DISCUSSION:

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide clarification of policy. Foster Care is a form of substitute care for children whose safety or well-being requires they be removed from the home of their parent(s).

If the parent of the foster youth resides in the resource home, the foster youth neither is no longer “removed from the control of his parents” per RSM0 211.011 nor is the youth “unattended by parent” per RSMo 210.481(4).

Maintenance payments cannot be made to the resource provider if the child’s own parent(s) is residing in the resource home per Federal Child Welfare Policy Manual Section 8.3A.3.

The exception to parents of foster youth living in the same resource home as the foster youth is for those parents of foster youth who are also in the legal custody of the Children’s Division.

This would also apply to youth who meet the definition of foster care but may not be residing in a resource home such as youth placed in an Independent Living Arrangement or in a Transitional Living Advocate home. In these living arrangements, youth are receiving the maintenance directly but a maintenance payment cannot be paid if the parent resides with the youth as the youth is no longer “removed from the control of his parents” per RSM0 211.011 nor is the youth “unattended by parent” per RSMo 210.481(4).