Federal requirements to be addressed in PIP

ISSUE	COMMENTS, IF ANY	GOALS OR OUTCOMES FOR PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT	RESPONSIBLE PARTY	ACTION STEPS	DATE FOR COMPLETING EACH ACTION STEP	CROSS REFERENCE	DESCRIPTION OF HOW PROGRAM WILL BE EVALUATED BY STATE AGENCY AND REPORTED TO ACF REGIONAL OFFICE; INCLUDE FREQUENCY AND FORMAT OF THE EVALUATION PROCESS	DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE REGIONAL OFFICE WILL KNOW THAT AN ACTION STEP HAS BEEN ACHIEVED
I. Removal Pursuant to Court Order - No Judicial Determinations	This involves only one case which is OS 204. Parent signed a voluntary placement agreement on 8/2/04. Unfortunately the documentation was not located until after the 2 week FCER grace period following the review.	Documentation of authority for placement must be in child case records and Title IV-E files for the child.	Local Office and Title IV-E Eligibility and Determination Unit	Each Title IV-E Supervisor will review 20% of the Local Office's Title IV-E files to ensure that the file contains all the necessary documentation and follow up with the area and local offices after review to correct deficiencies, if any.	To begin immediately and ongoing on a monthly basis		Title IV-E Administrator will evaluate results of the Supervisors' review and will report findings and corrective actions taken to ACF Regional Office. Will include percentage of cases reviewed, findings and additional actions if necessary.	Department of Children and Families (DCF), through the Title IV-E Unit will report to the ACF Regional Office
II. Reasonable Efforts to Finalize a Permanency Plan		1. Responsible parties to insure consideration of reasonable efforts findings at all permanency hearings 2. Required finding to be requested at all permanency hearings. 3. Permanency hearings at which required findings are made will occur within 12 months of placement. Subsequent permanency hearings and judicial determinations about reasonable efforts will occur at no less than every 12 months thereafter when the child is still in placement.	1. Children in Court Improvement Committee (CICIC) Permanency Hearing Work Group 2. Division of Law Deputy Attorneys General (DAsG) (agency attorneys) 3. Title IV-E Unit	1. Create checklist for use by parties at permanency hearings which includes required findings as an item to cover. 2. Division of Law will report to the Title IV-E Unit, DCF on a Quarterly basis on permanency hearing. 3. Title IV-E Unit will review reports on AOC website monthly, corrective action, based on the results will be addressed by IV-E unit with AOC. Corrective action will be revised monthly until compliance is achieved.	1. January 31, 2007 2. Beginning October 1, 2006 and an evaluation will occur each quarter. 3. Beginning on October 1, 2006 the Title IV-E Unit will review website reports monthly.		2. Title IV-E Unit will sample 10 % of cases for court compliance on a monthly basis. 3. IV Unit Supervisors Will review 10% of Title IV-E determination and report deficiencies in court orders and corrective actions.	1. The checklist will be provided to ACF for review by Jan. 31, 2007. 2. Reports of the monthly review will be provided to ACF at least quarterly. Reports of the monthly review will be provided to ACF at least quarterly.
III. AFDC Eligibility – At Removal & Redetermination IV. Documentation of Initial Title IV-E Eligibility Determinations. V. Determination of AFDC Financial Need for Families Currently in Receipt of Public Assistance. VI. Determination of AFDC Financial Need for Families Not Currently Receiving Public Assistance	This issue addresses the partial review of State Plan requirements referred to in August 18, 2006 letter to Commissioner of Department of Children and Families. DCF has attempted to address all concerns raised about the AFDC eligibility. These issues are addressed within the 6 months time frame set in the August 18, 2006 letter.	1. Title IV-E eligibility determination form to be expanded in order to document clearly the basis and supporting sources of AFDC financial need based on the criteria in effect July 16, 1996. A form will be created for the purpose of collecting and documenting detailed information on the circumstances, income and resources of all family members living in the home from which the child is removed.	1. Title IV-E Unit	1. Create a financial need determination form approved by ACF with 185% and the 100% standard need test for use on the initial determination and redetermination. The form will be incorporated into NJ Spirit when it is up and available	1. Completed September 6, 2006 and approved by ACF Policy Unit.		1. Completed	1. Completed
		2. Implementation of the 100% AFDC standard as a second test of financial eligibility at the time of removal.	2. Title IV-E Unit	2. Title IV-E eligibility staff on the 100% AFDC standard need test process and completion of the form.	2. October 30, 2006			2. IV-E Unit will confirm training occurred with ACF.
		3. All Title IV-E files will contain documentation of an initial determination of eligibility.	3. Title IV-E Unite	3. Obtain documentation from DMAHS with respect to codes on Medicaid eligibility file and what the different codes mean. Secure backup documentation from DFD regarding their determination that family meets the July 1996 AFDC eligibility standards.	3. October 30, 2006			3. Codes provided to ACF as of Sept. 6, 2006. Additional explanation of DFD eligibility standard will be provided by October 30, 2006.
			4. NJ Spirit & Title IV-E Administrative Analyst	4. Determine if the Title IV-E financial eligibility form has been incorporated into NJ Spirit for Release 2 scheduled for April 2007.	4. Upon implementation of NJ Spirit Release 2.			4. Notice to ACF will be provided by IV-E Unit of the NJ Spirit Release 2.
			5. Title IV-E Supervisory staff	5. Review 20 % of Title IV-E files to determine if AFDC/Financial Forms are completed accurately and timely.	5. Monthly to begin November 30, 2006.			5. Reports of the review will be provided by IV-E Unit at least quarterly.
			6. Central Office NJ Spirit Superuser, or IV-E New Jersey Spirit representative	6. Title IV-E eligibility staff to be trained on how to access and complete the worksheet in NJ Spirit.	6. April 2007, or upon Release 2 of NJ Spirit. Title IV-E Financial Determination form is part of Release 2.			6. Notice that the training has occurred will be provided to ACF by the IV-E Unit
VII. State Agency Responsible for Placement and Care	Involves one case – OS 204.					Please see Issue 1 for corrective actions.
VIII. Placement in Licensed Home or Facility	(Note: Children may be placed into relative care homes for up to 150 days pending home being licensed or denied licensing.) . Send all materials for licensing of resource homes to Office of Licensing within 120 days of completion of application.(Note: Application is completed by family and submitted to DYFS w/in 5 days of child's placement. DYFS reviews to OOL within 14 days.	Children are placed in licensed resource family homes or licensed facilities.	1. ORFAS	1. ORFAS completes quarterly comparisons of DYFS and OOL electronic file and OOL monthly reports to verify status of application.	1. September 30, 2006			1. ORFAS reports findings of their quarterly review to DCF, Title IV-E Unit reports to ACF.
			2. OOL	2. OOL is now reporting data received on relative homes separately from regular foster applicants.	2. September 30, 2006			2. Completed
			3. OOL	3. Title IV-E staff will be requested to sign a Sign-In-Sheet at the beginning of the Licensing Information System (LIS) training and initial at the end of the training. Two days are reserved for the training. Those who can't make the 1st training will attend the second day.	3. On or before November 30, 2005			3. Reports of training will be provided to ACF at least quarterly
			4. OOL-RFL & ORFAS	4. Train DYFS staff on the requirements needed to license a home, whether unrelated resources family home or relative home.	4. Began in March and training continues.			4. Reports of training will be provided to ACF at least quarterly.
			5. ORFAS	5. Issued policy on licensing renewal to all Resource Family Unit staff.	5. Completed July 2006.			5. Copy of policy shall be provided to ACF.
			6. Policy Unit, DCF	6. Eligibility policy regarding relative home approval to be issued.	6. December 31, 2006.			6. Copy of policy shall be provided to ACF.
			7. OFRAS	7. Licensing Regulation distributed to all local offices in August 2006.	7. Completed August 2006.			7. Completed
			8. OFRAS	8. A Relative Care Manual is currently in development for distribution to all existing and newly licensed relative homes.	8. December 31, 2006.			8. Copy of the manual shall be provided to ACF.
			9. OOL	9. IV-E Unit trained on how to use the OOL data base.	9. October 30, 2006.			9. Report on training shall be provided quarterly to ACF.
			10. OOL, ORFAS & Title IV-E Reviewers	10. Office of Licensing, ORFAS and Title IV-E reviewers will use the LIS to check on status of license processing when it goes online.	10. December 321, 2006 or when the system is operational.			10. Title IV-E Unit will advise ACF when the system is on line.
			11. ORFAS	11. Brochure about out-of-state relative placements developed and distributed to all staff.	11. February 2006, completed.			11. Completed
			12. Interstate Office	12. Interstate liaisons at Local Offices and Resource Unit staff to be trained on Interstate Process and Procedures in respect to Resource Family home moving to another state with the foster child(ren) placed in their home by DYFS	12. December 31, 2006			12. IV-E Unit will document training and provide a quarterly report on ACF.
			13. DYFS Director's Office & Interstate	13. Written communication prepared by Interstate for DYFS Director will be sent to all Local Offices and Area Offices that explains and reinforces Interstate procedures.	13. December 30, 2006			13. Copy of the Communication will be provided to ACF by IV-E Unit
			14. Policy Unit & Interstate	14. Update DYFS policy about interstate placements. Incorporate the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) regulations.	14. December 31, 2006			14. Copy of the updated policy shall be provided to ACF by IV-E Eligibility Unit
			15. Title IV-E Supervisor	15. Title IV-E Supervisors will conduct a 20% QA of Title IV-E packets to determine if the license is in the file.			15. Administrative Analyst will QA 10% of the package QA's by the Supervisors. Analyst will be included in the Supervisors and Administrative Analyst reports quarterly.	15. Reports of the progress will be included in a quarterly report from the IV-E Unit to ACF.
IX. Safety Requirements of Provider	This has two components: 1. In one case, it was determined that documentation regarding the safety consideration for staff of a child care center was not provided.	1. OOL has responded to this concern in Issue XI, Safety Monitoring for Staff of Child Care Institutions.	1. OOL	1. See Action Steps for Issue XII Safety Monitoring for Staff of Child Care Institutions
IX. Safety Requirements of Provider	2. In another case, it was determined that the criminal history record information was unavailable for a foster parent for a period prior to the PUR.	2. Documentation of State and Federal criminal history checks will be found in all OOL home files where children are placed.	2. ORFAS, Local Offices and OOL-RFL	2. New procedure initiated so that documentation of criminal history checks will be filed in the licensing files as well as in the Local Offices' Resource Family Files	2. Completed		2. OOL and DYFS to provide status reports to the Title IV-E Unit, DCF.	2. Completed
X. Unallowable Payment	SO 1, SO 2 and SO 28 had unallowable payments because of claiming for unallowable transportation costs. Payments of these types are captured in the Title IV-E claim through Special Approval Request (SAR) prepared by a case Worker. Unallowable Payment SO7, SO17, SO22, SO49, SO70, OS10 and OS13 had unallowable payments because of lack of timely judicial determination of Reasonable Efforts Finalize a Permanency Plan. NJ Spirit system will be able to adjust claims retrospectively which will ensurethe integrity of the claiming date. However, until NJ Spirit is up and running a manual procedure will be initiated.	1. NJ Will claim Title IV-E reimbursement for allowable transportation costs. NJ Spirit component for Title IV-E will adjust claims retrospectively which will ensure the integrity of the claiming data.	1. ORFR and OIS	1. ORFR will meet with OIS to ensure that transportation costs for unallowable payments are not captured within the claim. Verify with OIS the transportation costs that are allowable and remove any codes that are not for Title IV-E reimbursement.	1. September 2006			1. Completed
X. Unallowable Payment			2. Title IV-E Unit	2. The Title IV-E Reviewer or Title IV-E Supervisor will notify ORFR when they find a period of ineligibility at the time of redetermination.	2. Begin October 2006 and continue until NJ Spirit Title IV-E section is operationalized.		2. Quality Assurance (QA) through a sampling of these costs to verily all costs are eligible. ORFR will QA 10% of the transportation costs by using the claims captured within the SI 112-1 & 2 claiming report unit less than 5% are showing costs are not in compliance. Based upon this review of one quarter, ORFR will modify or discontinue the QA reviews.	2. This will be reflected in each quarterly claim.
XI. Safety monitoring for Staff of Child Institution		Consistency in sampling method and documentation format across OOL-YRL inspectors to more easily evidence monitoring for CHRI and CARI checks.	1. OOL, Youth Residential Licensing (YRL)	1. Train staff on sampling procedures and inspection documentation	1. July 11, 2006 (procedures and documentation covered in training effective immediately)	1. Also, see Issues IX Safety Requirements of Provider.		1. Completed
XI. Safety monitoring for Staff of Child Institution			2. OOL-YRL	2. Revised the Residential Personnel Worksheet to include instruction key and distribute to all staff	2. Form implemented for all new inspections; phase out of old forms already in progress at end of the biennial cycle.	1. Also, see Issues IX Safety Requirements of Provider.		2. Completed