Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services Integrated Service Delivery - Candy Shively, Deputy Secretary (785) 296-3271 Economic and Employment Support - Bobbi Mariani, Director (785) 296-3349 MEMORANDUM
This memo provides implementation instructions and information for the following July 1, 2009 policy changes in the Kansas Economic and Employment Support Manual (KEESM). Implementation procedures for July 2009 will commence upon receipt of this memo. Federally funded Grandparents as Caregivers (F-GPCG)(also known as TAF caretaker relative cases) Description and Reason for Proposed Policy Change: The current Grandparents as Caregivers (GA GP) program, implemented in January 2007, was designed to provide services for children who were being cared for by a legally responsible relative. One intent of the program was to make it easier for relatives to apply for assistance for the children in their care by eliminating certain eligibility requirements and providing a shortened application. The Governor's budget put forth for state fiscal year 2010 and subsequently passed by the legislature was not able to continue state funding the GA GP program. In order to provide continuous service to those caretakers who will be losing GA GP benefits, we will be determining eligibility for caretaker relative benefits under the federally funded TAF program. In keeping with the intent of the Grandparents program as designed in 2007, we will now call TAF caretaker relatives the GPCG program and will update the ES-3100.9 application for access to this program. This application will ask for eligibility information for the child(ren) only. Because the ES-3100.9 application does not ask for information regarding the caregiver’s income, employment, or resources, it cannot be used to determine eligibility for child care, medical or food assistance. Grandparents, relative caretakers and court appointees can access the federally funded GPCG (TAF) program using the ES-3100.9 application. As a reminder, the GPCG (TAF caregiver relative) mirrors the TAF program in many ways. Similarities include use of the KAECSES system to determine eligibility under the ‘AF’ program type, benefit levels similar to county/household numbers/living arrangements, resource limits, child support referrals, 10 day reporting requirements, and others. The only things that differentiate the GPCG from TAF are the following: 1) The TAF relative caregiver program is now the Grandparent as Caregivers program (GPCG); 2) The application for the GPCG program requests information for the child(ren) only; and 3) a request for GPCG is not a request for medical; 4) there is no 60 month time limit to receive benefits; 5) Grandparent as Caregivers may be reviewed every two years; and there are 6) no work related requirements, including the requirement to complete the Work Readiness Screening. When using the ES-3100.9 application and relatives request other benefits, such as children’s medical, child care or food assistance, the ES-3100 application will be needed to determine eligibility. This is not a change from previous policy. Implementation Instructions: The Federal Grandparents as Caregivers policy will be incorporated in KEESM revision #40, effective July 1, 2009. KEESM 1111 will be updated to reflect that GPCG is funded by the TANF Block Grant. TAF caretaker relative eligibility rules have not changed, with two exceptions: 1) GPCG can be scheduled for two year reviews and 2) a request for GPCG is not a request for medical. We are renaming the TAF Relative Caregivers to the Grandparents as Caregivers program to retain a separate identity from the TAF family assistance program. NOTE: NO authorization or benefits for the state funded GA GP program will be allowed after June 30, 2009. This includes past, current or future benefits, (including underpayments). Special support service payments after June 30, 2009 are also not allowed. Applications: The ES-3100.9 application is being revised to incorporate additional questions needed for eligibility determination. These questions revolve around child support enforcement, resource and student information. The applications have been printed and are being forwarded to each region. It is to be made available to staff and customers as soon as it is received. Effective May 08, 2009, if the revised ES-3100.9 form has not been received and a customer requests a GPCG application, the customer could be directed to complete the ES-3100 application or the locally produced revised ES-3100.9 form. This will prevent the customer from having to complete a second application for July eligibility determination. All ES-3100.9 applications printed 1/09 or prior are to be removed from access sites and offices as soon as possible. If an old ES-3100.9 form is received, the customer should be provided the revised ES-3100.9 application or the ES-3100 and assisted in its’ completion. The old ES-3100.9 application (dated 01/09 or prior) does not included information necessary to determine eligibility. It does not include information and acknowledgement of Child Support Enforcement assignment and referral. GPCG Applications received and processed prior to July 1, 2009: For all applications received and processed prior to July 1, 2009, eligibility for the GPCG program is to be determined under the GA GP program criteria for the month of application and up through the month of June 2009. A notice of eligibility is to be sent for those months using current Grandparent (L) eligibility notices. The case is to be rolled into July 2009, and closed with a reason code of “AF”. Eligibility is to then be determined using TAF caretaker rules (GPCG) for the month of July 2009. Appropriate AF notices should be sent.
NOTE: If the old ES-3100.9 application (01/09 or prior) is used to determine eligibility for May and June, a new application will be required to determine eligibility for the Grandparents as Caregivers program for July 2009 and forward. Applications received and processed after June 30, 2009: For all applications received, but not processed before July 1, 2009, eligibility must be determined using TAF caretaker rules (GPCG) for all months of request.
NOTE: Because benefit levels differ in GA GP and GPCG cases, priority should be given in processing GA GP applications prior to July 1, 2009. Differences in TAF and TAF GPCG policies: Rules governing GPCG program are not exactly the same as the TAF cash assistance program. The request for TAF cash assistance program is also a request for medical, there is a 60 month time limit for recipients, and recipients are required to cooperate with work programs. The GPCG program, while similar in many features as the TAF cash assistance program, has a few distinct differences. A request for GPCG is not a request for medical, child care or food assistance. There is no requirements to complete the Work Readiness Screening or participate in work program activities. Relatives requesting GPCG services will have to complete the Healthwave application if they want medical for the child(ren) or the ES-3100 application if requesting food assistance or childcare for the children. The ES-3100.9 form is only a request for Grandparents as Caregivers benefits.
On-going case procedures All open GA GP cases will need to be reviewed for July eligibility using TAF caretaker relative rules also known as GPCG program. All open GA GP cases as of May 22, 2009 will be automatically closed effective June 30, 2009 and sent appropriate closure notices. The revised ES-3100.9 form will be mailed to all customers whose case was automatically closed. Instructions will be included to contact field staff to arrange an interview.
As stated previously, all GA GP cases will need to be reviewed for continued eligibility for July 2009. Since information on the old ES-3100.9 (01/09 or prior) does not include child support, resource or student information, a new application will be needed to determine eligibility for on-going eligibility.
Review periods for the Grandparents as Caregiver cases may be set for a two year period. Setting the review period for one or two years is discretionary for the case manager. Good practice for setting reviews for one year would be for those cases where the last child is 18 and will graduate from high school; the grandparent indicates the child will not be with them for a long period of time; the food assistance or child care plan is reviewed yearly and you wish to review the GPCG case at the same time, or other situations identified by the case manager. Transition of on-going cases:
Caretakers are to be made aware of the program changes and their options. A discussion is to occur exploring what is best for each family, considering child support assignments and child care with no family share availability. With the implementation of these changes, child care is now available to eligible families, with no family share deduction, upon receipt of the combined program application (ES-3100).
Reported Changes: If the caregiver later wishes to receive TAF benefits for themselves, and the ES 3100.9 was the application used to determine eligibility, a new ES-3100 application will be required. If the review date is set for longer than one year, the review date will need to be shortened to coincide with the new application date. If the ES-3100 application was used to determine initial eligibility, then procedures to add an individual to the case is appropriate. The review date is to be shortened, as TAF eligibility must be determined annually.
Notices: All appropriate AF notices are being updated to include the following wording: “Temporary Assistance to Families or Grandparents as Caregivers”. This wording will allow case managers to send all notices for the TAF or Grandparents parents program from the AF notice selection. Fair Hearing Requests Customers impacted by this action are subject to the fair hearing provisions. Per KEESM 1615, if the customer is disagreeing with the closing of the Grandparents as Caregivers case due to the cessation of the program, procedures regarding dismissal of the hearing are applicable. Closing In closing, it is important to stress that while consumers impacted are to be notified based upon adequate notice guidelines, we are asking that staff make every effort to provide notification at the earliest possible opportunity. KEESM Updates br> The following KEESM updates have been completed:
The following have been made obsolete with the implementation of the federally funded Grandparents as Caregivers and will be removed from KEESM:
ES-6001, Grandparents/Relatives as Caregivers Resource Overview ES-3100.9, Grandparents as Caregivers Cash Assistance Application Grandparents as Caregivers Program Desk Aid
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