Current through August 26, 2024
(1) APPLICATION.
(a)
All applicants. The
relative caregiver applies for kinship care payments or long-term kinship care
payments using the application form prescribed by the department.
(b)
Court-ordered out-of-home care
placement.
1. If the child is placed
in the home of the relative caregiver under a court order or a voluntary
transition-to-independent-living agreement and a child welfare agency has
placement and care responsibility for the child, the relative caregiver also
completes the application for a license to operate a foster home, including the
completion of forms prescribed by the department under ch. DCF 56.
2. Notwithstanding subd. 1., a relative
caregiver of a child placed in the relative caregiver's home under a court
order or a voluntary transition-to-independent-living agreement is not required
to apply for a license to operate a foster home if the child was placed in the
relative caregiver's home by a court order of a tribal court.
Note: If a relative caregiver has a private
guardianship of the child under s.
48.9795,
Stats., or a tribal private guardianship order, a child welfare agency does not
have placement and care responsibility for the child, unless there is another
court order giving the child welfare agency placement and care
responsibility.
(c)
More than one child. A
relative caregiver may apply for kinship care or long-term kinship care for
more than one child on the same application form.
Note: DCF-F-CFS2023, Kinship Care
Payment Application, is the application prescribed by the department
if the relative caregiver is not required to apply for a license to operate a
foster home. DCF-F-2483-E, Joint Court-Ordered Kinship Care and Foster
Care Application -Part A is the application form prescribed by the
department if the child is in a court-ordered out-of-home care placement. Both
application forms are available on the department's website at
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/forms.
(2) COOPERATION WITH AGENCY. The relative
caregiver cooperates with the kinship care agency, including all of the
following:
(a) Completing and returning any
forms prescribed by the department.
(b) Returning phone calls from the kinship
care agency.
(c) Providing
information through home visits, interviews, and documentation as necessary for
the kinship care agency to determine or redetermine the eligibility of the
relative caregiver for kinship care or long-term kinship care.
(d) Applying for other forms of assistance
for which the child may be eligible, including financial assistance and medical
assistance for the child.
Note: See the Kinship Navigator Portal at
https://dcf.wi.gov/kinship/navigator for information on available
resources.
(e) Cooperating
with referral of the child's parent or parents to the child support agency,
except in any of the following circumstances:
1. The child is 18 years of age or
over.
2. The relative caregiver has
a pending good cause claim under s. DCF 58.12.
3. The relative caregiver requested and the
kinship care agency granted a good cause exemption to the requirement that a
relative caregiver cooperate with referring the child's parent to the child
support agency under s. DCF 58.12.
(f) Notifying the kinship care agency of a
change in circumstances specified under s. DCF 58.10 (1).
(g) Cooperating with eligibility
redeterminations and reviews under s. DCF 58.10.
(h) If the child is 18 years of age or over
and the relative caregiver is applying for or receiving voluntary kinship care
payments or long-term kinship care payments, providing the kinship care agency
with a form prescribed by the department that has been signed by the relative
caregiver and an official from the child's school that verifies that the child
meets the criteria in s. DCF 58.02 (4) (a) or (b) 1. and 2.
Note: DCF-F-CFS2167, Kinship Care School
Verification, is available on the department's website at
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/forms.
(3) NO SIMULTANEOUS PAYMENTS.
(a) The relative caregiver does not
simultaneously receive any of the following payments for the care and
maintenance of the same child:
1. Kinship care
payments and long-term kinship care payments.
2. Kinship care payments or long-term kinship
care payments and foster care payments under s.
48.62(4),
Stats.; subsidized guardianship payments under s.
48.623(1) or (6), Stats.; or any comparable payments from
another jurisdiction.
(b)
The relative caregiver does not receive kinship care payments or long-term
kinship care payments for providing care and maintenance for a child who is
receiving supplemental security income under
42 USC
1381 to
1383c
or state supplemental payments under s.
49.77,
Stats., due to the child's own disability.
(4) RELATIONSHIP AND RESIDENCE VERIFICATION.
(a) The relative caregiver provides all of
the following to the kinship care agency:
1.
Documentation that verifies the relative caregiver's relationship to the child,
such as a birth certificate, a marriage license, guardianship papers, or
paternity papers. If no formal documentation is available, the relative
caregiver may attest to the relationship on the application under sub.
(1).
2. Documentation that verifies
that the child is residing with the relative caregiver, such as the child's
medical assistance card or a written statement from a school representative. If
no formal documentation is available, the relative caregiver may attest to the
living arrangement on the application under sub. (1).
(b) The kinship care agency may request
additional information on a relative caregiver's relationship to the child or
the child's residence with the relative caregiver at any time.
(5) BACKGROUND CHECK. The relative
caregiver complies with the requirements of s.
48.57(3p),
Stats., and s. DCF 58.05.
(6) BEST
INTERESTS OF THE CHILD. The kinship care agency determines that living with the
relative caregiver is in the best interests of the child under s. DCF 58.06.
(7) NEED FOR PROTECTION OR
SERVICES.
(a) For kinship care, the criteria
under s. DCF 58.07 (1) are met.
(b)
For long-term kinship care, the criteria under s. DCF 58.07 (2) are
met.
(8) CHILD'S GRADE.
The relative caregiver informs the kinship care agency of the last grade that
the child has completed.
(9)
CHILD'S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
(a) Within 90
days after the date on which the kinship care agency determines a relative
caregiver's initial eligibility for kinship care payments or long-term kinship
care payments, the relative caregiver provides the kinship care agency with the
child's social security number.
(b)
If a relative caregiver is unable to obtain a social security number for the
child by the deadline in par. (a), the relative caregiver notifies the kinship
care agency of the actions taken to obtain the social security number and the
current status of the request. The kinship care agency shall document the
relative caregiver's efforts.
