Finding 571928 (2024-001)

Finding: Allowable Activities & Allowable Costs and Eligibility (Reference Number: 2024-001) Criteria or Specific Requirement: Funds may be expended for foster care maintenance payments on behalf of eligible children, in accordance with the Title IV-E agency’s foster care maintenance payment rate schedule and in accordance with 45 CFR section 1356.21, to individuals serving as foster family homes, to childcare institutions, or public/private child-placement or child-care agencies. In accordance with Code of Colorado Regulations (CCR) section 7.302.2, for each child, Jefferson County Human Services (JCHS) must have an agreement with the provider which details the daily maintenance payments. JCHS agreement to purchase services must be signed by the provider and JCHS. Additionally, in accordance with CCR section 7.301.3, the Family Services Plan shall be reviewed in conference with the caseworker and supervisor every 90 calendar days. Condition: • Two instances out of 40 where there was no signed agreement in place to support revised maintenance payments following a child’s 9th birthday. The correct maintenance amount was paid to the provider in accordance with the State of Colorado rates published in IM-CW–2024-0028 and IM-CW-2023-0021. • One instance out of 40 where the required 90-day review was not completed on time. The review was conducted 15 days late. Cause: The state's Foster Care system did not automatically generate a notice that a new agreement to purchase services was needed based on the child's birthday. Additionally, JCHS lacks an effective control mechanism to proactively identify when a 90-day review is approaching or overdue. Corrective Action Plan: We agree with the finding. The Integrated Case Management System (ICM) is designed to generate an email notification to Collaborative Foster Care Program (CFCP) staff when a child turns 9 or 14 years of age while in foster care. This email notification instructs CFCP staff to generate a new Child Specific Addendum (SS23-B) due to the increase of the child maintenance rate. This email instructs and standard procedure requires CFCP staff to verify the child maintenance rate in Trails after an SS23-B is generated. The IT Systems Support Team responsible for the maintenance of ICM determined that ICM has failed to notify CFCP staff when a child turned 9 or 14 years of age while in foster care: • The IT Systems Support Team responsible for the maintenance of ICM has been asked to ensure that ICM is generating an email notification when a child turns 9 or 14 years of age while in foster care. • While this issue is being addressed in ICM, the CFCP requested a report that included the birthdays for all children in foster care. CFCP staff have generated new Child Specific Addendums (SS23-B) for children that have turned 9 or 14 years old while in foster care. CFCP staff will utilize this report to generate new Child Specific Addendums for future birthdays. • After a new Child Specific Addendum is generated, staff will verify the child maintenance rate in Trails. • The CFCP has determined that it can no longer rely on ICM and has decided to migrate its functionality over to the ancillary system supported by Jefferson County known as the Caseworker Application Timesaver (CAT). With this migration, the email notifications will resume so that CFCP staff are properly notified of the need to generate the new SS23-B and verify the child maintenance rate. • Migration is scheduled to occur on Friday, June 20, 2025. • On Monday, June 23, 2025, the CFCP will meet with the Jefferson County Application Program Analyst to ensure the migration was successful. • Additionally, the CFCP and the Jefferson County Application Program Analyst have scheduled a second meeting for July 9, 2025, to ensure the successful migration from ICM to CAT. • To ensure 90-Day Reviews are completed timely, the Division of Children, Youth, Families, and Adult Protection (CYFAP) will continue to utilize the 90-Day Review compliance feature of CAT. Additionally, CYFAP leadership will emphasize this requirement with supervisors and casework staff and ensure their compliance. Person(s) Responsible for Implementation: Barb Weinstein, Director, Division of Children, Youth, Families and Adult Protection Implementation Date: July 1, 2025