Review of Title IV-E Foster Care Costs Claimed on Behalf of Delinquent Children in Los Angeles County, California

摘要

Title IV-E of the Social Security Act (the Act), as amended, authorizes Federal funds for States to provide foster care for children under an approved State plan. Section 472(a) of the Act establishes Title IV-E foster care eligibility requirements, such as the childs age, deprivation of parental support or care, and judicial determination that remaining in the home would be contrary to the childs welfare. For children who meet these requirements, Federal funds are available to States for maintenance payments, administrative costs, and training costs. In California, the Department of Social Services (the State agency) supervises the 58 county welfare departments that administer the Title IV-E foster care program. In Los Angeles County, the Department of Children and Family Services (the county agency) administers the foster care program. The county agency has an agreement with the Los Angeles County Probation Department that specifies this department as the responsible agency for Los Angeles County delinquent children placed in foster care. A delinquent child is a child who is adjudicated a ward of the court either because of the childs incorrigible behavior or because of acts committed by the child that would be considered criminal if committed by an adult. The county agency determines the Title IV-E eligibility of children and submits claims to the State agency for reimbursement of maintenance payments, administrative costs, and training costs on behalf of delinquent children placed in foster care. The State agency submits claims to the Federal Government for the county agencys costs and is reimbursed the Federal share. For Federal fiscal years (FY) 2005 and 2006 (October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2006), the State agency claimed 83 million (Federal share) on behalf of Los Angeles County delinquent children, including maintenance payments of 36 million and associated administrative costs of $47 million for case planning and management. Our objective was to determine whether the State agency claimed Title IV-E maintenance payments and associated administrative costs on behalf of Los Angeles County delinquent children in accordance with certain Federal requirements.