DCFS has bottom-line responsibility for providing for a child’s needs while in foster care. If you believe a child in your care needs something, ask the caseworker and the agency. If they agree, they will determine how to get it— from within the agency, from outside the agency, or from DCFS. If they don’t know how to get something for a child, it is their responsibility to ask DCFS for help. 

Before requesting a one-time payment from DCFS, the caseworker and agency must consider:

• appropriateness of the request according to individual circumstances surrounding the child, the case, or the foster family; 
• DCFS’ contractual agreement with the agency; 
• other more appropriate sources of funding or services, such as from the school district or another state government department; and 
• DCFS policy.

What DCFS will pay for and the circumstances under which DCFS will pay are given in DCFS Rule Section 359.7. Some of the major categories are explained in this section of the handbook. 

All one-time payments from DCFS have a maximum allowable amount. Caseworkers will request the appropriate amount based on individual case circumstances or funding available from other sources. Maximum allowable amounts of each type of payment mentioned in this section are not given because they are subject to change. The current allowable amounts may always be found in Appendix A of DCFS Procedure 359.7, which is public information. This procedure and all other DCFS policies, rules and procedures are available on the DCFS website at www. DCFS.illinois.gov.

Questions About Payments

Private Agency Policy and Supports — Ask your child’s caseworker and the agency.

DCFS Policy and Supports —Anyone with questions about DCFS payment policy or procedures may call the DCFS Advocacy Office for Children and Families at 800-232-3798. If your caseworker and agency and/or DCFS do not agree that the child needs the goods or services, you have the right to fi le a Service Appeal. (See Section 8, pages 26-28).

Clothing 
The monthly licensed foster care payment includes funds to pay for a child’s clothing according to age, including school clothes and school uniforms and new clothing needed due to changes in season and normal growth. The caseworker/agency may request additional funds from DCFS for clothing under the following circumstances.

Initial Placement: Clothing/Personal Hygiene Expenses 
When a child is placed, foster caregivers should review the child’s current clothing situation with the placing caseworker. Sometimes, when a child is removed from his home quickly, the caseworker will bring his clothes later. If the child has been in another foster home, all clothes, toys, personal hygiene items and belongings should be sent to the new foster home. If the child’s clothing appears inadequate, the caseworker may request an “initial clothing voucher” for a child in his first placement outside the home. The initial clothing voucher may be requested at the time the case is opened or within 6 months of case opening. 

The child’s current wardrobe will be taken into account. Caregivers should be aware that there is a maximum, total amount allowable for the initial clothing voucher. If the child has moved more than once since initially coming into care, it could be that parts of the total amount may have been previously used in other placements. If the child has clothing needs, be sure to discuss this with the caseworker.

Initial personal hygiene items may also be requested by the caseworker for a child in her first placement outside the home when the case is opened. Examples of necessary items are: toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush/comb/pick, deodorant, feminine hygiene items, baby bott les, diapers, baby powder, baby oil and other essential items. Not allowed: make-up, perfume, jewelry, hairdryers, etc. The intention is to take care of the child’s immediate, basic needs.

Replacement Clothing 
Caregivers are expected to replace a child’s clothing using the monthly foster care payment. The caseworker/agency may request additional funds from DCFS for replacement clothing under these circumstances: 

• a child whose clothes are unsuitable due to health or medical reasons, such as extraordinary weight gains or losses, excessive growth, or damage done to clothing to accommodate casts or braces; 
• destruction of clothing by fi re, flood, or the child’s willful destruction; 
• pregnant teens needing maternity clothes; 
• children who had been in a Department of Corrections (DOC) facility and are now returning to foster care; and 
• children who returned home for an extended period of time and then returned to foster care.

Notice to Caregivers Regarding Inadequate Clothing 
If the child’s caseworker feels that the child’s wardrobe is inadequate, he or she will talk with the caregiver and provide the caregiver with the concerns or needed actions in writing. The caregiver will have 30 days to obtain the needed items. Except for circumstances that qualify for a replacement clothing voucher (see above) clothing is to be purchased from the clothing allotment of the monthly board payment. If the caregiver doesn’t provide adequate wardrobe, the caseworker could request funds up to the allowed amount for replacement clothing. However, that amount could then be deducted from future monthly board payments. It is important to go through the child’s clothing and discuss it with the caseworker early in the placement. Details are in DCFS Procedure 359.75. 

Summer Camp/Activities 
Caregivers whose licenses are supervised by a DCFS regional foster care program should be sure to discuss with the child’s caseworker the procedure for summer camps and other vital enrichment activities. These are important activities for a child’s overall development. Funding for camp, art and cultural activities is covered in Rule 359 Authorized Child Care Payments.

Caregivers for youth with open DCFS foster care cases should work with the child’s caseworker to: 

• identify the right program; 
• confirm that the program is eligible for reimbursement under Rule 359; 
• obtain written approval; 
• pay for the camp in advance; and 
• submit the expense for reimbursement.

Rule 359 caps annual camp expenses at $260.35. Other enrichment activities will be evaluated for the appropriate prevailing rate. The caseworker can assist with the approval and the reimbursement. Funding is always subject to the budget that is given to DCFS.

Private Agency-Supervised Homes 
For private agency foster families, the policy can diff er from agency to agency. Every agency receives funds for “nonrecurring expenses” such as camp for some children. Ask the child’s caseworker about the camp policy for children at that agency. 

Graduation Expenses

DCFS-Supervised Homes 
For a student in DCFS foster care, policy covers payment for graduation expenses such as yearbook, pictures, cap and gown rental, class ring, new clothing for the graduation ceremony and other related fees. 

The student must be in their junior or senior year for payment of the class ring. He or she must be in the senior year of high school to obtain payment for other graduation items. The total of all items purchased cannot exceed $512.50. As an example, if a youth wishes to purchase a class ring, the foster caregiver could submit the bill to the caseworker, who would then secure direct payment to the vendor. 

Private-Agency Supervised Homes 
The specific procedures may diff er for families caring for children whose case management is assigned to a private agency. Private agencies receive an administrative fee per child to take into account such non-recurring expenses like graduation. The agencies are expected to purchase the approved items and not expect caregivers to cover the costs. Be sure to talk to the child’s caseworker in advance about what is allowable, especially before making any purchases out-of-pocket. 

DCFS does not have any stated policy regarding expenses for eighth grade graduation. Be sure to talk to the youth’s caseworker if you have questions about those expenses. 

Infant Equipment
Sometimes, not having infant equipment can be a barrier to a caregiver taking the sibling of a child already in their home, or in taking an infant. A caseworker may request purchase authorization for a foster or relative home for infant care equipment for a specific child age 2 and under. The caregiver must sign the Infant Care Equipment Grant Application (DCFS Form: CFS 932C) and return a completed Infant Care List (DCFS Form: CFS 932D) for the appropriate items. The caregiver must return the infant equipment to DCFS if they stop providing infant care within one year of receiving the equipment. 

Family Reunification Special Service Fee
The Family Reunification Special Service Fee is a reimbursement made directly to the caregiver for reunification activities to support a child with the permanency goal to return home. It is a reimbursement that can cover expenses such as transportation, entrance fees, and food that are part of activities supporting foster children and their parents. A caregiver who engages the parent in up to 12 activities in a month would result in a $400 reimbursement. Details on the qualifying activities are in Section 3, page 23. 

• caregivers to children with a return home goal should document all of the reunification activities that are eligible for reimbursement. Date and describe each activity; 
• the caregiver and the parent each sign the “log” on form CFS 1042-L as the event happens; and 
• at the end of the month the caseworker should review the document, sign it and obtain a supervisor signature.

Sibling Visits 
DCFS will reimburse foster families for transportation to sibling visits and compensate them for supervising short and overnight visits. 

Under the plan, caregivers will receive reimbursement of up to $50 per month for mileage (56.5 cents per mile, as of January 2013), public transportation, bus or taxi. The special service fee must be requested by the caseworker and be approved according to the visitation plan developed for the child. 

Caregivers who support sibling visitation by supervising visits may also request reimbursement through their caseworker at a rate of $25 per hour (excluding travel time) for a maximum of four hours ($100) each month. If the visit is overnight or longer, the caregivers may, once a month, be reimbursed $100 for the entire visit.