This memo provides county allocation and program information on the additional Title IV-E incentive funds for CY 1998 and 1999 

On behalf of Governor Thompson and Secretary Leean, I am pleased to announce the plan to allocate Title IV-E funds pursuant to s. 46.45(2) (a) Wisconsin Statutes. The statute directs the Department to pass on to counties with a population less than 500,000, not less than 50% of the federal IV-E funds which are above the base IV-E funds needed to support Community Aids. As you may know the Department has a contract with MAXIMUS to help us work with counties to identify activities which could be reimbursed in part with federal IV-E dollars. The review of prior year activities by MAXIMUS, Department staff and counties has enabled the Department to claim additional federal funds. The funds available to counties as a result of this claim are $13.5 million, of which $6,750,000 will be allocated in CY-98 and again in CY-99. We will continue with our efforts to claim IV-E dollars above the base amount and will make these additional funds available to counties. For example, as a result of the State/County 1998 contract reconciliation during 1999, we hope to claim IV-E funding above the base amount. The funds received for this additional claim will be allocated to counties in the next calendar year. It’s important to remember that this amount will be different each year. These amounts may be higher or lower than $6,750,000.

Following are details regarding the formula for distribution as well as program and reporting requirements for these dollars. 

1. Distribution formula for $6,750,000 for each calendar year for counties with a population less than 500,000:

1. Each county receives a minimum amount of $50,000

The balance of funds are distributed using an equally weighted formula with two factors:

• The County’s proportion of the State’s population of children
  
  
• The County’s proportion of the State’s population of children in poverty

2. Program Requirements

1. By statute, each county must spend at least 50% of the annual allocation for children who are at risk of abuse or neglect to prevent the need for child abuse and neglect intervention services. Planning for this group of children should occur with the advice of the County’s Family Preservation and Support collaborative group. Department staff who work with the Family Preservation and Support program will be available to provide technical assistance to counties. However, the County has the final decision on how the funds should be spent.

2. The remaining funds (no more than 50% in each year), are to be expended for services and projects to assist children and families. (Note: Since the incentive funds are dollars already earned from the federal government, these dollars can be used for matching other federal funding sources). Staff from the Bureau of Programs and Policies will be available to provide technical assistance on the use of these funds.

3. Non-supplanting requirement: The Statutes state that a county may not use any of the  IV-E incentive funds to supplant other funds expended by the county for services and projects which: 1) prevent the need for child abuse and neglect intervention services and 2) assist children and families. Included in the attachment to this memo is an amount which identifies a maintenance of effort amount for each county. This is based upon the state wide average expenditure of $88.55 per child for these services. This was derived using 1996 HSRS reported expenditures of $96,678,600 (exclusive of Milwaukee County) for these standard program categories: Community Prevention (200), Community Living/Support Services (300), Investigations and Assessments (400), Community Residential (700), Community Treatment (500), and Institutional Care (900) as provided to the Children and Families and Abused and Neglected Children target groups. This amount was divided by the estimated number of children in Wisconsin for 1996, exclusive of Milwaukee County, of 1,091,710 to obtain the $88.55 average expenditure. We used a state-wide average approach because of differences in reporting methods by each county. If a County disagrees with its non-supplanting amount, it should send a letter to the Department stating why this amount is incorrect and identify the amount, which was spent in 1996 for the programs stated above. A brief explanation of how this was determined should be included in this letter. Please send this letter to your Area Administrator by no later than April 17, 1998.

In the future, by April 1 of each year, counties will be asked to send a letter to the Department (The Bureau of Programs and Policies) certifying that they have met the non- supplanting requirement. The April 1 letter will cover activities for the previous calendar year. The first letter will be due April 1, 1999 and will cover 1998 activities.

3. Program Administration

The Bureau of Programs and Policies will administer the program in partnership with the Bureau of Community and Family Development and Area Administration staff from the Office of Strategic Finance. Staff from these units will be responsible for providing technical assistance, consultation, oversight and program monitoring.

4. Reporting

1. Fiscal Reporting: Counties will report expenses on two CARS Profiles and will be paid from a third profile. The minimum 50% expenditures on services which prevent the need for child abuse and neglect intervention, will be reported on Profile 340. Expanded services and projects, which assist children and families, will be reported on Profile 341. The Department will make payments from profile 342 (Family Based IV-E Incentive Funds). Unspent funds will be available to a County in 1999.

2. Program Reporting: Counties will be required to submit annual statements of anticipated outcomes for the programs and services provided with these funds consistent with any performance outcomes in the state-county contract as well as an annual summary of actual outcomes. The Department will be transmitting information on how this annual statement should be submitted.