Ky.gov
Effective: 6/15/2018

12.28 Respite Expenses

Legal Authority

Introduction

Respite care is available for every child in foster family care except those in temporary emergency shelter placements. The purpose of respite care is to provide relief to foster parents who are meeting the extraordinary demands of children in out-of-home care.​​​

Practice Guidance

  • All foster/adoptive home parents are eligible for one day of reimbursed respite care per child, per month, which is included in the per diem. 
  • For the convenience of the foster/adoptive home parents, the one day of respite may be used as a twenty-four (24) hour period of time or divided into hourly portions.
  • Foster/adoptive home parents of medically complex and care plus children are eligible for two (2) additional days of respite care per child per month.
  • Billing Specialists pay for these additional days when processing the board payments from the Foster Parent Invoice as submitted monthly.    
  • Foster/adoptive home pare​nts of specialized medically complex children are eligible for three (3) additional days of respite care per child per month.
  • Billing specialists pay for these additional days when processing the board payments from the Foster Parent Invoice/Billing Statement as submitted monthly. 
  • Special approval letters are not required for payment of these additional respite days, however, a receipt signed by the provider must be attached to the Foster Parent Billing Invoice to receive reimbursement.
  • The R&C worker may request extended respite care for a foster/adoptive home, for up to fourteen (14) days, with written approval of the SRA, when there is a family need or other emergency (illness, death in the family, etc.) with appropriate documentation from the SRA as outline in SOP 12.12 Respite Care.
  • Respite care is reimbursed at the per diem rate of the child and may not exceed the per diem rate established.  
  • Foster/adoptive parents are responsible for reimbursing their respite care providers. ​



Procedure

Documents

Revisions