The benefits negotiator, upon receiving notice of a preliminary determination of eligibility, must complete the following steps:

1. Determine the child’s needs by reviewing the records of the child and family. The benefits negotiator also reviews information on the personal circumstances of both the results of the home study and the content of Form 2116 Permanency Care Assistance Worksheet [sic, broken link]Word Document and Form 2118 Kinship Family Resources [sic ,broken link] Word Document.
2. Contact the family within two days of receiving the preliminary determination of eligibility and make appointment to discuss Permanency Care Assistance benefits and negotiate the PCA agreement.
3. Discuss PCA with the family, particularly how to obtain Medicaid benefits in Texas and other states, and discuss potential issues. See 1618 Providing Medical Assistance to Recipients of PCA.
4. Provide the family with information about educational requirements. See 1617.4 Explaining Education Requirements When Negotiating for PCA.
5. Determine the payment ceiling for monthly payments and communicate that information to the family. See 1617.2 Determining the Payment Ceiling When Negotiating for PCA.
6. Negotiate and execute a PAC agreement with the family. See 1617 Negotiating Permanency Care and Deferred Agreements. Negotiators meet in person with the family when possible. Contact may be made in the family’s home or in a DFPS office, whichever is suitable to both parties, or contact may be made by telephone.
7. Important note: The agreement must be negotiated before managing conservatorship of the child is transferred to the kinship caregiver, or eligibility for PCA will be permanently lost. See 1612.1 Eligibility Requirements for a Prospective Permanent Managing Conservator to Receive PCA.