I. Who Is Eligible? | II. Types of Day Care | III. Application for Day Care | IV. License Exempt-Day Care
This appendix describes how to pay for employment-related day care for foster parents.
I. Who Is Eligible? |
All Department wards in Department or private agency foster care or relative home care are eligible if they require day care services due to the employment or training leading to employment of the caretaker or for other documented and necessary reasons such as temporary incapacitation of the foster parent. Payment for day care will be available to employed single parent foster homes or relative homes, as well as two parent foster homes in which both parents work. Day care for a reason other than employment or training requires documentation justifying that day care is absolutely necessary, such as a letter from physician, court order, etc.
II. Types of Day Care |
The types of day care which may be authorized are licensed day care centers and homes, home networks, and license-exempt day care centers, homes, baby-sitters and relatives. The rates are the same as the regular day care rates listed in Appendix A of this Procedure. Foster parents or relative caretakers may choose their own providers with the assistance of their caseworker and/or regional day care personnel. The caseworker will ensure that any license-exempt care being utilized is appropriate for the child in accordance with the instructions described in paragraph IV below.
While it is not expected that there will be many requests for employment-related day care for intensive, specialized, emergency and foster care treatment homes, nevertheless, the possibility exists. Special care should be taken when choosing a day care provider for children in these types of placements due to the special needs of these children. The day care provider must be able to meet needs arising from any physical, mental or behavioral impairments or conditions the children might have. For children with special needs, an exception to the day care rate may be requested when the foster parent(s) is unable to obtain day care within the Department rate. Regional Administrators may approve exceptions for open family maintenance/protective services cases, infant care, and care for children with special needs if documentation of the need for exception is secured and maintained in the contract file. Documentation must indicate that the provider is the sole source or others could not be located at the state rate and must be signed by the Regional Administrator.
III. Application for Day Care |
When a foster parent or relative caregiver requests day care services for Department wards in their care because of employment or training leading to employment, the worker shall ask the foster parent/relative caregiver to complete a CFS 2002, Foster Parent Application for Employment-Related Day Care. The worker shall submit the completed form to Regional day care staff for processing. Payments will be made directly to the provider.
IV. License Exempt-Day Care |
When a foster parent/relative caregiver's plan involves a license-exempt day care provider, the Department or private agency worker will make a home visit to the day care provider in order to complete a CFS 2003, On-Site Visit - License-Exempt Day Care. The CFS 2003 is used to gather basic information about the day care provider's household and physical environment, to obtain the authority to conduct CANTS background checks on all household members and any assistants or substitutes the provider may use, and to ensure that the home meets basic health and safety requirements. If day care is to be provided in the home of the foster parents, the visit with the day care provider may be conducted in the home of the foster parent or relative caregiver.
The worker is to complete a CANTS check on the day care provider and on each adult member of the provider's household. If day care is to be provided in the foster parent's home by a baby sitter, CANTS checks only need to be completed on the baby sitter and any assistants or substitutes. In this instance, there is no need to conduct CANTS checks on other members of the day care provider's household unless they are involved in providing day care. The results of the CANTS check shall be documented in the child's record on a CFS 492, Case Entry. The CFS 2003 will be filed in the child's case record. If more than one child is receiving care, a copy of the CFS 2003 shall be made and filed in the additional child's case record.
If, in the opinion of the child's worker after completing the home visit, the CANTS check, and the CFS 2003, the day care setting is not a suitable day care provider for the foster child, the worker shall advise the foster parent and the Regional day care staff that the Department will not pay for day care services from this provider. A copy of the CFS 151, Notice of Decision, shall simultaneously be forwarded to the Regional day care staff. The foster parent will be given 14 days to find another day care provider and submit another request for funding. Referrals to the Child Care Resource and Referral network may be helpful in locating another provider.
After the child's worker has approved the license-exempt day care provider, the worker will make semi-annual visits to the exempt provider while the child is present to determine continued suitability of the child care arrangement. More frequent visits shall be made, if problems have been identified. Each visit is to be documented in the child's case record on the CFS 492.