The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) developed this Eligibility Manual For Child Welfare Programs to provide social services districts with up-to-date, accurate guidance and requirements for determining eligibility for federal funding of child welfare programs. The manual is designed to contain all relevant policy materials and procedural information for determining and authorizing eligibility, and for encoding the State's information systems that will lead to appropriate federal claiming of funding for programmatic and administrative expenses.

The following documents are available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. You can download and install the Adobe Reader for free.

• Overview
• Chapter One-A, Title IV-E Eligibility Foster Care Revised: October 1, 2010
• Chapter One-B, Title IV-E Eligibility Adoption Revised: October 1, 2010
• Chapter Two, TANF-EAF Eligibility
• Chapter Three, Title XX Below 200% Eligibility
• Chapter Four, Medicaid
• Glossary (under development)
• Title IVE and TANF EAF Eligibility Documentation Desk Aid
• Redetermination Eligibility Documentation Desk Aid
• Adoption Eligibility Documentation Desk Aid
• Appendix A: Checklists
  • Initial Foster Child Eligibility Checklist (LDSS-4809 ) Revised: October 1, 2010
  • Re-Entry Into Foster Care for Youth Age 18 and Over Eligibility Checklist (LDSS-4415) Revised: November, 2010)
  • Re-determination of Title IV-E Eligibility Checklist (Foster Care) (LDSS-4810) Revised: October 1, 2010
  • Family Eligibility Checklist (LDSS-4811)
  • Adoption Assistance Eligibility Checklist (LDSS-3912) Revised: October 1, 2010
• Appendix B: Reference Material for Checklists
  • Policy Interpretation Question (PIQ) Qualified Alien (ACYF-CB-PIQ-99-01)
  • Immigration Status List
  • Determining a Specified Relative
  • Adoption Definitions
  • 200% of Poverty Income Standards Revised: 05/07
  • SSI Benefit Levels Chart
  • LDSS-2642 Documentation Requirements New: 06/07
• Appendix C: State and Local Directives
  • 03-OCFS LCM-20, Title IV-E Special Project Revenue Maximization, November 5, 2003
  • Title IV-E State Plan Amendment Letter
  • 01-OCFS LCM-09, PINS/JD Placements and Title IV-E Reimbursement, August 15, 2001
  • 00-OCFS ADM-3, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Eligibility, Data Reporting and Claiming Requirements for Foster Care Cases, July 13, 2000
  • 94-OCFS LCM-52, Implementation of Emergency Assistance to Families (EAF) in Child Welfare, May 11, 1994
  • A Guide to SSI and Social Security Benefits for Children and Youth in Out-of Home Care, Casey Family Programs National Center for Resource Family Support, 2001

Questions and Answers on Eligibility

There have been questions raised from the trainings and local social services district on eligibility. The questions and answers are organized by the following topics:

• Title IV-E Eligibility Foster Care
• Title IV-E Eligibility - Adoption
• TANF - EAF
• Title XX Below 200% Eligibility
• Medicaid
• Other General Questions

There will be questions and answers added as noted in the date extension.