FCASPL 80 (FRED Phase II Update)
Family, Children and Adult Services Procedure Letter No. 80
March 12, 2004
TO: All Family, Children and Adult Services Manual Holders
FROM: Thomas J. Hayes, Director
SUBJECT: Foster Care Resource Education Database (FRED) Phase II - Update

Phase II of the Foster Care Resource Education Database (FRED) was released on September 22, 2003. This allows agencies to register their foster parents in FRED and to electronically submit training sessions. As of February 10, 2004, there are 24,212 participants registered in FRED, and a total of 7,058 training sessions have been entered. All recommending agencies must enter and submit all training participants and all training sessions conducted January 1, 2001, and forward in the FRED database, located at https://fred.odjfs.state.oh.us. This is a production database; the data you enter and submit will be used to generate training allowance and stipend payments.

For assistance in using FRED, a User Guide is available by clicking the "HELP" option in the upper-right corner of the FRED site. You may also go directly to the FRED User Guide (version 2.0) located at http://fred.odjfs.state.oh.us/ UserGuide.pdf. Please be advised that the previous testing site, located at https://fred.odjfs.state.oh.us/AccTest is no longer available for agency use.

Training Stipend Payments

In order to streamline the process for our customers, we are working on finalizing a cut-off date for which agencies will no longer be required to submit JFS 1350s and enter and submit data in FRED. For training sessions conducted after the cut-off date, agencies will only need to enter and submit the training session and participant information in FRED, as the JFS 1350s will no longer be accepted. Agencies should continue submitting JFS 1350s for any training sessions conducted on or before the cut-off date. It is important for agencies to understand that while stipend payments for training sessions conducted on or before the cut-off date will be made using the JFS 1350s, these same sessions must also be entered and submitted in FRED.

Training Allowance Payments

We are pleased to report that as of February 27, 2004, we have processed and approved $1,034,217.75 in training allowance payments for trainings conducted during the period of April 1, 2003, through December 31, 2003. These allowance payments were processed using information contained in the JFS 1350s. We will continue to process payments in this manner for all trainings conducted from April 1, 2003, through the cut-off date for the JFS 1350s.

For trainings conducted on or after January 1, 2004, through the cut-off date, we are asking that private agencies indicate on the JFS 1350s whether or not the agency incurred a cost for the training session. Pursuant to Ohio Administrative Code Rule 5101:2-5-38 (C)(2), ODJFS will not make an allowance payment for training received or provided at no cost to the private recommending agency.

The Bureau of Accountability and Regulation is working on a method to begin processing training allowance payments for training sessions conducted between January 1, 2001 and March 31, 2003, starting with those training sessions that were conducted during the first quarter of 2001. These payments will be generated using data that has been entered and submitted in FRED, and will not be generated through information contained in the JFS 1350s.

It is imperative that all training sessions be entered and submitted in the FRED database. Further, pursuant to Ohio Administrative Code Rule 5101:2-5-38 (J) (4), training sessions conducted between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2003 must be entered and submitted by December 31, 2004. Otherwise, the agencies will have forfeited their allowance payments for these training sessions.

Summary of Agency Responsibility for Stipend Reimbursement and Allowance Payments

Please refer to the table below for a summary of the responsibility of agencies regarding the submission of the JFS 1350s and the entering and submission of training events into FRED.

Time Period of Training SessionsJanuary 1, 2001 through March 31, 2003April 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003January 1, 2004 through cut-off dateAll sessions after cut-off date
Enter and Submit Training Sessions in FREDYesYesYesYes
Submit JFS 1350sFor stipend reimbursement onlyYesYesNo
Additional Requirements (for private agencies only)NoneNoneIndicate on JFS 1350s whether or not the agency incurred a cost for the trainingNone
Information Source for Stipend ReimbursementJFS 1350sJFS 1350sJFS 1350sFRED
Information Source for Allowance PaymentsFREDJFS 1350sJFS 1350s FRED

Other FRED Developments

Plans to hold a User Group Meeting are currently underway. These meetings will be held quarterly and will be open to any FRED users who would like to attend. Updates regarding FRED will be discussed at this meeting and any questions or concerns from users will be addressed. Agencies will receive notification regarding the time and place for this meeting once it has been scheduled.

In September 2003, recommending agencies were requested to designate a FRED administrator to serve as the primary point of contact for the FRED project team. Establishing an administrator for all agencies is essential to effectively communicate information regarding FRED. Any agency that has not already designated a FRED administrator must do so by April 1, 2004. Please e-mail your administrator designee(s) and their e-mail address to FRED@odjfs.state.oh.us. Include in your subject header "FRED-Administrator."

For questions regarding FRED, please contact the FRED project team at FRED@odjfs.state.oh.us.