CHILD WELFARE MANUAL

Attachment C – Other Agency Use of Adoption Subsidy

In addition to children in the custody of the Children’s Division, children in custody of the following agencies are eligible to receive benefits through the Missouri Adoption Subsidy Program:

  • Division of Youth Services (DYS);
  • Department of Mental Health (DMH); and
  • Private child-placing agencies, licensed in accordance with Sections 210.481 – 210.536 RSMo.

    In situations where a Missouri child is being adopted through a Missouri private child-placing agency, and the adoptive parent’s state of residence is not Missouri it is the adoptive parents’ state of residence where the adoption assistance application should be made. In that event, the public child welfare agency in the adoptive parents’ state of residence is responsible for determining whether the child meets the definition of special needs, entering into the adoption assistance agreement and paying the subsidy, consistent with the way public benefits are paid in other programs (ACYF-CB-PA-01-01/January 23, 2001).

    If this child is not determined to be IV-E eligible, this policy does not apply, and the Missouri Children’s Division will be responsible for assisting in the adoption subsidy process

    Children adopted internationally are not eligible for the Missouri Adoption Subsidy Program or for the payment of nonrecurring expenses.

All requirements in this procedure apply in the use of the program for a child in the custody of one of the above three agencies. The Division approves the agreement and administers payment according to the terms of the agreement. Coordination between these agencies and the Division will be needed to assure the eligible child receives all appropriate services.

Special needs children, known to other agencies, who are not eligible for the Missouri Adoption Subsidy Program, may be eligible for payment of nonrecurring adoption expenses.

In the coordination needed to make this service available, it is generally expected that, except for the Division’s final approval, the other agency will carry out, with families approved by them, all interpretation of the program and processing of forms related to the program and any prior authorizations required for the expenditure of funds. County/circuit offices will be expected to provide assistance, as needed, to the agency and to approve, as required, the expenditure of adoption subsidy funds. In making this program accessible to children in the custody of these agencies, Division county/circuit offices should apply the following guidelines:

  1. Other agencies shall have the responsibility for:
    1. Interpretation of the program including its benefits and limitations to adoptive families approved by them;
    2. Processing the Application for Adoption Subsidy CD APP AD, and the Adoption Subsidy Agreement CD AD, except for the required Division signatures and approval process;
    3. Interpreting the requirements for payment of nonrecurring adoption expenses when a special needs child is not eligible for the Missouri Adoption Subsidy Program (MASP);
    4. Processing the Application and Agreement for Payment of Nonrecurring Adoption Expenses CS-SA-4, and forwarding to the Division for the required signatures;
    5. Yearly contact with the families to insure the best services are being provided to families and children; as well as completing any amendments to the subsidy agreement for the addition of new services.
    6. Bringing to the attention of the Division county/circuit office any information which could result in a change in the payment amount or type of benefit and preparing revised forms CS-SA-1, 1A, and 2 and distribution of the CS-SA-3, as needed;
    7. Maintenance of records regarding the use of the program; and
    8. Working with the county/circuit office located in the residence of the adoptive family.
  2. County/Circuit offices will be responsible for:
    1. Approval and use of any subsidy made for a child in the custody of another agency;
    2. Approval of the CS-SA-4 if the child and adoptive parent(s) are eligible only for payment of nonrecurring adoption expenses;
    3. Assisting, as needed, in the completion of the Adoption Subsidy Agreement, CD AD, and any necessary amendments and the Application and Agreement for Payment of Nonrecurring Adoption Expenses, CS-SA-4;
    4. Completion of the Alternative Care Client Information screen in FACES for the adopted child and the Vendor Licensure/Placement Resource Form, for the adoptive parent(s) when the CS-SA-2 is used;

      It is not necessary to complete these forms when the child is eligible only for nonrecurring adoption expenses.

      For children eligible only for nonrecurring adoption expenses, the completed Children’s Services Integrated Payment System (CSIPS), CS-65, must be submitted to the Children’s Services Payment Unit (CSPU) to authorize payment.

    5. Maintenance of records regarding the use of the Missouri Adoption Subsidy Program and the use of nonrecurring adoption expenses when the child is only eligible for these expenses;
    6. Assisting, as needed, in the completion of forms authorizing payment of benefits (CS-65, and Alternative Care Information screen in FACES);
    7. Assisting, as needed, in the completion of forms related to the authorization of contracted services (SEAS Request and Eligibility Form, CS-67 and SEAS Authorization Form, CS-67A), and assuring correctness of the Services Eligibility and Authorization Provider invoice (CS-65A) for payment submitted by providers and submitting the CS-65A to the local Children’s Division office responsible for processing payments;
    8. Assisting, as needed, in the interpretation of the program to the staff of the other agency and the adoptive families making use of the Missouri Adoption Subsidy Program (MASP) or payment of nonrecurring adoption expenses only;
    9. Review of the material submitted by the other agency to assure eligibility of the child and compliance with requirements for:
      1. MASP, and
      2. Payment of nonrecurring adoption expenses only.

      Additional information should be obtained from the agency when needed.

    10. Entry of appropriate data in the automated payment systems according to the terms of the Agreement and assurance that receipts, as required, have been submitted.
    11. Insuring that children in the custody of private child-placing agencies have their eligibility for IV-E Adoption Subsidy funds determined by an Eligibility Specialist within the Children’s Division.

Payment for children eligible for MASP is authorized through the use of the Alternative Care Client Information screen in FACES and the Children’s Services Integrated Payment System Invoice (CS-65). Contracted services are authorized and payment made through the CS-67 and CS-67A. Payment for nonrecurring expenses approved in a CS-SA-4 is authorized through the use of the CS-65, Children’s Services Integrated Payment Invoice. The instructions for these forms include action to take for children in the custody of private child-placing agencies, DYS, DMH, and those eligible only for payment on nonrecurring adoption expenses.

Should an eligible MASP child, in the custody of DYS, DMH, or a private agency, be placed with a Division approved adoptive family, processing the initial agreement should be a cooperative effort. The review and subsequent renegotiation of the agreement is the responsibility of the Division’s county/circuit office in the county/circuit of the adoptive parent(s)’s residence.

Related Subject:  Section 4 Chapter 11 Financial Support PlanningForms and Instructions

Chapter Memoranda History: (prior to 1/31/07)

Memoranda History: