Funding Sources

When a child is placed in out-of-home care, it is the responsibility of the FC EW to determine eligibility to State or Federal funding sources. If the case is not eligible to Federal or State funds, the FC EW will advise the SW to apply for any available County funds. The SW must have the authorization of the DFCS Director prior to sending the request to utilize County funds. All county dollars are a last resort based on the fact that these payments are completely County money.

Importance of Federal Eligibility

Federal eligibility is important for the following reasons:

  • It reduces the county share of the total cost of Foster Care,
  • Increases the County’s penetration rate (% of federally funded cases in the total Foster Care caseload), and
  • It increases the Country’s allocation for administrative and case management activities on time studies that, in turn, further reduces the county share.

Eligibility Rate

The Eligibility Rate is the percentage of Foster Care maintenance cases that are federally eligible. It influences the amount of federal dollars used to offset DFCS Administration and JPD Administration costs which assists with funding positions and equipment to administer County programs.

Cost Sharing Ratios

The table below displays the cost sharing ratios with federal (Aid Code 42) and State (Aid Code 40) Foster Care cases:

Sharing Ratios Federal EA “Non-Federal” All County
Federal share 50% 0% 0% 0%
State share 20% 70% 60% 0%
County share 30% 30% 40% 100%

Common Eligibility Criteria

Each of the funding sources has some of the same eligibility criteria. Examples of common eligibility requirements that must be met include:

  • Age requirements
  • Property
  • Residency
  • Citizenship/Alienage
  • Deprivation
  • Social Security Number
  • Income

Note: Income received by a FC child’s parent shall not be considered available when determining the FC payment unless any portion of the income received is made available to meet the child’s needs.

Related Topics

Overview