Transcript Slide 1
Families First: Supporting Relatives Raising Children MFWCCA Conference October 9, 2008
Improving lives of grandparents, other relatives and the children they are raising.
Topics
• Information/knowledge gap. • Caregiver issues about talking to the financial and county workers • Why more caregivers don’t apply for child only grant • MKCA resources
MKCA’s Statewide Kinship Network
• MKCA • Coordinates statewide kinship program • Develop programs • Advocacy • Legislative agenda • Trainings • Outreach • Collaboration • Supervision • Workshops, conferences • Education • Network of Regional Service Agencies (RSAs) • Direct service • Support groups • Education • Family activities • Information • Referral • Mentoring • Counseling • Disability advocacy
Statewide Kinship Network
6 Northern Reservations MN Chippewa Tribe AAA Vera Brown [email protected]
Fran King [email protected]
1-888-231-7886 Arc Greater Twin Cities Grandparent Connection Janet Salo 952-920-0755 [email protected]
Assists with disabilities Metro + surrounding co.
GrandFamily Connection Linda Hammersten 612-879-5307 [email protected]
Orapan Footrakoon 612-879-5351 [email protected]
Village Family Service KinCare Counseling Troy Weber-Brown 320-253-5930 [email protected]
Offers counseling
Statewide Kinship Network
NE MN Region AEOA-ROCK Program Teresa Harvey 1-800-662-5711 218-748-7354 ext. 276 [email protected]
SE MN Region Grandparents, Parenting Again Carma Bjornson 1-800-462-1660 [email protected]
NW MN Region Child Care Resource Bonnie DeVore 1-800-450-1385 218-732-7204 [email protected]
SW MN Region Child Care Choices Crystal Hoernemann 1-800-288-8549 ext.18
The Dagwood Generation: Not just a plain sandwich, but… Raising relative children, concerned about their own children, worried about elderly parents and grandparents.
Kinship Caregiver Issues
• When your child can ’ t parent • Fear for grandchild • Child support • Don ’ t rock the boat • Coping • Grief, loss, anger, pain, resentment, stress, insecurity, attachment • Who can I talk to?
• Tired-respite • Pain • Parenting doubts • Different world • Where to get help • Stigma • Social isolation
Attitudes
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “Will I be judged because my child can’t parent?”
What Caregivers Need
• Respect • Respite • Resources
These caregivers are real-life safety nets, keeping the children they love safe and their families together when birth parents are unable to parent.
First Steps: Getting Started Raising
Relatives' Children, a resource guide full of practical information and suggestions has been developed for grandparents and others raising relatives' children and children of friends.
MKCA Legal Steps Video…on sale soon.
Legal Steps provides basic information on how to get the legal authority to make decisions for a child, how to get legal custody of a child and the benefits and services available to help care for a child.
Minnesota Kinship Caregivers Association Contact Information 161 St. Anthony Ave, Suite 940 St. Paul, MN 55103 651-917-4640 [email protected]
Sharon J. Durken
Executive Director 651-917-4642
MFIP Child Only Assistance
Jill Hillebregt
DHS Income Maintenance Program Advisor
MFIP Child Only Grants:
Relative Caregivers are optional assistance unit members Relative caregivers who receive DWP or MFIP for themselves are expected to work Children who are eligible for MFIP receive the regular Transitional Standard Children who receive foster care or adoption assistance are not eligible for MFIP
MFIP Child Only Grants:
Caregiver must provide proof of relationship if there is no order of custody Income and assets of the relative caregiver are not counted (child only grant) Only relatives who receive MFIP for themselves are eligible for MFIP child care
MFIP Child Only Grants:
Relatives that do not receive assistance themselves can apply for BSF child care Relative caregivers must cooperate with the Child Support Enforcement Agency (unless there is good cause) Relatives who accept a child placed by the county for foster care are eligible for foster care payments Relatives may be eligible for Relative Custody Assistance (RCA) and MFIP at the same time
Minnesota’s Child Only Program* Caseload and Payment Projections *Family Self-Sufficiency and Health Care Program Statistics, August 2008
Family Composition of MFIP Child only Cases, December 2006* 6000 5000 5974 5005 4000 3000 2000 1423 1000 0 Rel. Care SSI Parent 209 Non citizen MFIP Disq 19 Other Inelig
*Taken from the PAID report, “Characteristics of December 2006 Minnesota Family Assistance Programs: Cases and Eligible Adults.”
Average Child Only Assistance Payment*:
* MFIP Trends Report, July 2007
MFIP Child Only Assistance Brochure (DHS-5561)
Jill Hillebregt
Income Maintenance Program Advisor Instructional Design Training Team MN Department of Human Services 651/431-4021 or [email protected]
How Does Child Support Factor into the mix?
•
IV-A Determines if a referral is necessary
•
Non IV-A parties can apply for service
•
Full services will be provided (except child only MA)
Services Provided
Location of absent parents
Establishing paternity
Setting a child support order
Enforcing the child support order
What are the benefits to establishing paternity?
Establishing paternity secures a legal father for the child
Social Security Benefits
Vetran’s Benefits
Inheritance Rights
Questions?
Contact: Child Support Information line: (651) 431-4199 or (800) 657-3954
Cindy Steinberg, DHS CSED [email protected]
218 832 3875
Foster care
Deborah Beske Brown
DHS Child Safety and Permanency
Family First County Social Service Agencies
County Social Services Agencies engage relatives to meet the child’s need for safety, permanency and wellbeing.
What is Foster Care?
• 24 hour substitute care • Child is placed away from the parent • Social Service Agency has placement and care responsibilities [MN Statute 260C.007, subd.18]
Informal arrangements between family members is
not
foster care.
Why are Children Placed in Foster Care?
• Child protection • Child welfare • Child's treatment needs • Corrections
Relatives can request foster care
.
• Child protection report • County has placed the child in the home per voluntary agreement or court order. [MN Rules, part 9560.0665, subpart 1]
Combined Application
Includes a referral for social services.
Social Services can help a relative caregiver with: • Concerns about the child’s safety • Behavior problems • Child’s physical disabilities • Child’s mental health
Deborah Beske Brown
Child Foster Care Program Consultant Minnesota Department of Human Services Child Safety and Permanency Division phone: (651) 431- 4731 e-mail: [email protected]
.us
Relative Custody Assistance
PajDaj Chang
Department of Human Services Child Safety and Permanency
What is Relative Custody Assistance?
Minnesota Statute 257.85
Support for relatives who accept a transfer of permanent legal and physical custody of a child in foster care through state or tribal courts
Eligibility criteria for RCA
Issuance (or expected issuance) of a determination by juvenile court that a child placed in foster care cannot be returned to the home of the parent(s); Issuance (or expected issuance) of a court order to transfer permanent legal and physical custody of a child to a relative custodian, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 260C.201, subdivision 11; and Child is a member of a sibling group being placed together or the child has a physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral disability that will require financial support.
Transfer of permanent legal and physical custody?
This permanency disposition is ordered in lieu of [prior to] TPR.
Custody and guardianship are not used interchangeably in Minnesota, though these words may mean the same thing in other states.
If a court has terminated parental rights of both parents [or the only known living or
legal parent] and transferred guardianship to the commissioner, custody may no
longer be transferred through a TPLPC.
TPLPC : legal implications on a child and family
Birth parent does not lose all legal rights
child support order continues
access to information
Birth parent may petition court to regain custody
Legal relationship until child turns 18
Inheritance through birth family
Financial benefits
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant, known as Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
Relative Custody Assistance
Medical Assistance
Financial benefits
Monthly Basic Maintenance Needs Payment Ages 0-5 $247 Ages 6-11 $277 Ages 12-14 $307 Ages 15-17 $337
Financial benefits
Monthly Supplemental Level Payment* Level I $150 Level II $275 Level III $400 Level IV $500 * Only available to children with a diagnosed physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral disability that requires care, supervision, and structure beyond that ordinarily provided in a family setting to children of the same age.
Important notes
Relative Custody Assistance is means tested for those relatives whose gross family income, including income of the children whom they have accepted custody, exceeds 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Relative Custody Assistance assumes that the family will apply for a MFIP child-only grant. The amount of the MFIP child-only grant is subtracted from the total maximum assistance rate of the Relative Custody Assistance payment from the county.
In addition, any income of the child (including SSI payments, veteran benefits or child support payments made on behalf of the child) is subtracted from the total maximum assistance rate of Relative Custody Assistance payment that a family receives for the child.
RCA forms on SSIS
Agreement SSIS 209
Worksheet SSIS 210
Supplemental SSIS 211
Notice of Modification SSIS 212
Notice of Termination SSIS 213
Annual Affidavit SSIS 214
Contact
PajDaj Chang Adoption Assistance Program Advisor Minnesota Department of Human Services Child Safety and Permanency Division phone: (651) 431- 4718 e-mail: [email protected]
Thank You!
Families First: Supporting Relatives Raising Children MFWCAA October 9, 2008