M E M O R A N D U M

TO: EES Program Administrators

FROM: Sandra Kimmons

DATE: 6/28/18

SUBJECT: Implementation Instructions - KEESM Revision #88

This memo provides implementation instructions and information for the following July 1, 2018 policy changes in the Kansas Economic and Employment Services Manual (KEESM).

1. TANF and Child Care Programs
   
   PPS/Relative or Non-Relative Kinship payment v. TANF – See Summary of Changes section I, A, 2.
   
   In the 2018 Legislative session, relative or non-relative kinship care payments for children in the state’s custody were raised to $10 per day. This change is effective July 1, 2018.
   
   Many children placed with relative caregivers were directed to apply for TANF if they were not licensed foster care parents. With the increase in relative and non-relative kinship payments. Families who are caring for a relative child in the state’s custody will have the option to receive the relative/non-relative kinship payment from the foster care contractor in lieu of a TANF benefit.
   
   A report will be created identifying those children who are receiving TANF and a current foster care payment. Regulations prohibit receiving TANF and foster care payments in the same month. Review the case to ascertain the foster care payment is actually being made. If so, close the TANF case. No overpayment will be determined for these cases.
   
   At application and at review, relative caregiver households containing a child in state custody, should be informed of the option to receive a relative or non-relative kinship payment in lieu of a TANF benefit.
   
   Foster care contractors will be providing foster care relative or non-related kin providers information on the increase in the relative/non-relative kinship payment. Due to this increase in payments, staff may receive a large number of requests for TANF case closures. Please enter the foster care income on KEES for all children receiving it and run EDBC in order to update the TANF cases and the case will close if there are no other children left receiving. This will assist us in the count of households this affects.
   
   Effective July 1, 2018, the Child Care Subsidy Program will begin allowing foster care relative or non-related kin caregivers to receive child care under the need reason of “social services” when applications are received with the ES-1627b form entitled “CHILD CARE FOR CHILDREN IN SAFE FAMILIES OR RELATIVE OR KINSHIP FOSTER CARE” completed by the DCF social worker or Foster Care Contract staff. These child care plans shall be set up for 12 months and another form will need to be completed at review for these children. Social Service child care is not limited to 12 months for families receiving a relative/kinship foster care payment for a foster child. Do not enter the foster care income (the relative or non-relative kinship payment) on these cases when processing child care because KEES rules will determine the child with the foster care income ineligible and this will no longer be correct for these non-related kin placements when the ES-1627b form is received. The reason you did not enter the income must be documented. If a TANF and Child Care combination application is received and the ES-1627b form is filled out, the foster care income may be entered next to the child to deny the TANF benefits for the child and then removed to continue processing the child care benefits.
   
   If the foster care relative or non-related kin provider has other children receiving child care currently or indicates they need it on the application, those children may be processed on the same case number and no family share will be assigned to the family plan due to the children in relative or non-related kin placement receiving child care under the “social services” need reason. This will be allowed in these situations.
   
   If a child leaves a relative or non-related kin foster care placement, a DCF social worker or a representative of the foster care contractor must send another ES-1627b form notifying EES of the change.
   
   
2. Child Care Program
   
   Safe Families for Children: See Summary of Changes section I, A, items 1 and 3.
   
   Effective July 1, 2018, the Child Care Subsidy Program will begin allowing Safe Families participants to receive child care for children placed in their care under the need reason of “social services” when applications are received with the ES-1627b form entitled “CHILD CARE FOR CHILDREN IN SAFE FAMILIES OR RELATIVE OR KINSHIP FOSTER CARE” completed by a Safe Families Representative. These child care plans shall be set up for 12 months and another form will need to be completed at review for these children. Social Service child care is not limited to 12 months for families with one or more of these children in their homes. As with other social service child care situations, these families are not subject to the minimum work hours’ requirement. Safe Families provides support for parents in crisis, giving them time to get back on their feet while their children are being cared for by volunteers in host families. These children are not in DCF foster care.
   
   If the Safe Families host family has other children receiving child care currently or if indicated that they need it on the application, those children may be processed on the same case number and no family share will be assigned to the family plan due to the children in Safe Families placement receiving child care under the “social services” need reason. This will be allowed in these situations.
   
   If a child leaves a Safe Families placement, a representative of the Safe Families agency will send another ES-1627b form to notify EES of the change.