Teresa
January 4th, 2009, 08:21 PM
Ms.(Teresa),
Your email message to Representative Clary has been forward to the Division of Social Services to directly address your concerns.
First let me thank you for your dedication and service to the most vulnerable of our population.
Without your willingness to open your home and heart to these children, our foster care system could not exist at all.
The changes happening to the foster care payment system beginning January 1, 2009 are not the result of a budget cut, but an unfortunate, but still avoidable negative consequence of a major system change.
Historically, private child placing agencies, such as Lifegains, have been approved for individual rates for state and federal financial participation.
Over time, the providers themselves found this process to be leading to a rate disparity that did not allow for a "level playing field" across the 20+ agencies that provide family foster care in North Carolina.
In correcting this disparity, various agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services worked with private providers and the federal oversight agency to develop a standard rate model for all private child placing agencies. This standard rate is what is being implemented beginning January 1, 2009.
As you would imagine, the new standard rate is less than the highest individual provider rate that is in effect today.
For many providers, the new rate actually represents an increase the payment amount.
For others, such as Lifegains, this is a decrease to the amount approved currently.
Along with the standard rates for private agencies, the General Assembly approved a significant increase the the standard board rate.
For most family foster homes, this was the largest increase ever approved for the monthly board rate.
The Division of Social Services has been working with the 100 county departments of social services to prepare for these changes, which were approved by the NC General Assembly in the 2008 short session.
Unfortunately, in a few cases, the county holding custody and the private provider have been unable to come to an agreement regarding an appropriate payment amount.
In these situations, alternative options are still available to prevent moving the children from the foster family caring for them.
Foster families may request that their license be transferred to an alternative supervising agency. The alternative may be another private agency or the county DSS in which the family lives.
Of course none of this information will in any way mitigate the impact to the individual child's life disruption if all alternatives have been explored and ruled out.
For this reason, I urge you to consider contacting the county department of social services who hold custody of the children placed in your home to explore all options.
Additionally, you may contact me or our staff and seek additional clarification regarding the upcoming changes.
My contact information is appended to the bottom of this email message.
Thank you again for your service to the children as well as your advocacy for the child welfare system.
Regards,
{Name and Title deleted by forum administrator}
Family Support and Child Welfare Services
NC DHHS Division of Social Services
MSC 2406 Raleigh NC 27699-2406
{Phone and Fax number deleted by forum administrator}
Your email message to Representative Clary has been forward to the Division of Social Services to directly address your concerns.
First let me thank you for your dedication and service to the most vulnerable of our population.
Without your willingness to open your home and heart to these children, our foster care system could not exist at all.
The changes happening to the foster care payment system beginning January 1, 2009 are not the result of a budget cut, but an unfortunate, but still avoidable negative consequence of a major system change.
Historically, private child placing agencies, such as Lifegains, have been approved for individual rates for state and federal financial participation.
Over time, the providers themselves found this process to be leading to a rate disparity that did not allow for a "level playing field" across the 20+ agencies that provide family foster care in North Carolina.
In correcting this disparity, various agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services worked with private providers and the federal oversight agency to develop a standard rate model for all private child placing agencies. This standard rate is what is being implemented beginning January 1, 2009.
As you would imagine, the new standard rate is less than the highest individual provider rate that is in effect today.
For many providers, the new rate actually represents an increase the payment amount.
For others, such as Lifegains, this is a decrease to the amount approved currently.
Along with the standard rates for private agencies, the General Assembly approved a significant increase the the standard board rate.
For most family foster homes, this was the largest increase ever approved for the monthly board rate.
The Division of Social Services has been working with the 100 county departments of social services to prepare for these changes, which were approved by the NC General Assembly in the 2008 short session.
Unfortunately, in a few cases, the county holding custody and the private provider have been unable to come to an agreement regarding an appropriate payment amount.
In these situations, alternative options are still available to prevent moving the children from the foster family caring for them.
Foster families may request that their license be transferred to an alternative supervising agency. The alternative may be another private agency or the county DSS in which the family lives.
Of course none of this information will in any way mitigate the impact to the individual child's life disruption if all alternatives have been explored and ruled out.
For this reason, I urge you to consider contacting the county department of social services who hold custody of the children placed in your home to explore all options.
Additionally, you may contact me or our staff and seek additional clarification regarding the upcoming changes.
My contact information is appended to the bottom of this email message.
Thank you again for your service to the children as well as your advocacy for the child welfare system.
Regards,
{Name and Title deleted by forum administrator}
Family Support and Child Welfare Services
NC DHHS Division of Social Services
MSC 2406 Raleigh NC 27699-2406
{Phone and Fax number deleted by forum administrator}