Payment for Educational Services Provided to DCF-placed Children

1. Payment for Educational ServicesProvided to DCF-placed Children Connecticut Association of School Business Officials January 7, 2005

2. Department of Children and Families (DCF) • Statutory authority to place children out-of-home. • Placement locations include: • Foster Homes, • Group Homes, • Temporary Shelters, • Safe Homes, and • Residential Facilities.

3. Site of Educational Services Foster Homes, Group Homes, Temporary Shelters, and Safe Homes: • PUBLIC SCHOOL, unless Planning and Placement Team (PPT) determines child’s special education needs require a more restrictive setting. • If necessary, RESC program or Private Special Education Program.

4. Site of Educational Services Residential Facilities • School within the residential facility UNLESS treatment needs permit other options. • If permitted, PUBLIC SCHOOL, unless Planning and Placement Team (PPT) determines child’s special education needs require a more restrictive setting. • If necessary, RESC program or Private Special Education Program.

5. Provision of Education Services The child’s RESPONSIBLE LEA: • Plans the education program, • Ensures appropriate services are available to the child, and • Funds the education program.

6. Determining the child’s RESPONSIBLE LEA: • Eligible for special education services? • Nexus status OR No-nexus status? • Classification of DCF-placement site?

7. Individualized Education Program (IEP) • If child is eligible for special education, an education plan (i.e., IEP) is developed to meet that child’s particular education needs. • Written on State-approved forms. • Lists all special education services, regular education services, related services, and support services that the child must receive.

8. Individualized Education Program (IEP) • RELATED SERVICES may include speech language therapy, counseling, physical therapy, etc. • SUPPORT SERVICES may include teacher’s assistant, behavioral specialist, etc.

9. NEXUS Child is considered to have “nexus” status if: • At least one parent resides in a Connecticut town, AND • That parent’s “parental rights” have not been “terminated” by a court.

10. NO-NEXUS Child is considered to have “no-nexus” status if at least one is applicable to each of the child’s parents: • Parental rights terminated (TPR); or • Deceased; or • Whereabouts unknown; or • Resides outside Connecticut; or • Patient in treatment facility and no Connecticut residence; or • Inmate in correction facility and no Connecticut residence.

11. Foster Home - or - Group Home 1. Child is eligible for “special education” and has NEXUS: • Nexus LEA plans and funds IEP services; • Placement LEA provides services unless child requires other placement.

12. Foster Home - or - Group Home 2. Child is eligible for “special education” and has NO-NEXUS: • Placement LEA plans, funds and provides services.

13. Foster Home - or - Group Home • 3. Child is “regular education” → i.e., child is NOT eligible for special education • Placement LEA plans, funds and provides services.

14. Temporary Shelter – or – Safe Home 1.Child has NEXUS • Nexus LEA may either: • Transport child to Nexus LEA, OR • Pay tuition to Placement LEA for services. • If child is eligible for special education, planning by PPT of Nexus LEA. • If IEP requires out-of-district program, the Nexus LEA must continue to fund that placement.

15. Temporary Shelter – or – Safe Home • Child has NO-NEXUS • Placement LEA plans, funds and provides services. • If child is eligible for special education, planning by PPT of Placement LEA.

16. Private Residential Facility 1.Child has NEXUS: • Nexus LEA plans and funds education services. • State-calculated rate is all-inclusive. • Connecticut facility: rates posted on SDE website. • Out-of-state facility: DCF sends rate letter to facility.

17. Private Residential Facility 2.Child has NO-NEXUS: • Unified School District #2 (USD II) plans and funds education services. • USD II is DCF-operated school district.

18. DCF Residential Facility • DCF-operated facilities: • CT Children’s Place • CT Juvenile Training School • High Meadows • Riverview Hospital • Unified School District #2 (USD II) plans and funds education services within facility.

19. Calculating Tuition for Services Within LEA Special Education • SDE “guidelines” memo (dated 12/6/93). • IEP lists services that are eligible for tuition rate. • Most services will be noted on page 5 of IEP. • IEP services may include: special education instruction, regular education instruction, related services, support services, special equipment, special supplies.

20. Special Education Services Within LEA Setting for Services – asdetermined by PPT and noted on IEP: • Self-contained Special Education Program for entire school day; or • Self-contained Special Education Program for part of school day andGeneral Educationsetting (“Regular Education”) for part of school day; or • General Educationsetting for entire school day.

21. TUITION:Self-contained Special Education Programfor entire school day • Calculate “basic services” costs for self-contained program: personnel costs, fringe benefits, instructional supplies, instructional equipment. • Divide by number of children in the program to calculate individual child cost. • Calculate cost of any related services and/or support services that are included in child’s IEP and are not included in “basic services.” • Calculate “direct services” cost by adding #2 and #3. • Calculate “indirect services” cost as 7% of #4. • Tuition rate = #4 + #5.

22. TUITION: Self-contained Special Education Program for part of school day, and General Education setting for part of school day • Calculate “basic services” costs for self-contained program: personnel costs, fringe benefits, instructional supplies, instructional equipment. • Divide by number of children in the program to calculate individual child cost. • Calculate percentage of school day that child participates in program. • Calculate cost of self-contained program for child by applying #3 percentage to #2. • Calculate cost of any related services and/or support services not included in “basic services.”

23. TUITION: Self-contained Special Education Program for part of school day, and General Education setting for part of school day • Calculate sub-total “direct services” cost by adding #4 and #5. • Calculate “indirect services” cost as 7% of #6. • Calculate percentage of day that child participates in general education. • Calculate cost of regular education for child by applying #8 to LEA “average per pupil expenditure.” • Tuition rate = #6 + #7 + #9.

24. TUITION: General Education setting for entire school day Child is special education • Calculate cost of any related services and/or support services that are included in child’s IEP. • Calculate “indirect services” cost as 7% of #1. • Tuition rate = #1 + #2 + LEA “average per pupil expenditure.”

25. TUITION: General Education setting for entire school day Child is regular education • Use “average per pupil expenditure” as tuition rate. • Education services in public school are “tuition eligible” if child is placed in temporary shelter or safe home placement. • Education services in public school are NOT “tuition eligible” if child is placed in foster home, group home, or residential facility.