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Title IV-E Foster Care Program

Title IV-E Foster Care Program

The Federal Foster Care Program helps to provide safe and stable out-of-home care for children until the children are safely returned home, placed permanently with adoptive families or placed in other planned arrangements for permanency. The program is authorized by title IV-E of the Social Security Act, as amended, and implemented under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 45 CFR parts 1355, 1356, and 1357. It is an annually appropriated program with specific eligibility requirements and fixed allowable uses of funds. Funding is awarded by formula as an open-ended entitlement grant and is contingent upon an approved title IV-E plan to administer or supervise the administration of the program.

Michigan's Title IV-E State Plan 03/09/2017

State Plan Amendment PI 23-10 4.24 03/28/2024

Michigan’s Title IV-E State Plan Amendment 10/15/2021

Michigan's Title IV-E State Plan Amendment 10/15/2018

Michigan's Title IV-E State Plan Amendment 05/02/2019

Michigan's Title IV-E State Plan Amendment 02/28/2020

Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews

The regulatory reviews of the foster care program focus on whether a child meets title IV-E eligibility requirements for foster care maintenance payments. Just as in the child and family services reviews, the review team comprises Federal and State representatives who examine cases for Federal eligibility requirements, such as the following:

  • A court order confirming the need to remove the child from the home
  • A court order confirming the State's reasonable efforts to preserve the family, when it is safe to do so, and to finalize a permanency plan
  • A valid agreement for the child voluntarily placed in foster care and a court order authorizing continued placement
  • Completed criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents
  • Compliance with safety requirements for child-care institutions
  • Licensed foster care providers
  • Needs-based test to confirm the child's eligibility
  • State responsibility for placement and care of the child

A payment disallowance is taken for all cases that fail to meet Federal eligibility requirements. If a State fails in more than a specific percentage of cases, it is considered not in substantial compliance with the Federal foster care program requirements. States that do not achieve substantial compliance will develop Program Improvement Plans; then a secondary review is conducted. After the secondary review, if the State is not in substantial compliance then, a larger disallowance is assessed on the basis of the State's total foster care population during the period under review.