Items that have been deleted can be seen by clicking the Deleted link. 3.1H INDEPENDENT LIVING, Certifications and Requirements, Training 3. May States claim the costs of training foster parents under their CFCIP funds? 1. Question: What funds under section 477(b)(3)(D) of the Social Security Act (the Act) will be used for training the individuals listed there and whose responsibility is it to train them? Answer: The certification at section 477(b)(3)(D) of the Act requires the State to train the categories of people enumerated therein and to utilize the funds that are available for this purpose. The funds specified at section 474(a)(3) of the Act are the administrative dollars which can be claimed for such training. Under that section of the Act, the cost of training employees of the State agency (or individuals preparing for employment with the State agency), foster parents, adoptive parents, and the staff of State licensed or approved child-care institutions is reimbursable from title IV-E administrative funds at the rate of 75 percent Federal Financial Participation (FFP). If the State contracts with private entities to perform case management functions, it may claim 50 percent reimbursement for training the contractor's staff to perform the contracted functions. The certification for training in the CFCIP law simply adds independent living training to the pool of allowable title IV-E training activities; it has no general impact on the FFP match for training costs. In addition, regulations at 45 CFR 1356.60 (b)(2) require that all training activities and costs funded under title IV-E shall be included in the State agency's training plan for title IV-B. The certification at section 477(b)(3)(D) of the Act also encourages such training to be coordinated with the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program training conducted for youth participants.
Answer: No general statutory or policy changes were made to title IV-E training. States should treat independent living training for foster parents, adoptive parents, case managers and workers in group homes on independent living issues like any other training costs under title IV-E and allocate appropriately.
Answer: No. The certification at 477(b)(3)(D) specifies that States "will use training funds provided under the program of Federal payments for foster care and adoption assistance" to provide training to help foster parents, adoptive parents, workers in group homes, and case managers understand and address issues confronting adolescents. Since the statute expressly directs that title IV-E administrative funds be used for training, Chafee funds are not permitted for this use.
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