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Old July 14th 03, 08:58 PM
Doug
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Default Database should audit high $$ in Foster Care system

"Kane" writes:

All children in foster care are by definition "special needs." Get
your terms correct.


Hi, Kane!

Absolutely not. Many children in foster care do not qualify for the
specific determination of "special needs."

"Special needs" is a specific term defined by federal childwelfare statutes,
state law, and agency protocols across all fifty states. The term has very
specific meaning and is intertwined throughout child welfare practice.
"Special needs" is a term so central to child welfare practice it is
virtually inconceivable that someone with even superficial contact with the
system would not be aware of it.
In fact, the primary reason for the terminlogy is to make distinctions among
individuals within the foster care system, many foster kids are not special
needs at all.

In many states the population you are referring to
are designated, "special rates," meaning they have extraordinary needs
for supervision and attendance over and above what most foster
children require.


I have never heard of the term, "special rates." However, the population
that the writer refers to would be designated by the federally defined,
specific term, "special needs."

It is crucial in our discussions about child welfare that we attempt to use
terminlogy correctly. Otherwise, readers can be severely mislead. Could it
be that, in your enthusiasm to derate another member of this newsgroup with
a lecture on terminlogy that you juxaposed the terminlogy yourself. Could
you really mean, "special needs" rather than "special rates."?

In the case of this particular term, readers seeking to adopt would be
seriously mislead by your misinformation, Kane. "Special needs" is a
criteria used to determine adoption subsidies.

Usually "special rates" are connected to medical needs though some
firesetters, or children with severe deviant behaviors that would
endanger themselves or others can qualify...rare though. Usually the
foster parent just has to take on the load of these latter kids
without extra compensation...though it costs the fp in time and monies
to care for them.


Again, I have never heard of the term "special rates." However, the state
does receive additional funding for "special needs" kids in foster care.
That increase in funding is not, of course, passed on to foster caregivers.
States go through considerable effort to try to qualify kids taken into
state custody as "special needs" kids precisely because they want the
additional funding. In a mental illness diagnosis was attributed to the
"firesetting" in your narrative above, it could be a criteria to determining
the child to be "special NEEDS." Behaviors is not the focal point -- mental
illness, physical disabilities, members of sibling groups, and racial
factors are. This is what the writer to whom you respond was trying to tell
you.

The federal statutory definations and criteria for "special needs" children
can be found in the Social Security Act - sections 473(a) and (c) and more
definitively at 45 CFR 1356.40-41. (You do know how to access the Registry,
right?) See also 45 CFR 233.50 for newest revisions to defining "special
needs" foster children and corresponding impact on RATES paid for foster
care based upon this determination.

As you can see, "special needs" is a very specific, legally defined term
used to categorize individuals within the foster care population and
directly applicable to determining adoption subidies for foster children.
The contributor to which you reply, Kane, was using the terminlogy
correctly.

Generally, the conditions necessary for a child to be declared "special
needs" are that he or she (in Connecticut):
--have a physical, intellectual or emotional handicap
--is over the age of eight
--is a member of a sibling group that needs to be placed together
--has racial or ethnic factors which are a barrier to adoption

We can take a look at how the specific term, "special needs," applies to
readers seeking to adopt in Maryland:

The foster child must meet the "special needs" requirement, which in
Maryland, is defined as any one of the following:
Age six or older after November 1984 or 2 years old prior to November 1984;

A Member of a minority race;

A Member of a sibling group;

Physically or mentally handicapped or emotionally disturbed;

Child with a high risk of physical or mental disease.

As of June 1999, 8,072 children were eligible and reimbursable for Title
IV-E foster care and subsidized adoption. This represents 60.5% of the total
active foster care population in Maryland.

In Maryland and Connecticut, like all other states, "special needs" is
defined by state statutory language that meets federally mandated wording.
The wording is usually almost identical to federal criteria, except for age
of child, where the states vary.

To find out more about the specific criteria of "special needs," you may
wish to check the child welfare practice manual published by USDHHS, ACF.
Or you can simply do a search on google of "special needs and foster care."

Many times the extreme health needs of the child would require
hospitalization were it not for trained professionals (often retired
pediatric or other nurses) who do indeed get paid for their
professional expertise...at a considerable saving over
hospitaliazation rates..



In some states, these folks are called "career foster providers." In most
states, they are trained at level III. In all states that I am aware,
candidates for level III care do not have to be retired or active nurses or
trained professionals. They generally do have to be qualified at level I
and II prior to applying, however. And, yes, they make considerably more
money that foster caregivers at the other levels.

If an agency is placing children who should be hospitialized with level III
foster caregivers, they are doing the child a tremendous disservice. Such a
placement would make the agency directly liable for malpractice.

Kane, I would urge you to inform yourself of current child welfare law and
policy.