Placement Expenses

Each county in California has the option of implementing Special Needs and Specialized Care Increments (SCIs). The rates are set by the counties through an established Specialized Care Rate (SCR plan, but must be approved by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) before implementation.  Currently, 55 counties have SCR plans.  Modoc, Plumas, and Sierra counties do not have SCI plans.  

Note: For a list of the counties with an SCI plan in place, see https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/foster-care/specialized-care.

Santa Clara County's SCR is administered by the Department of Family and Children's Services (DFCS) Special Funds Unit (SFU), and payment instructions are sent to Foster Care Eligibility (FCE. 

Children and youth placed in FC, Kin-GAP and the AAP are eligible for SCIs. However, only FC and KG placements are eligible for clothing and burial expenses.

Reminder: Cases funded via the ARC program may also receive Special Needs, SCIs and other specialized rates. Refer to Approved Relative Caregiver (ARC) Funding Option Program for more information.

 

For information regarding SCIs for AAP cases, refer to the Benefits section in the County of Responsibility topic.  

Special Needs and SCIs for FC and Kin-GAP are paid with AFDC-FC or County Only funding (also known as Director's Exception (DE)) and must be accompanied by a Placement Expense Request (SCZ 414Z) form.

Specialized Foster Family Homes

Counties have the option of setting Specialized Rates for certain types of foster family homes. These rates are also a part of the county’s SCR plan.

Santa Clara County offers a Sibling Supplement for placements that house a sibling group of three or more siblings together.  The Sibling Supplements are paid with DE funds.

Placement Expense Request (SCZ 414Z)

DFCS uses the SCZ 414Z to request and approve placement expenses that use county-only funding (also known as DE funding).  However, not all placement expenses will require an SCZ 414Z.

The Social Worker (SW) will submit the SCZ 414Z to the SFU for approval, and then the SFU will forward the form to FCE.  The table below lists the various placement expenses that require an SCZ 414Z for payment.  

Handled by the Special Funds Unit (SFU) Used For/Notes
Burial Expense
AFDC-FC Funding (FC and Kin-GAP)
  • Funeral costs for FC and Kin-GAP.
  • Requests for burial expenses will be made by the SW by submitting an SCZ 414Z to the Eligibility Worker (EW).  The payment will be issued using the case's aid code.
  • Refer to Burial Expense Payments  for additional information.
DFCS Request-Initial Clothing Allowance
AFDC-FC Funding or DE

 
  • Initial Clothing Allowances for approved placements.
  • When paid with DE, an AFDC-FC funding code cannot be used.  The FC EW must use aid code 9X with the appropriate payment subtype.  The SCZ 414Z must be approved by the SFU.
  • Refer to Clothing Allowances for additional information.
DFCS Request - Special Care Increment Tiers I through III
DFCS Request-Education Travel Reimbursement Request
AFDC-FC Funding
DFCS Request-Special Care Increment - Kin-GAP
AFDC-FC Funding
  • SCIs for Kin-GAP placements.
  • Tiers I through 3.
Placement Expense (45/DE or SCC Licensed Foster Home) Relative Home or Non-Relative Extended Family Member (NREFM)
County Only Funding
  • SCIs for out-of-county placement where the resident county does not have an adequate SCI,
  • Out-of-county SCI is not sufficient for the child’s needs,
  • Relative/NREFM home not approved,
  • Education Travel Reimbursement for placements not eligible for AFDC-FC funding,
  • Extending Voluntary Family Reunification (VFR) for voluntary placements that extend beyond 6 months,
  • Voluntary placement for days prior to the SW signing the Voluntary Placement Agreement-Placement Request (SOC 155), and
  • Other extenuating needs.
Placement Expense (9X/DE) Group Homes and Foster Family Agencies
County Only Funding
  • Infant (non-dependent) Supplement in the Transitional Housing Placement Program (THPP) where the group home requires additional funds beyond the Infant Supplement,
  • Extended VFR beyond 6 months,
  • THPP payments for Non-Minor Dependents (NMD). NMDs are only eligible for THP+FC; this is to pay the difference between the two rates, and
  • Other extenuating needs.
WRAP 9X/DE
County Only Funding
  • Wraparound Services are paid to a Group Home, and there is no Blanket Approval to make the payment. 
  • Refer to Payment Rules for additional information.  
Court Authorized Relative Placement-Senate Bill (SB) 354
  • NREFMs are not eligible for this rate.
  • Refer to ARC Expansion for additional information.
Adult Board & Care for NMD N/A
Infant Supplement
  • Infant supplements are paid to Foster Family Homes, Group Homes/Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs, Foster Family Agency, AARC, NRLG, and Kin-GAP homes to assist in the care of a dependent minor, NMD, or Non-Minor Former Dependent (NMFD) parent's non-dependent child who lives with them in their placement.
  • Refer to Infant Supplement for additional information.

Placement Expenses Handled by the Placement Unit

The table below lists Special Needs that will be handled by the Placement Unit and don't require an SCZ 414Z:

Type of Special Need Notes

DFCS Requested-Sibling Supplement (for Licensed Foster Home) (9X/DE)

County Only Funding
  • The Sibling Supplement is available for Santa Clara County licensed foster homes that have at least three siblings placed in the same foster home. However, children in Foster Family Agency (FFA) and relative placements (including ARC cases) are not eligible for Sibling Supplements.
  • Issuances for this supplement will be based on the Sibling Supplement roster.
  • The DFCS Placement unit will email a monthly roster to the DEBS-FC Bureau to authorize the payment.  

Enhanced Behavioral Regional Center (RC)

Home (Formerly 7EB) (RC Placement)
  • On-going issuance until a Placement/Address Change Form (SCZ 17) or Foster Child’s Data Record And AFDC-FC Certification (SOC 158A) indicates a change.
  • Before a youth in this type of placement turns 18, the Six-Month Certification Of Extended Foster Care Participation (SOC 161) and the Mutual Agreement For Extended Foster Care (SOC 162) must be sent to the DEBS-FC Bureau by the case- carrying SW.
  • One month prior to the youth in this type of placement turning 18, the DFCS/SARC Funding Transition (SCZ 75) form must be completed and sent to the Placement SSPM for submission to the RC.  If this form is not provided to the RC prior to the 18th birthday, DFCS will be required to continue paying all county funds for the placement until the youth turns 21 years old.  
  • The case-carrying or Placement SW will email all required documents to DEBS-FC.
Small Family Home (Formerly 4SH)
  • Issuances will be ongoing until an SCZ 17/SOC 158A changes this.
  • The DFCS Placement Unit emails the DEBS-FC Bureau. 
FC Sibling Supplement (Formerly 4B)
  • Issuances will be based on the Sibling Supplement roster.
  • The DFCS Placement Unit emails the DEBS-FC Bureau.

FC Payment for Days Prior to Detention

(Formerly 4R)
  • The Placement Unit will email FC -Eligibility once they are aware of the placement.
  • All payments for Days Prior to Detention requests can be paid for up to 10 days.  If the Days Prior to Detention period exceeds 10 days, DFCS will send an email authorization to the DEBS-FC Unit.  
Bed Hold Extending Beyond the State/Federal Funded 14 days (Formerly 4XT)
  • The end date is identified by the DFCS Placement Unit.
  • The DFCS Placement unit emails DEBS-FC Bureau.
Placement Prior to Detention
  • The Placement unit will email the EW once they are aware of the placement.  

FC Placement in a For-Profit Group Home

(Formerly 4P) (RC Placement)
  • Issuances will be ongoing until an SCZ 17/SOC 158 changes this.  
  • Before a youth in this type of placement turns 18, the case- carrying SW must send the     SOC 161 and SOC 162 to the DEBS-FC bureau.
  • The case-carrying or placement SW will email all required documents to DEBS-FC.

Foster Child’s Data Record and AFDC-FC Certification (SOC 158A)

SOC 158A will not be provided when the youth is placed in an adult facility or any facility that is not recognized by the State of California as a foster care provider. To confirm placement, the FC EW must print the child’s placement history from CWS/CMS that includes the name of the non-foster care facility and include the placement history when sending the SCZ 414Z to Imaging.

When the FC EW is unable to confirm the facility type or the facility needs to be added to CalSAWS, refer the facility name to the FC Providers email box for clarification.

Related Topics

Special Needs