GEORGIA DIVISION OF FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES

CHILD WELFARE POLICY MANUAL

Chapter:

(9) Eligibility

Policy
Title:

Special Situations in IV-E (Trial

Home Visits, Runaway, Child of a
Minor Parent in Foster Care and
Out-of-State IV-E Foster Care)

Policy
Number:

9.10

Effective
Date:

August 2014

Previous
Policy #:

1003.11

CODES/ REFERENCES
45 CFR Part 1356.21 (e)
REQUIREMENTS
The Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) shall notify the Revenue Maximization Specialist
(RMS) anytime a child in foster care is placed on a trial home visit, runs away from their foster
care placement, or has a child.
The SSCM shall ensure that a trial home visit does not exceed six months in duration,
unless the court orders a longer trial home visit. If a trial home visit extends beyond six
months and has not been authorized by the court, or exceeds the time period the court has
deemed appropriate, and the child is subsequently returned to foster care, that placement
must then be considered a new placement and Title IV-E eligibility must be newly
established. Under these circumstances, the judicial determinations regarding contrary to
the welfare and reasonable efforts to prevent removal are required.
The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) is responsible for initial
and ongoing IV-E determinations for any Georgia child placed outside the state of Georgia.
Any Title IV-E eligible child in foster care in Georgia who is placed into another state (outside of
Georgia) shall be eligible for medical coverage in the state where the child is placed.
DFCS shall provide medical coverage for any Title IV-E eligible child placed into Georgia from
another state.
DFCS shall retain responsibility for medical coverage of any Title IV-B eligible child placed
outside of Georgia into another state.
The sending state shall retain responsibility for medical coverage for a Title IV-B eligible child in
foster care placed into Georgia from another state.
PROCEDURES
When a child is on a trial home visit or runaway status, the SSCM will:
1. Track the length of time a child is on a trial home visit or runaway status.
2. Submit a Notification of Change (NOC) via Georgia SHINES, the Statewide Automated
Child Welfare Information System to notify the RMS of the trial home visit or runaway

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episode. The RMS will terminate IV-E reimbursability for a IV-E eligible child.
3. File a new application for a IV-E eligibility determination if a IV-E eligible child returns to
care within six months of the trial home visit/runaway or within the time for a trial home
visit ordered by the court. The child may become IV-E reimbursable again (if all other
IV-E requirements are met).
4. Consider it a new placement episode if a child returns to foster care after six months,
after the court authorized time period for a trial home visit or after the custody order has
expired. Consequently, new judicial determinations of contrary to the welfare and
reasonable efforts are required in addition to a new (initial) application.
Whenever a IV-E eligible minor child in care gives birth, the SSCM will:
1. Notify the RMS via a NOC in Georgia SHINES. The SSCM must indicate whether the
minor parent and child are in the same placement and whether DFCS has obtained
custody of the child;
2. Determine if a petition for custody of the child is needed or if the minor parent can
continue to exercise legal responsibility for the child;
3. Assist the minor parent with applying for Medicaid for the child if DFCS leaves the minor
parent and child in the same placement without obtaining custody of the newborn child.
a. The Medicaid application will be faxed to the appropriate RMS;
b. Notify the RMS that the Medicaid application is for the child of a minor parent in
DFCS custody;
c. Complete the Person Detail for the child in the minor mothers case in Georgia
SHINES;
4. Complete an initial Medicaid and IV-E Foster Care Application on behalf of the child if the
decision is made to obtain custody of the child. (See policy 9.2 Eligibility: Applying for
Medical Services at Initial Entry and Exit and 9.3 Eligibility: Applying for Initial Funding)
NOTE: If the minor parent is IV-B (not IV-E eligible), the costs of placement of the minor
parents child with the minor parent cannot be claimed unless the child enters DFCS custody
and the child is determined IV-E eligible.
If a Georgia IV-E child is placed out-of-state through the Interstate Compact on the
Placement of Children (ICPC), (See policy 15.2: Interstate Compact on the Placement of
Children: Placement of Georgia Children into Other States) the SSCM will:
1. Complete all required information in Georgia SHINES.
2. Send a NOC via SHINES to the RMS to notify them of the childs placement out-of-state.
3. Obtain verification from the RMS of the childs continuing IV-E eligibility. The RMS will
update the placement in SUCCESS and close the Georgia Medicaid case.
4. Notify the receiving state of the childs IV-E foster care status and provide them with
verification.
5. Provide instructions to the out-of-state placement provider for obtaining Medicaid in the
receiving state.
If an out-of-state IV-E child is placed in Georgia through ICPC, (See policy 15.3 Interstate
Compact on the Placement of Children: Placement of Children from Other States into
Georgia/Georgia Receiving State), the SSCM will:
1. Complete a Medicaid Application in a Non-Incident Foster Care Child (FCC) stage for the
ICPC IV-E foster child (determined IV-E by the sending state).
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2. Submit the Medicaid Application to the Revenue Maximization Unit (Rev Max) for
processing in SUCCESS
3. Provide Rev Max the following verifications:
a.
Child is receiving IV-E foster care per diem from the sending state;
b.
Child is currently in Georgia in an approved foster care placement;
c.
Child is under the age of 18;
d.
Childs social security number;
e.
Childs foster home address.
If a Georgia Title IV-B child is placed out-of-state through ICPC, the SSCM will:
1. Complete all required information and updates in Georgia SHINES.
2. Send a NOC via Georgia SHINES to the RMS to notify them of the childs placement outof-state.
3. Notify the receiving state of the childs Title IV-B status.
4. Discuss medical options with the childs placement provider and determine if there is an
out-of-state medical provider willing to become a Georgia Medicaid provider.
NOTE: The legal State of the child in foster care is responsible for any costs for a child that is
determined to be IV-B (not IV-E eligible).
PRACTICE GUIDANCE
Trial Home Visit
A trial home visit refers to the circumstance when a child in DFCS custody returns to the home
from which he or she was removed for a period of time designated by the Juvenile Court. The
length of the visit is set by the court, but must be less then six months in order not to adversely
affect a childs IV-E eligibility/reimbursability. DFCS retains legal custody for the duration of a
trial home visit. During a trial home visit, a IV-E eligible child continues to have IV-E Medicaid.
However, the child is never eligible to continue receiving IV-E payments when residing in the
home of the parent. Parents cannot be paid a per diem for caring for their own children.
Minor Parent
When a minor mother in foster care gives birth to a child, DFCS should consider the age,
capabilities and desires of the minor parent to care for the baby if the two are residing together
in the same placement. The child shall remain in the custody of his or her minor parent, unless
it is otherwise determined that the minor parents protective capacities place the child in
imminent danger of serious harm and the placement resources protective capacities are not
sufficient to mitigate the risk of harm.
The Title IV-E program allows for states to claim reimbursement for the cost of an infant living in
the same placement of his/her minor parent. (See policy 9.1 Eligibility: Foster Care
Maintenance Payments) This provision does not require DFCS to obtain custody of the child.
The added cost of care for the child living in the same placement as his or her minor parent is
reimbursed through the minor parents IV-E status. Only one payment is made to the placement
provider.
Good practice suggests that a minor parents case plan include the needs of their child and that
these needs are addressed during the periodic reviews and permanency hearings held on behalf

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of the minor parent. (See 3.2 Legal: Case Reviews and Permanency Hearings)
If the child of a minor parent is ever removed and placed apart from his or her parent, judicial
placement authority must be obtained by DFCS. The infant would be entered into Georgia
SHINES as a foster child and a Medicaid and IV-E Application for Foster Care would have to be
submitted to Rev Max. If the issues requiring the removal from his/her minor parent in care are
addressed and the court sanctions reunification, the child may be placed in the same placement
as the minor parent and not lose IV-E eligibility or reimbursability.
FORMS AND TOOLS
N/A

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