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IV-E Waiver. June 2006 Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Current IV-E Funding . Pays for case management (administrative) activities and related overhead Also pays for room and board (maintenance costs) for eligible children in foster care
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IV-E Waiver June 2006 Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
Current IV-E Funding • Pays for case management (administrative) activities and related overhead • Also pays for room and board (maintenance costs) for eligible children in foster care • No other direct services besides foster care costs are eligible for IV-E funds • Eligibility is based on 1996 AFDC income standard and has not been adjusted since for cost of living
Causes for Continued Loss of Federal IV-E Funds • Decrease in the number of families/children that meet the 1996 income standard • Reductions in the number of children in care • Reduction in the amount of time kids spend in care • Deficit Reduction Act signed into law in in February 2006, further limits eligible IV-E administrative costs
The Problem • Current IV-E funding does not support achievement of shortening the timelines to permanency by reducing the time children spend in out of home care.
The Waiver • Capped IV-E funding allocation based upon 3 year historical average of IV-E funds received • 2% growth per year on the allocation • Savings achieved as a result of the waiver must be reinvested into child welfare services
Waiver components • Removes Income eligibility criteria – funds can be used to support all families served by the system • Expands types of services funds can be spent on (more direct services for families) • Still requires safety standard are upheld (AFSA home approvals, use of licensed facilities, etc…) • Reasonable efforts findings still required
Goals of the Waiver • Improve array of services and engage families through individualized approaches • Increase child-safety without over reliance on use of OHC • Improve permanency outcomes and timelines • Improve child and family well-being
Expenditures Included • Current IV-E eligible administrative case management costs for child welfare and juvenile probation • Foster Care Maintenance Costs
Expenditures Excluded • Training • Automated case management system (CWS/CMS) • Licensing functions • ILP funding • Adoption Assistance - but is limited to 15% average annual growth per year over next 5 years • Development and Evaluation Costs
Other features • Up to 20 Counties can participate • Allows for Counties to individually opt out if needed once participating in the waiver • Currently Counties and State are working together to determine how state funding will work for Counties participating in the waiver • Shooting for a January 1, 2007 implementation date
Evaluation Required • No random assignment or control group is required for this evaluation • Waiver will use “Interrupted Time Series” measurement (before, during waiver and after) of key outcome measures • Process evaluation will compare alternative services developed under waiver verses traditional service prior to the waiver • Cost Study evaluation will compare costs per child prior to the waiver verses cost per child under the waiver. • Cost neutrality is set by the capped allocation amount.