The maximum rate established for maintenance payment may be exceeded only in special circumstances involving children with exceptional needs. No exception may be made for payment exceeding these standards unless prior approval is received from the Regional Director or the child is authorized to make use of a special alternative care program such as medical foster care or Level A foster care.

• Maintenance payment includes expenses related to the foster child’s daily living needs i.e., room and board, clothing, and incidentals.
• Infant allowance is paid for children from birth up to their third birthday to help defray the additional costs for providing for the specific needs of infants; i.e., formula, diapers, special food, extra clothing, and supplies.
• Maintenance payment and infant allowance, when allowable, and using the following guidelines, may be continued for children who temporarily leave a placement:
  • As provided in the individual case plan and agreed to by the State Agency.  This includes frequent in-home visits, with parents or perspective adoptive parents, hospitalization, or camp, etc., as long as placement remains with foster/relative parents and the plan is for the foster youth to return to the placement home. For residential treatment, this may not exceed a maximum of thirty (30) days during any twelve (12) month period.
  • Up to seven (7) days for each period of time the child is absent for the reasons of runaway, in-patient hospitalization, or detention, or;
  • For children in residential treatment, up to five (5) days per month for the purpose of visiting with birth parents or a “substitute family,” (includes prospective adoptive parents.)
• If a Traditional, Medical or Level A resource family needs a temporary break in child care responsibilities, respite care may be arranged with a contracted Respite provider. The licensed resource home shall continue to receive the regular foster care payment only while the child is in policy defined respite care units; 12 units per year or 14 units plus one weekend a month for elevated needs level B.  On a case by case basis, the worker may request supervisor approval for up to 20 units of respite for a resource provider per foster youth.  Regional Director or designee approval is required for more than 20 units.
  • Documentation of the approval must be maintained by attaching it to the Respite Unit Tracking Log, CD-113, and the Payment Request.
• Maintenance and infant allowance payments begin with the date of the first night the child resides with a provider. It ends effective with the date of the last night the child resides with a provider.
• Level B resource providers are encouraged to use respite care a minimum of one weekend per month plus 14 days per year. Respite Care will be provided for all foster children in the Level B home at the same frequency regardless of Level of Care, i.e., Traditional, Youth with Elevated Needs, etc. Respite care does not have to be provided for all children in the Level B home at the same time. Level B resource providers may determine the actual time(s) to use respite based on the individual needs of the child(ren) in their home, and family. Respite care is to be provided by another trained Level B Resource Parent Respite Care Provider under contract with the Division. Both the Level B resource parent and respite provider will continue to receive their annual reimbursement during periods of respite.

Related Practice Alerts and Memos:

7-1-19 –  CD19-52 FY20 Rate Increases