As a result of the enactment of House Bill 332, Ohio Administrative Code rule 5101:2-47-18 was amended to establish the maximum ODJFS-approved rate for difficulty of care payments for exceptional and intensive needs children at the higher of the two rates for a two-year period beginning September 30, 2001 and ending September 29, 2003. Please note that this change affects only the difficulty of care payments relating to exceptional and intensive needs children, all other rates as originally published in FCASPL 58E remain the same. The rates published below are effective for the time period September 30, 2002 through September 29, 2003.

Uniform Statewide Standards for Per Diem Foster Care Maintenance Rates

(0-18 years)

Minimum - $9.00

Maximum - $118.00

Per Diem Foster Care Maintenance Difficulty of Care Maximum Additional Rates

Special Needs - $85.00

Exceptional Needs - $200.00

Intensive Needs - $200.00

Emergency Family Foster Care - $200.00

Auxiliary Payments for Initial Clothing and Graduation

Clothing - $1,500.00

Graduation - $800.00

For Federal Fiscal Year 2003 (October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003), Ohio's federal financial participation for Title IV-E foster care maintenance and adoption assistance payment is 58.83 percent. If you have previously submitted claims that are now eligible for the higher level of reimbursement, you may resubmit those claims. Please remember that the twenty-four (24) month deadline for claims processing still applies. Therefore, in order to ensure that claims are processed within the requisite time frame, public agencies are required to submit their claims to ODJFS no later than the twenty-second (22) month.

If you have an exceptional needs child who is registered in Host FACSIS as an eligible recipient for Title IV-E benefits and the child was placed within your agency's foster care network for whom your agency received Title IV-E monthly recurring benefits during any of the above-mentioned service periods, please be advised that you may be eligible for additional reimbursement if your exceptional needs child has/had a FACSIS Event #338 with a Difficulty of Care designation and that amount exceeds/exceeded the original maximum per diem. You may invoice the difference on the JFS 1659 form to recoup any funds due at the applicable federal financial participation percentage.

INSTRUCTIONS:

The following chart depicts what materials should be deleted from the Family, Children and Adult Services Manual (FCASM) and what materials are to be inserted into the FCASM.