (junior college, college, including trade schools, etc.) only. These fees may include laboratory fees, library fees, activity fees, etc. With the exception of trade schools, tuition is not included in the definition of fees.
d) School Supplies |
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Type Service Code Document
1307 Regular School Supplies CFS 932
(For 0701, 0704, 0705,0801, 0720, 0804,
0805 and wards in DHS facilities.)
1310 Board Payment School Supplies
(For 0101, 0103, 0106, 0107, 0115, 0151,
0152, 0153, 0154)
Instructions: An automatic payment will be made in August, based on the child's July 31 placement, via the board system for children in type service codes 0101, 0103, 0106, 0107, 0115, 0136, 0144, 0151, 0152, 0153, 0154, 0156, and 0161. 906's that are processed after that, to change living arrangements, will automatically be adjusted. If a child received payment for school supplies based on July 31 placement, no additional school supplies fee may be paid. Any placement after July 31 in which a child has not received school supplies payment may be made from CPPM via service code 1307.
These payments are allowable once per year at the beginning of school for such supplies as pens, pencils, notepaper, notebooks, calculators, pocket dictionaries, crayons, glue, erasers, rulers, etc. Routine ongoing supplies are to be paid from the board rate. To be eligible for the payment, the child must be 5 years old prior to December 1. Children under 5 are eligible for the payment if in special education. In these cases, payment must be made by voucher CFS 932, Purchase Authorization. See Appendix A (IV) for amounts.
e) Required Special Class Supplies |
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Type Service Code Document
1307 Regular School Supplies CFS 932
Instructions: Allowable as required and a statement of need from school must be kept on file in the Regional Office. May include such supplies as material for wood shop class, industrial arts supplies, home economics supplies, lab supplies, etc. Staff should check with the school district to determine whether any of these items are included in the district's waiver policy; if not, they may be purchased at reasonable cost.
f) Summer School Supplies |
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Type Service Code Document
1306 Summer School Supplies CFS 932
Instructions: For summer school supplies such as pens, paper, notebooks, etc. See Appendix A (IV) for amounts.
g) Gym Shoes/Equipment |
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Type Service Code Document
1309 Required Gym/Athletic Equipment CFS 932
Instructions: For items required to participate in school gym classes. Statement of need from school shall be kept in the case file. Amount is as required.
h) School Athletic Insurance |
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Type Service Code Document
1308 Athletic Insurance CFS 932
Instructions: To be purchased if required by school for athletic participation only. It should be pointed out to the school that all wards are covered by Medicaid, and this coverage would take the place of school insurance. If the school will not accept Medicaid, a supporting document must be submitted by the school with the purchase authorization as documentation for payment and kept in the case file. See Appendix A (IV) for amounts.
i) Graduation Expenses |
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Type Service Code Document:
1302 Graduation Expenses CFS 932
Instructions: The child must be in junior or senior year of high school for all graduation items including pictures, yearbook, cap and gown rental, class ring, new clothing for graduation and related other fees. See Appendix A (IV) for rate.
j) School Trips |
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Type Service Code Document
1305 School Trips CFS 932
Instructions: The recommendation from the school must be kept on file in the case file. See Appendix A (IV) for rate.
k) Public Transportation for School |
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Type Service Code Document
1401 School Transportation CFS 932
CFS 1042
Instructions: Staff should assure that Department wards are provided transportation by local school districts consistent with the provision in Article 29 of the School Code of Illinois. Most school districts provide transportation for students who live one and one-half miles or more from their school and who live one and one-half miles or more from public transportation, regardless of the distance the student is transported by public transportation. Local school districts may provide free transportation for any student who resides within one and one-half miles from the school where conditions are such that walking constitutes a serious hazard to the safety of the student due to vehicular traffic. The determination as to what constitutes a serious safety hazard is made by the Illinois Department of Transportation based on an application filed by the local school district. Workers shall collaborate with local school districts regarding the provision of these services.
The caseworker shall exhaust all options of reimbursement for school transportation expenses through the school district. If a DCFS ward is not eligible for free school transportation provided by the school district and DCFS staff determine that school transportation services are appropriate for that ward because:
A. the child's placement address is outside the
school district boundaries, or
B. the school district does not or can not provide
transportation, or
C. the school district does not or will not
reimburse the foster parent for the school transportation expenses,
such services shall be paid by the Department by
submitting a reimbursement in CFS 1042, Billing Summary including the
documents reflecting the rejection of reimbursement by the school board and the
child's education plan to the Client Payment Section at 406 E. Monroe - Station
#438, Springfield, Illinois 62701.
The Department may also include payments of school
transportation for disabled children,* for children attending special schools
such as vocational and summer schools and for other educational situations in
which public (bus) transportation is required. If special equipment is needed,
a rental arrangement is preferred. If, however, purchase of said equipment is more economical, Department
purchasing rules must be followed. Purchased items remain with the child.
* Students receiving special education services may
have transportation services included in their Individualized Education Plan
(IEP). If transportation services are included in the student's IEP, they are
to be provided by the school district free of charge regardless of the
student's proximity to the school or to public transportation.
l) Tutoring |
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Type Service Code Document
1304 Tutoring CFS 932
Instructions: The tutor must be approved by the classroom teacher and written recommendation must be kept in the case file.
Tutoring will be paid for by the Department only after other sources (e.g. local school district) have been exhausted. If a tutoring request to a source outside of the Department is pending and tutoring services are needed immediately, the Department may purchase tutoring services pending resolution of the request.
Tutoring may be provided for wards in situations including but not limited to the following:
o The child is behind in grade levels/achievements;
o The child currently has one or more failing grades;
o Tutoring is recommended by the school on CFS 407, School Report Form ;
o The child has been retained one or more years; or
o The child has received one or more class/subject deficiency reports.
m) Post Secondary Preparation Fees |
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Type Service Code Document:
1311 Post Secondary Preparation Fees CFS 932
Instructions: Payments may be made for wards in high school for fees related to preparing for college. Examples of such fees include ACT/SAT tests and college/vocational school application fees. Payment for ACT/SAT tests may be made for the actual cost of the test both in the child's junior and senior year in high school. Payment may be made for college/vocational school application fees not to exceed the maximum in Appendix A for all such applications. In addition, payments up to the maximum in Appendix A (IV) may be issued as a deposit for college room and board.