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Effective: 7/31/2026

G3.3 In Home and Prevention Service Title IV-E Claiming

Legal Authority

Introduction

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There are two types of Title IV-E claiming for children receiving in-home services. These procedures allow the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) to submit claims for federal reimbursement under Title IV-E of costs associated with providing these in-home services to children and families. 

Practice Guidance

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States have long been able to claim “traditional candidates for foster care” for administrative costs under Title IV-E. These costs are established through the Random Moment Time Study (RMTS) as described in SOP G​3.14. These traditional candidates for foster care must have a defined case plan clearly indicating that, absent effective preventive services, foster care is the planned arrangement for the child.

With the enactment of the Family First Prevention Services Act in 2018, states may now also submit claims for federal reimbursement under Title IV-E for “prevention candidates for foster care” who meet certain requirements. Under the Family First Prevention Services Act candidate claiming, DCBS may seek reimbursement for both administrative costs and for the cost of evidence-based prevention services that are included in the state’s Title IV-E prevention services plan. These typically include services through the Family Preservation and Reunification Services, START, and KSTEP.  

Often, children being served in-home will meet the definitions of both traditional and prevention candidates for foster care. However, states may only claim for one (1) type of candidacy. In these situations, it is important to follow procedures to ensure that all documentation is present when claiming prevention services, as this is typically the costliest when the child and family are receiving an evidence-based prevention practice in the home.  

Evidence-based prevention practices may not be claimed while a child is in out-of-home care, but may be claimed upon return home if the child is no longer in the custody of the Cabinet and all other requirements have been met.  

Procedure

For In-home claiming for traditional candidates for foster care, the SSW:

  1. ​Ensures the case plan is being written to identify and provide services designed to prevent removal of the child(ren) and that absent preventive services, placement in foster care is the planned arrangement for the child, pursuant to (472)(i)(2) of the Social Security Act IV-E Candidate Claiming.
  2. Follows the procedures below for prevention service claiming if the child and family have been referred for preventive services through Family Preservation, KSTEP, or START, and an evidence-based practice has been selected​ for the child.   

For Title IV-E Prevention Service Claiming the SSW:

  1.  Determines eligibility by:
    1. Identifying the child(ren) as a candidate for foster care by determining:
      1. The child's safety is at risk or will be at risk in the immediate future without intervention, and the safety issues can be mitigated with the selection and use of child-specific, evidence-based intervention; or
      2. The child has recently been reunified, and services to the family will mitigate identified risks, preventing further maltreatment and entry into care.  
    2. Reviewing and identifying an appropriate evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention to mitigate risk; and
    3. Selecting candidacy redetermination, via the selection on the case plan, when the need for services extends beyond twelve (12) months.
  2. Documents eligibility and the family’s prevention strategy by:
    1. Completing the Prevention Services Referral Form in TWIST, identifying the candidate, the identified risk factors, and EBP interventions to mitigate risk factors;
    2. Completing the DPP-1281 Family Case Plan, documenting the date of candidacy, candidate, prevention strategy (selected EBP), and the date of the prevention strategy (date of referral approval); and
    3. Updating the EBP intervention via a modified case plan, if provider staff identify a second or multiple interventions or a change in intervention.
  3. Ends eligibility by:
    1. Selecting a candidacy end date in TWIST, under preventative services and in the case plan when:
      1. A candidate has entered foster care; 1
      2. The family has successfully completed services; or
      3. The family's services were terminated unsuccessfully.




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Documents

Revisions