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Participant Manual or Leader’s Guide

Reference Manual

CONNECTIONS Activities Window

This document is provided under a contractual agreement between the

New York State Office of Children and Family Services Division of Administration

Bureau of Training and Development

AND

the Professional Development Program Rockefeller College, University at Albany, through

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York

Acknowledgement This material was developed by the Professional Development Program, Rockefeller College, University at Albany, through The Research Foundation for the State University of New York under a training and administrative services agreement with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Disclaimer While every effort has been made to provide accurate and complete information, the Office of Children and Family Services and the State of New York assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions in the information provided herein and make no representations or warranties about the suitability of the information contained here for any purpose. All information and documents are provided “as is,” without a warranty of any kind.

Copyright © 2020 by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

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CONNECTIONS Activities Window Reference Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Purpose of the Manual ............................................................................................................... 1

Module 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................... 2 Activities Overview .................................................................................................................. 2

Module 2: Activities Window Security ...................................................................................... 4 Activities Window Security ...................................................................................................... 4

Activities Window Business Functions ............................................................................................. 4

Module 3: Activities Window Overview .................................................................................... 6 Activities Window Overview .................................................................................................... 6 Navigating to the Activities Window ........................................................................................ 6 Completing Searches on the Activities Window ...................................................................... 7

Module 4: Movement Activities ................................................................................................. 8 Movement: ‘M’ Codes ............................................................................................................. 8 M075 – SCHOOL DISTRICT INFORMATION ........................................................................ 9 M910 – CHILD PLACED ....................................................................................................... 10 M950 – CHILD BEGINS ABSENCE ...................................................................................... 13 M960 – CHILD ENDS ABSENCE ......................................................................................... 16 M970 – CHILD ON TRIAL DISCHARGE .............................................................................. 18 M980 – CHILD RETURNED FROM TRIAL DISCHARGE .................................................... 20 M981 – INTRA-AGENCY TRANSFER-NEW FACILITY ....................................................... 22 M982 – INTER-AGENCY TRANSFER-NEW AGENCY ........................................................ 25 M990 – CHILD DISCHARGED FROM FOSTER CARE PROGRAM .................................... 28 M999 – CHILD’S TRACK CLOSED ...................................................................................... 30

Module 5: Legal Activities ........................................................................................................ 33 Legal: ‘L’ Codes .................................................................................................................... 33 L100 - PETITION FILED ....................................................................................................... 34 L300 - HEARING ................................................................................................................... 36 L500 - APPEAL ..................................................................................................................... 41 L600 - AGREEMENT SIGNED ............................................................................................. 46 L700 - REMOVAL ................................................................................................................. 47 L800 - TPR PETITION NOT REQUIRED .............................................................................. 48 L900 - RAISE THE AGE (RTA) DATE OF OFFENSE .......................................................... 49

Module 6: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP), Close To Home (CTH), Special, and Memo Activities ................................................................................................... 50

K100 - KINGAP APPLICATION RECEIVED ......................................................................... 51 K200 - KINGAP APPLICATION DENIED .............................................................................. 52 K210 - KINGAP APPLICATION APPROVED ....................................................................... 53

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K300 - KINGAP AGREEMENT APPROVED ........................................................................ 54 C003 - CLOSE TO HOME (CTH) AFTERCARE ENDS ........................................................ 55 C950 - CLOSE TO HOME (CTH) AFTERCARE ABSENCE BEGINS .................................. 56 C960 - CLOSE TO HOME (CTH) ABSENCE ENDS ............................................................ 57 S100 - CHILDS CLAIMING CATEGORY (System-generated) ............................................. 58 S200 - CHILDS LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY ............................................................................. 59 S400 - INITIAL CANDIDACY DETERMINATION ................................................................. 60 S410 - SIX-MONTH CANDIDACY RE-DETERMINATION ................................................... 61 S420 - CANDIDACY ENDED ................................................................................................ 62 MEMO – ENTER CASE COMMENT IN ACTIVITIES ........................................................... 63

Module 7: Adoption Activities ................................................................................................. 64 Adoption: ‘A’ Codes............................................................................................................... 64 A410 - FOSTER PARENTS INTERESTED IN ADOPTION .................................................. 65 A415 - VOLUNTARY CONSENT/WAIVER ATTEMPTED .................................................... 66 A425 - ADOPTIVE CASE REFERRED TO LEGAL .............................................................. 67 A428 - APPROVED BY DISTRICT TO FREE CHILD ........................................................... 68 A430 - MOTHER’S PARENTAL RIGHTS TERMINATED ..................................................... 69 A431 - LEGAL FATHER’S RIGHTS TERMINATED ............................................................. 70 A433 - PUTATIVE FATHER #1 - RIGHTS TERMINATED ................................................... 71 A434 - PUTATIVE FATHER #2 - RIGHTS TERMINATED ................................................... 72 A499 - CHILD COMPLETELY FREED FOR ADOPTION ..................................................... 73 A500 - CHILD PHOTO-LISTING REQUEST SENT .............................................................. 75 A501 - PHOTO-LISTING REQUEST RECEIVED ................................................................. 76 A505 - CHILD PHOTO-LISTING APPROVED ...................................................................... 77 A507 - CHILD PHOTO-LISTING DISAPPROVED ................................................................ 78 A508 - UPDATED PHOTO-LISTING REQUIRED ................................................................ 79 A509 - NEW PHOTO-LISTING APPROVED ........................................................................ 80 A512 - WAIVER OF REFERRAL .......................................................................................... 81 A513 - WAIVER REMOVED / NEEDS REFERRAL .............................................................. 82 A514 - DELAY IN PHOTO-LISTING ..................................................................................... 83 A516 - NOTIFICATION OF PHOTO-LIST WAIVER ............................................................. 84 A520 - NYSAS PHOTO HOLD REQUESTED ...................................................................... 85 A530 - NYSAS SUBSIDY REQUESTED .............................................................................. 86 A533 - LOCAL DISTRICT ADOPTION SUBSIDY APPRVS-HNDCPD ................................ 87 A534 - LOCAL DISTRICT ADOPTION SUBSIDY APPRVS-HRD TO PLC .......................... 89 A540 - APPROVED ADOPTIVE HOME ................................................................................ 90 A549 - CHILD NOT FREE RIGHTS RESTORED (System-generated) ................................ 91 A550 - CHILD PLACED IN ADOPTIVE HOME ..................................................................... 92 A560 - PAPR SEARCH UTILIZED ........................................................................................ 93 A570 - ADOPTION DISRUPTED .......................................................................................... 94 A580 - FAMILY GIVEN PERMISSION TO ADOPT .............................................................. 95

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A590 - PETITION FOR LEGAL ADOPTION FILED .............................................................. 96 A599 - CHILD WAS LEGALLY ADOPTED ........................................................................... 97

Module 8: Outputs & Reports .................................................................................................. 98 Outputs and Reports ............................................................................................................. 98 Accessing Reports ................................................................................................................ 98

Module 9: Resources .............................................................................................................. 102 The HELPFUL INFO Tab in CONNECTIONS ..................................................................... 102 OCFS Intranet and Internet Sites ........................................................................................ 102 OCFS Regional Implementation Staff ................................................................................. 102 Application Help Mailbox ..................................................................................................... 103 NYS ITS Service Desk ........................................................................................................ 103 Professional Development Program ................................................................................... 103

Module 10: Error Messages ................................................................................................... 104 Error Messages ................................................................................................................... 104 Searching ............................................................................................................................ 105 Activities Window Components ........................................................................................... 107 Establishing a Track ............................................................................................................ 108 Reopening a Track .............................................................................................................. 108 Recording an Activity .......................................................................................................... 109 A599- Child Was Legally Adopted ...................................................................................... 110 Invalidating an Activity ......................................................................................................... 111

Appendix A: Completing Tasks on the Activities Window ................................................. A-1 Activities Window Components ........................................................................................... A-2 Searching ............................................................................................................................ A-3 Establishing / Opening a Track ........................................................................................... A-4 Reopening a Track .............................................................................................................. A-4 Recording an Activity .......................................................................................................... A-4 Recording Common Activity Events – Step-by-Step Directions .......................................... A-5

Recording an M910 – Child Placed .............................................................................................. A-5 Recording an M950 – Child Begins Absence ............................................................................... A-5 Recording an M960 – Child Ends Absence .................................................................................. A-5 Recording an M981 – Intra-Agency Transfer-New Facility ........................................................... A-6 Recording an M970 – Child on Trial Discharge ............................................................................ A-6 Recording an M990 – Child Discharged from Foster Care Program ............................................ A-6 Recording an M999 – Child’s Track Closed.................................................................................. A-6

Invalidating an Activity ......................................................................................................... A-7 Invalidating an Activity – Example: S200 ...................................................................................... A-7

Appendix B: M950 Allowable Absences ............................................................................... B-1 Children with IVE Eligibility ................................................................................................ B-2 Children with Non-IVE Eligibility ....................................................................................... B-3

CONNECTIONS Activities Window Reference Manual Page 1 Professional Development Program v1.0 (01/22/2020)

Purpose of the Manual The Activities window debuted in CONNECTIONS in October 2014, replacing the Child Care Review System (CCRS) as the system of record in New York State for the tracking of all children in care. Now, workers view, track, and record information regarding children in receipt of foster care services, pre-adoptive services, and preventive services directly into CONNECTIONS. The purpose of this manual is to provide information that will assist workers with the opening of a track and the accurate recording of activities on the Activities window in CONNECTIONS. The placement of a child, movement of a child, legal, and adoption activities are the major events reported on the Activities window. Other events recorded include Close To Home, Kinship, and “Special” activities. Timely and accurate data entry is not only good casework practice, but is essential for a district to receive the maximum federal and state foster care reimbursement for which it is eligible. Failure to record activities correctly may adversely affect reimbursement that districts may receive for foster care expenditures. This can result in the loss of thousands or potentially millions of dollars. The following details are provided in this manual:

• an overview of the components on the CONNECTIONS Activities window

• activity and associated modifier definitions

• additional information (such as when the activity should be recorded and the effect of not recording the number of billable days)

• how activities affect reimbursement

The following icon is used throughout this manual to emphasize informational content that you may find helpful.


Module 1: Introduction

Activities Overview The Activities window in CONNECTIONS is used to track the following:

• Placements • Movements • Legal events • Foster care Level of Difficulty (LOD) • Pre-adoption activities for children in receipt of foster care services • Close To Home events • Kinship events • “Special” activities

Districts are required to open a track in Activities and record activities for children receiving foster care and pre-adoption services. Also, when a child is placed directly in the legal custody of a relative/non-relative under Article 10, districts are required to record legal activities in order to generate the Permanency Hearing Date Certain in CONNECTIONS.

CONNECTIONS integrates with the Welfare Management System (WMS) and data is shared with the Benefits Issuance and Control System (BICS). BICS makes payments and determines reimbursements based on this data. Recording movements and Level of Difficulty incorrectly could impact payments, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), casework contact requirements, and federal and state reimbursement.

CONNECTIONS integration with WMS WMS is used to collect, record, and track case and child demographics, eligibility data, and authorizations for services being provided to children and families. When a new Family Services Stage/Child Welfare Services (FSS/CWS) is created in CONNECTIONS, it is necessary to create a companion case in WMS. The companion case is initiated in CONNECTIONS via the AppReg (Application Registration) button on the Person List window, which is available only to district workers with the MAINT APP REG (Maintain Application Registration) business function. Once application registration is complete and the companion case is fully open, any future saved demographic changes made in CONNECTIONS are automatically sent to WMS. District workers also continue to perform subsequent processing associated with a WMS case directly in WMS.

Reimbursement for foster care payments can be made under Title IV-E and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families/Emergency Assistance to Families (TANF/EAF). However, if the information on the Activities window is incorrect or missing, payments may instead become Non-Reimbursable (NR) or Federally Non-Participating (FNP). As a result, reimbursement for foster care expenses may then be considered a 100% state (FNP) or district expense (NR).


Title IV-E – Title IV-E of the Social Security Act provides federal funding for foster care maintenance and certain related administrative costs for children who meet the Title IV-E eligibility requirement. TANF/EAF – TANF/EAF provides federal funding for foster care cases, as well as for preventive and protective cases. NR – Non-Reimbursable funds are paid 100% by the district. Payments can be NR due to failure to meet claiming requirements for funding sources. FNP – 100% state funds subject to a cap.

In order to receive reimbursement for foster care payments, the following must be completed correctly:

• A Family Services Stage (FSS) must be opened in CONNECTIONS.

• A Services case must be opened in WMS and the eligibility codes and Purchase of Service payment lines must be recorded.

• A track must be opened in the CONNECTIONS Activities window. (Tracks can only be opened by districts. This tab is view-only for voluntary agencies.)

• A placement verified in the Placement Module.

• Movement and legal activities and the associated modifiers must be recorded in the CONNECTIONS Activities window.

Retroactive payments may still be processed and reimbursed after a stage, case, or track has been closed.


Module 2: Activities Window Security

Activities Window Security A number of factors determine which information you can view and/or maintain in CONNECTIONS, including your Business Function Profile (BFP), job function, and/or whether you have an assigned role in a Family Services Stage (FSS).

If you are not already a CONNECTIONS user, Local Security Administrators at your district/agency will provide you with a Services (SVC) User ID and grant you access to CONNECTIONS. Your ID will be assigned the Business Functions necessary for you to do your job.

In order to maintain or to view information for a child on the Activities window, you may need a specific Business Function (discussed below) or a role in the FSS stage. Workers without a Business Function but with a current role in the stage have view-only access to information for all children in that stage who have an open track in Activities. The Activities window is accessed through the Search/Maintain drop-down menu on the main CONNECTIONS window; therefore, access via Organizational Hierarchy or Agency Access paths is available. Workers must be assigned one of the Business Functions or have a role in the stage in order to have access to the Activities window.

Activities Window Business Functions There are four Business Functions that are associated with the Activities window:

• Assign Maintain Activity (ASG MN ACTIVITY) • Maintain Activity (MAINT ACTIVITY) • View Activity (VIEW ACTIVITY) • Modify Case Initiation Date (MODIFY CID)

The ASG MN ACTIVITY Business Function The ASG MN ACTIVITY Business Function gives districts and voluntary agencies the ability to assign the MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function to their workers. Districts and voluntary agencies must apply to the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) for the ASG MN ACTIVITY Business Function. If the request is approved, this Business Function will be assigned to either the Security Coordinator or a manager who has the ability to assign Business Functions to staff.

At this time, only voluntary agencies that work with New York City ACS are assigned the MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function.

Business Functions are

assigned by your district/agency and are based on job duties. If you have a question, please

follow up with your supervisor.

Additionally, if you have a question about obtaining an

SVC User ID, follow up with your supervisor.


The MAINT ACTIVITY and VIEW ACTIVITY Business Functions The MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function may be assigned when add or modify access is needed. The VIEW ACTIVITY Business Function may be assigned when view-only access to the Activities window is needed for inquiry such as for Financial Services or Quality Assurance Staff. Workers without the VIEW ACTIVITY Business Function but with a current role in an FSS stage also have view access to information on the Activities window by performing a search with the stage ID of the FSS stage.

Unlike other areas of CONNECTIONS, access to the workload of a worker with a role in the stage does not allow view access to the activities for that stage. Supervisors will need to be assigned the VIEW ACTIVITY Business Function to see Activities window entries for their workers’ cases.

Voluntary agency workers’ access is further restricted to view-only for children placed with the specific agency. Voluntary agency workers will see all members of the WMS case on the case composition but will only be able to view activities for children with their agency.

The MODIFY CID Business Function The MODIFY CID Business Function is available only for district workers and is used to modify or correct the CID on the Activities Track Detail window. The CID may be modified multiple times and will change the CID for all of the children in the stage with an active track. Changing the Activities CID does not change the CID of the Family Services Stage. If you have a question about your ability to perform this task, please follow up with your supervisor.

The DIR ACT ENTRY Business Function The DIR ACT ENTRY Business Function is available only for district workers and provides direct entry into the Activities window in order to correct errors or enter movements that occurred prior to October 18, 2019.

The following movement codes are allowable with the DIR ACT ENTRY Business Function: • M910 - CHILD PLACED • M960 - CHILD ENDS ABSENCE • M980 - CHILD RETURNED FROM TRIAL DISCHARGE • M981 - INTRA-AGENCY TRANSFER-NEW FACILITY • M982 - INTER-AGENCY TRANSFER-NEW AGENCY

The use of this Business Function is monitored by the Office of Children and Family Services and is recommended for district staff who work on Non-Reimbursable reports.


Module 3: Activities Window Overview

Activities Window Overview When logging in to CONNECTIONS, the main CONNECTIONS window displays with the WORKLOAD & TO-DOs tab active. The window contains a header with tabs, links, and drop-down menus, the NAVIGATION PANE, and the work area.

The following material is intended to be an overview of the Activities window. Additional window descriptions and step-by-step information can be found in Appendix A: Completing Tasks on the Activities Window.

Navigating to the Activities Window Access to the Activities window is through the Activities link in the Search/Maintain drop-down menu of the main CONNECTIONS window. This link displays for all workers; however, the ability to view or maintain activities is dependent on BFP, role in the FSS stage, and Primary Responsibility.

Accessing the Activities Window 1 Click the Search/Maintain drop-down menu.

2 Click the Activities link. The Activities window displays.

Tabs and Drop-Down

Menus

Work area

Header

NAVIGATION PANE


Completing Searches on the Activities Window At the top of the Activities window is the Child/Case Search Criteria section, which contains the search fields. The Agency field defaults to the agency of the logged-on district or agency worker. There are three different search options: Client Identification Number (CIN field), WMS case number (WMS Case # field), and FSS stage ID (Stage ID field). The search option that will be enabled is dependent on your security (role in the stage vs. Business Function).

When you search using a CIN, a single record will display in the grid. When you search using a WMS case number or FSS Stage ID number, more than one record may display in the grid.

After you search for a CIN, WMS case number or stage ID, selecting an individual from the Case Member List grid will display three tabs: Person Detail, Track Detail, and Activities.

Tabs with a padlock symbol indicate they are available in view-only mode.


Module 4: Movement Activities

Movement: ‘M’ Codes

Movement activities are recorded to document the placement of a child and any subsequent movements. When a child is placed in the care and custody or guardianship and custody of the Commissioner of the Local Department of Social Services (LDSS) or the Commissioner of OCFS and the child resides in a foster care setting, local districts are required to record all movements on the Activities window.

Movement Code Movement Activity M075 School District Information M910 Child Placed M950 Child Begins Absence M960 Child Ends Absence M970 Child on Trial Discharge M980 Child Returned from Trial Discharge M981 Intra-Agency Transfer - New Facility M982 Inter-Agency Transfer - New Agency M990 Child Discharged from Foster Care Program M999 Child’s Track Closed

All movement activities require the completion of one or more Modifier fields, which add more detail about the activity being recorded. Modifier codes are entered in these fields and are required for certain activities to indicate facility placement or reason for transfer, absences, and discharges.

The pages that follow contain definitions, security information, and modifiers for each movement code in CONNECTIONS.


M075 – SCHOOL DISTRICT INFORMATION

Definition and Uses

[M075 - School District Information] Used to record the school district in which the child is, or was, enrolled

Security District or voluntary agency staff with the MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function

Modifiers School District: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the school district in which the child is, or was, enrolled. The districts are organized by their six (6)-digit Basic Education Data System (BEDS) code, followed by the district name. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the M075 entry is saved. Given the number of possible codes for this field, they will not be listed in this document. However, a district’s BEDS code may be searched for using the district’s full or partial name on the following New York State Education Department (NYSED) website: https://stateaid.nysed.gov/output_reports.htm

Type: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record whether the child is currently, or was originally and is no longer, enrolled at the district selected in Modifier A. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M075 entry is saved. There are 2 possible codes for this field: 01 - CURRENT 02 - ORIGINAL

Additional Information

None

Reimbursement None


M910 – CHILD PLACED

Definition and Uses

[M910 - Child Placed] Indicates that the child’s care and custody or guardianship and custody has been voluntarily transferred to the Commissioner of the local Department of Social Services pursuant to the provisions of section 384 or 384-a of the Social Services Law; OR the child has been placed with the Commissioner of the local Department of Social Services or the Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) pursuant to Article 3 (JD), 7 (PINS), 10 (Abuse/Neglect), 10-B (Re-entry to Foster Care) or 10-C (Destitute Child) of the Family Court Act; AND the child has been placed in a foster care setting. Foster care settings include foster family homes and child care facilities. See “Additional Information” for definitions. It is the first movement activity event recorded for all children in foster care. It should be recorded as soon as possible after placement to facilitate payment and reimbursement.

The M910 is system-generated when a placement is verified through the Placement Module in CONNECTIONS.

Security District staff with the MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function

Modifiers Facility ID: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the eight-digit vendor identification number of the foster care home or facility in which the child is placed. The vendor identification is available in the Foster and Adoptive Home Development stage or the Resource Search window in CONNECTIONS. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the M910 entry is saved.

Out of County / Borough Placement Reason: (Field B)

[Optional] This field is used to record the reason a child is placed outside the county with legal responsibility or outside the borough in New York City. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M910 entry is saved. There are 14 possible codes for this field: 01 - CLINICAL REASON 02 - VICINITY (Child in vicinity of family) 03 - JUDGE’S ORDER 04 - OTHER DIST PLCMT (Placement by another district) 05 - NO PGM IN CO/BOR (No program in home county/borough) 06 - NO VAC IN CO/BOR (No vacancy in home county/borough) 07 - REJD BY LOC PGM (Rejected by local program) 08 - PARENTS NOT IN CO (Parents do not reside in county) 09 - ADOPTION PLCMT (Adoption placement/child freed) 10 - FOSTER FAM MOVED (Foster family moved) 11 - CTH AC BEGIN/FC CNTD (Close To Home aftercare begins/foster care continued)


12 - CTH RETURN CTH RES (Close To Home return to Close To Home residence) 88 - OTHER 99 - UNKNOWN

Type [Required] This field is used to record the child’s placement type. This field does not display in the saved M910 entry but is viewable in inquiry. There are eight (8) possible selections for this field: - Child’s Paternal Grandparents - Child’s Maternal Grandparents - Child’s Other Paternal Relative - Child’s Other Maternal Relative - Child’s Sibling - Related to Child’s Half Sibling - Not related/prior positive relationship with child - Not related/no prior positive relationship with child (This option will always be entered for children in congregate care settings.)


- Definition of a foster care setting per Section 472 (c) of the SSA - A foster care setting is defined as a foster family home or child care institution. The term “foster family home” means a foster family home for children that is licensed by the state or has been approved by the agency of such state having responsibility for licensing homes of this type, as meeting the standards established for such licensing. The term “child-care institution” means a private child-care institution or a public child-care institution that accommodates no more than 25 children, which is licensed by the state or has been approved by the agency of such state responsible for licensing or approval of institutions of this type, as meeting the standards established for such licensing, except, in the case of a child who has attained 18 years of age, the term shall include a supervised setting in which the individual is living independently, in accordance with such conditions as the Secretary shall establish in regulations, but the term shall not include detention facilities, forestry camps, training schools, or any other facility operated primarily for the detention of children who are determined to be delinquent.

- The date of the M910 must be later than or equal to the open track starting date.

- Entry of the M910 is required prior to the entry of any other movement activity.

- Foster homes must be certified or approved for the date of the M910 entry. New York State law precludes placement of a foster child in a non-certified/non-approved foster home. Foster homes must be fully certified or fully approved to be Title IV-E eligible.

- Entry of the M910 is not permitted if the On Hold checkbox has been selected for the foster home in the CONNECTIONS Foster Adoptive Home


Development (FAD) stage. The foster home will display as “Inactive” in the Resource Directory.

- An M910 must be present on the child’s track for the current placement in order for applicable legal activities to update to BICS.

- If the child had a prior movement activity of M990 or M999, payment will resume as of the date of the M910.

- For non-LDSS custody placements (direct relative custody), districts should not enter an M910 because the child is not considered to be in foster care. If the child subsequently enters foster care, the M910 date would be the date the court orders the child into the Commissioner’s legal custody and the child is placed in a foster care setting.

- The M910 will create a Level of Difficulty of LOD 1 with an effective date of the M910 date in BICS.

Reimbursement If no legal event that would give legal authority in BICS has been recorded, the entry of the M910 allows non-IV-E reimbursement for a period equal to the M910 date plus three days. Payments made beyond that period are Non-Reimbursable (NR).


M950 – CHILD BEGINS ABSENCE

Definition and Uses

[M950 – Child Begins Absence] Indicates that the child is temporarily absent from a foster care home or facility and the child remains in the care and custody or guardianship and custody of the Commissioner of LDSS or the Commissioner of OCFS. An M910 must be present on the child’s track prior to the entry of an M950. Absences should be recorded as soon as possible after the event to facilitate payment and reimbursement.



[Required] This field is populated with the eight-digit vendor identification number of the foster care home or facility in which the child is placed. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the M950 entry is saved. This field is populated based upon the child’s last movement.

Reason for Absence: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason for a child’s absence from the foster home or facility. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M950 entry is saved. The possible codes for this field are: SB - HOSPITAL SC - AWOL (Absent without official leave) SD - SENT TO DETENT FACIL (Sent to detention facility) SE - WORK PROGRAM SF - SCHOOL SG - TEMP FOS CARE TRAN (Temporary foster care transfer) SH - OVER STAYED WEEKEND SI - PEND APP OF EXT CARE (Pending application of extended care) SJ - SENT TO JAIL SK - SCHOOL HOLIDAY SL - SUMMER CAMP SM - RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY SN - SCHOOL TRIP SO - VACATION SP - WEEKEND VISIT SQ - VIS POTN FOS/ADOP HM (Visit potential foster/adoptive home) ST - RESPITE CARE


# Of Billable Days: (Field C)

[Optional] This field is used to record the total number of billable or allowable days related to the child’s absence from the foster care home or facility. This field corresponds to Modifier C when the M950 entry is saved.

Anticipated Return Date: (Field D)

[Optional] This field is used to record the anticipated date of return of the child to the foster care home or facility. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the M950 entry is saved.


- Billable days may also be referred to as “allowable days” and are entered in the # Of Billable Days Modifier (Field C).

- No entry in the # Of Billable Days Modifier (Field C) will result in payment being suspended as of the date of the absence. Without a billable days entry, the last day paid would be the day before the absence date.

- Multiple M950s can be recorded without a return to care if the reason for the subsequent absence differs from the original entry.

- For New York City cases, no entry is required for allowable days when field B is “SC - Absent Without Leave (AWOL).”

- BICS will make payments up to the total number of billable days (Field C) recorded as long as a POS line is present in BICS for the dates of the billable days.

Reimbursement See attached chart in Appendix B. Under state regulations, social services districts may pay a certified or approved foster home or foster care facility when a child is absent from that setting for a variety of reasons. Depending on the reason for the absence and its duration, reimbursement can be claimed if the social services district opts to pay the foster care provider. The state maximum reimbursements for allowable absences are defined in the Standards of Payment for Foster Care for Children, which can be found at: https://ocfs.ny.gov/main/rates/FosterCare/Manual/. In accordance with OCFS regulations 18 NYCRR 628.3(a)(4)(i)-(x), state reimbursement for the care of a foster child is not available when the foster child is absent, except as follows:

• all weekend visits (do not record in Activities) • all school and religious holidays (do not record in Activities) • vacation (Field/Modifier B = SO) – up to 15 days per calendar year,

excluding weekend visits* • all organized school trips (Field/Modifier B = SN) • detention (Field/Modifier B = SD) – up to seven (7) consecutive

days • absent without leave (AWOL) (Field/Modifier B = SC) – up to eight

(8) consecutive days (including the date the child went AWOL)**


• hospitalization (Field/modifier B = SB) – up to 15 days per calendar year* (Additional days may be allowed for children diagnosed with AIDS or tested positive for HIV or any infection with the probable causative agent of AIDS. See Standards of Payment for more information.)

• visits to potential foster or adoptive parents (Field/Modifier B = SQ) – up to seven (7) consecutive days per visit

Reimbursement for payments beyond the state maximum reimbursement for allowable absence days will be claimed as Non-Reimbursable (NR). Weekend visits to the child’s home and all school and religious holidays are not considered absences for purposes of claiming restrictions and should not be recorded in Activities. If the child is IV-E eligible, IV-E reimbursement will be allowed for the absence period as long as it does not exceed the state allowable number of days for the absence and the child returns to the same foster care placement within 14 days. *BICS does not keep track of the number of allowable days for those absences that are accumulative per calendar year. The district is responsible for tracking the number of days per calendar year. **For NYC, if the type of absence is AWOL and if the child returns from AWOL within seven (7) days, BICS will allow seven days of payment (entry of billable days is not necessary). If the child does not return within seven (7) days of the M950 date, the AWOL absence is not paid.


M960 – CHILD ENDS ABSENCE

Definition and Uses

[M960 – Child Ends Absence] Indicates that the child has returned from temporary absence to a foster care home or facility. It should be recorded as soon as possible after the event to facilitate payment and reimbursement. If the child returns to a different facility/foster home from which they were absent, the new placement must be recorded through the Placement Module.



[Required] This field is used to record the eight-digit identification number of the foster care home or facility in which the child is placed. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the M960 entry is saved.


[Optional] This field is used to record the reason a child is placed outside the county with legal responsibility or outside the borough in New York City or the status of a NYC Close To Home child who is returning from an absence. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M960 entry is saved. There are 14 possible codes for this field: 01 - CLINICAL REASON 02 - VICINITY (Child in vicinity of family) 03 - JUDGE’S ORDER 04 - OTHER DIST PLCMT (Placement by another district) 05 - NO PGM IN CO/BOR (No program in home county/borough) 06 - NO VAC IN CO/BOR (No vacancy in home county/borough) 07 - REJD BY LOC PGM (Rejected by local program) 08 - PARENTS NOT IN CO (Parents do not reside in county) 09 - ADOPTION PLCMT (Adoption placement/child freed) 10 - FOSTER FAM MOVED (Foster family moved) 11 - CTH AC BEGIN/FC CNTD (Close To Home aftercare begins/foster care continued) 12 - CTH RETURN CTH RES (Close To Home return to Close To Home residence) 88 - OTHER 99 - UNKNOWN

Type [Required] This field is used to record the child’s placement type. This field does not display in the saved M960 entry but is viewable in inquiry. There are eight (8) possible selections for this field:


- Child’s Paternal Grandparents - Child’s Maternal Grandparents - Child’s Other Paternal Relative - Child’s Other Maternal Relative - Child’s Sibling - Related to Child’s Half Sibling - Not related/prior positive relationship with child - Not related/no prior positive relationship with child (This option will always be entered for children in congregate care settings.)


- If payment has been suspended due to an absence period, it will resume as of the date of the M960.

- M950 (Child Begins Absence) must be recorded prior to the date of M960. - Foster homes must be certified or approved for the date of the M960 entry.

New York State law precludes placement of a child in a non-certified/non-approved foster home. For state purposes, the foster home may be approved or certified on an emergency basis.

- Entry of the M960 is not permitted if the On Hold checkbox has been selected for the foster home in the CONNECTIONS FAD stage. The foster home will display as “Inactive” in the Resource Directory.

Reimbursement Not applicable


M970 – CHILD ON TRIAL DISCHARGE

Definition and Uses

[M970 - Child On Trial Discharge] Indicates that the child has been discharged from a foster care home or facility on a trial basis and the child remains in the care and custody or guardianship and custody of the Commissioner of LDSS or OCFS. It should be recorded as soon as possible after placement to facilitate payment and reimbursement.




Reason for Discharge: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason for a trial discharge. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M970 entry is saved. There are 30 available codes for this field, but only four codes are considered appropriate or recommended for this activity: 500 - GOAL ACHIEVED* 502 - END OF CT ORD SVCS (End of court ordered services / child request)* 507 - NOT ELIGIBLE* 515 - CHG-ST REGS/AGCY POL (Change in state regulations / agency policy)* 535 - DEATH* 537 - MOVED FROM DISTRICT* 550 - CLIENT’S REQUEST* 552 - GOAL NOT ACHIEVED* 553 - CASE NUMBER INCORRECT* 570 - RETURN TO NAT.PARENT (Return to natural parent) 571 - RELEASE TO RELATIVE 572 - RELEASE TO PRP (Release to Primary Responsible Person) 573 - ADOPTION SUBSIDIZED* 574 - ADOPTION-NON SUBSIDY* 575 - RELEASE-OWN RESPONS. (Release to own responsibility) 576 - ENTER ADULT MENTAL H (Enter adult mental health facility)* 577 - ENTER CHILD MENTAL H (Enter child mental health facility)*


578 - ENTER PENAL/CORRECT. (Enter penal / correctional facility)* 579 - ENTER JOB TRAINING* 580 - ENTER MILITARY* 581 - ADULTHOOD ATTAINED* 582 - ENTER DFY FACILITY (Enter Division For Youth facility)* 583 - AWOL (Absent without official leave)* 584 - ENTER DMH FACILITY (Enter Department of Mental Health facility)* 585 - ADMIN ACTION (Administrative action)* 588 - CUST TRF REL/NON-REL (Custody transfer to relative / non-relative)* 589 - GARD ASG REL/NON-REL (Guardianship assigned to relative / non-relative)* 590 - NOT DISCHARGED - FREED* 591 - DISCHG TO PERM GUARD (Discharged to permanent guardian)* 600 - KINGAP DSCHRG W SUBS (Kinship-Guardianship Assistance Program discharge with subsidy)* *Selection not appropriate or recommended for M970 activities.

# Of Billable Days: (Field C)

[Optional] This field is used to record the total number of billable days related to the child’s absence from the foster care home or facility. This field corresponds to Modifier C when the M970 entry is saved.

NYC Close To Home After Care Status

[Optional] This field corresponds to Modifier D when the M970 entry is saved. Close To Home codes can be found on page 50 of this reference manual.


Payment for foster care and maintenance will stop as of the date of the M970 entry.

Reimbursement BICS does not provide reimbursement for payments made beyond the activity date of the M970.


M980 – CHILD RETURNED FROM TRIAL DISCHARGE

Definition and Uses

[M980 - Child Returned From Trial Discharge] Indicates that the child has returned to a foster care home or facility from a trial discharge. It should be recorded as soon as possible after the return to placement to facilitate payment. If the child returns to a different facility/foster home from which they were on trial discharge, the new placement must be recorded through the Placement Module.





[Optional] This field is used to record the reason a child is placed outside the county with legal responsibility or outside the borough in New York City or the status of an NYC Close To Home child who is returning from a trial discharge. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M980 entry is saved. There are 14 possible codes for this field: 01 - CLINICAL REASON 02 - VICINITY (Child in vicinity of family) 03 - JUDGE’S ORDER 04 - OTHER DIST PLCMT (Placement by another district) 05 - NO PGM IN CO/BOR (No program in home county/borough) 06 - NO VAC IN CO/BOR (No vacancy in home county/borough) 07 - REJD BY LOC PGM (Rejected by local program) 08 - PARENTS NOT IN CO (Parents do not reside in county) 09 - ADOPTION PLCMT (Adoption placement/child freed) 10 - FOSTER FAM MOVED (Foster family moved) 11 - CTH AC BEGIN/FC CNTD (Close To Home aftercare begins/foster care continued) 12 - CTH RETURN CTH RES (Close To Home return to Close To Home residence) 88 - OTHER 99 - UNKNOWN

NYC Close To Home After Care

[Optional] This field is used to describe additional information for an NYC Close To Home child who is returning from a trial discharge. This field corresponds to


Status: (Field D)

Modifier D when the M980 entry is saved. There are two possible codes for this field: AF - CTH AC CNTD/TDEN (Close To Home after care continued/trial discharge ended) AR - CTH AFTERCARE RETURN (Close To Home after care return)

Type [Required] This field is used to record the child’s placement type. This field does not display in the saved M980 entry but is viewable in inquiry. There are eight (8) possible selections for this field: - Child’s Paternal Grandparents - Child’s Maternal Grandparents - Child’s Other Paternal Relative - Child’s Other Maternal Relative - Child’s Sibling - Related to Child’s Half Sibling - Not related/prior positive relationship with child - Not related/no prior positive relationship with child (This option will always be entered for children in congregate care settings.)


- Entry of an M980 must be preceded by an M970 (Trial Discharge). - Foster homes must be certified or approved for the date of the M980 entry.

New York State law precludes placement of a child in a non-certified/non-approved foster home.




M981 – INTRA-AGENCY TRANSFER-NEW FACILITY

Definition and Uses

[M981 - Intra-Agency Transfer-New Facility] Indicates that the child has been transferred from one foster home or facility to another within the same district or agency. It should be recorded as soon as possible after transfer. Transfers must be recorded through the Placement Module.



[Required] This field is populated with the eight-digit identification number of the foster care home or facility from which the child is being transferred. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the M981 entry is saved.

Facility ID: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the eight-digit identification number of the foster care home or facility to which the child is being transferred. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M981 entry is saved.

Reason for Transfer: (Field C)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason for an intra-agency transfer to a new foster care home or facility. This field corresponds to Modifier C when the M981 entry is saved. There are 22 possible codes for this field: TA - LONG TERM CARE TB - CHILD REQUEST TC - NATURAL FAMILY REQST (Natural family request) TD - FOSTER FAMILY REQUEST TE - PLACE IN ADOPT. HOME (Place in adoptive home) TF - COURT ADJUD CHANGE (Court adjudicated change) TG - CHILD’S CONDIT IMPRV (Child’s condition improved) TH - CHILD’S CONDIT DETER (Child’s condition deteriorated) TI - QUESTIONABLE CARE TJ - REUNITE SIBLINGS TK - FACIL NO LONG AVAIL (Facility no longer available) TL - NO PRVD NEW SERV ND (No provider for new service needed) TM - ORIG PLN INAPPROPRIT (Original plan inappropriate) TN - FACILITY CLOSED TO - CHILD TOO OLD TP - TEMPORARY PLACEMENT TQ - CH & FOSTER FAM REQ (Child and foster family request)


TR - OTHER TS - UNKNOWN TT - NON-EMERGENCY TX - ADMIN XFER/NO MOVE (Administrative transfer / no move) TZ - AGENCY APPROVED EARH (Agency approved Emergency Approved Relative Home)

Out of County / Borough Placement Reason: (Field D)

[Optional] This field is used to record the reason a child is placed outside the county with legal responsibility or outside the borough in New York City or the status of an NYC Close To Home child who is being transferred. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the M981 entry is saved. There are 14 possible codes for this field: 01 - CLINICAL REASON 02 - VICINITY (Child in vicinity of family) 03 - JUDGE’S ORDER 04 - OTHER DIST PLCMT (Placement by another district) 05 - NO PGM IN CO/BOR (No program in home county/borough) 06 - NO VAC IN CO/BOR (No vacancy in home county/borough) 07 - REJD BY LOC PGM (Rejected by local program) 08 - PARENTS NOT IN CO (Parents do not reside in county) 09 - ADOPTION PLCMT (Adoption placement/child freed) 10 - FOSTER FAM MOVED (Foster family moved) 11 - CTH AC BEGIN/FC CNTD (Close To Home aftercare begins/foster care continued) 12 - CTH RETURN CTH RES (Close To Home return to Close To Home residence) 88 - OTHER 99 - UNKNOWN

Type [Required] This field is used to record the child’s placement type. This field does not display in the saved M981 entry but is viewable in inquiry. There are eight (8) possible selections for this field: - Child’s Paternal Grandparents - Child’s Maternal Grandparents - Child’s Other Paternal Relative - Child’s Other Maternal Relative - Child’s Sibling - Related to Child’s Half Sibling


- Not related/prior positive relationship with child - Not related/no prior positive relationship with child (This option will always be entered for children in congregate care settings.)


- M981 activities do not update to BICS. - Foster homes must be certified or approved for the date of the M981 entry.

New York State law precludes placement of a child in a non-certified/non-approved foster home.




M982 – INTER-AGENCY TRANSFER-NEW AGENCY

Definition and Uses

[M982 - Inter-Agency Transfer-New Agency] Indicates that the child has been transferred from one foster home or facility to another outside the previous district or agency. It should be recorded as soon as possible after transfer. Transfers must be recorded through the Placement Module.



[Required] This field is populated with the eight-digit identification number of the foster care home or facility from which the child is being transferred. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the M982 entry is saved.

Facility ID: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the eight-digit identification number of the foster care home or facility to which the child is being transferred. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M982 entry is saved.

Reason for Transfer: (Field C)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason for an inter-agency transfer to a new facility. This field corresponds to Modifier C when the M982 entry is saved. There are 22 possible codes for this field: TA - LONG TERM CARE TB - CHILD REQUEST TC - NATURAL FAMILY REQST (Natural family request) TD - FOSTER FAMILY REQUEST TE - PLACE IN ADOPT. HOME (Place in adoptive home) TF - COURT ADJUD CHANGE (Court adjudicated change) TG - CHILD’S CONDIT IMPRV (Child’s condition improved) TH - CHILD’S CONDIT DETER (Child’s condition deteriorated) TI - QUESTIONABLE CARE TJ - REUNITE SIBLINGS TK - FACIL NO LONG AVAIL (Facility no longer available) TL - NO PRVD NEW SERV ND (No provider for new service needed) TM - ORIG PLN INAPPROPRIT (Original plan inappropriate) TN - FACILITY CLOSED TO - CHILD TOO OLD TP - TEMPORARY PLACEMENT


TQ - CH & FOSTER FAM REQ (Child and foster family request) TR - OTHER TS - UNKNOWN TT - NON-EMERGENCY TX - ADMIN XFER/NO MOVE (Administrative transfer / no move) TZ - AGENCY APPROVED EARH (Agency approved Emergency Approved Relative Home)

Out of County / Borough Placement Reason: (Field D)

[Optional] This field is used to record the reason a child is placed outside the county with legal responsibility or outside the borough in New York City or the status of a NYC Close To Home child who is being transferred. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the M982 entry is saved. There are 14 possible codes for this field: 01 - CLINICAL REASON 02 - VICINITY (Child in vicinity of family) 03 - JUDGE’S ORDER 04 - OTHER DIST PLCMT (Placement by another district) 05 - NO PGM IN CO/BOR (No program in home county/borough) 06 - NO VAC IN CO/BOR (No vacancy in home county/borough) 07 - REJD BY LOC PGM (Rejected by local program) 08 - PARENTS NOT IN CO (Parents do not reside in county) 09 - ADOPTION PLCMT (Adoption placement/child freed) 10 - FOSTER FAM MOVED (Foster family moved) 11 - CTH AC BEGIN/FC CNTD (Close To Home aftercare begins/foster care continued) 12 - CTH RETURN CTH RES (Close To Home return to Close To Home residence) 88 - OTHER 99 - UNKNOWN

Type [Required] This field is used to record the child’s placement type. This field does not display in the saved M982 entry but is viewable in inquiry. There are eight (8) possible selections for this field: - Child’s Paternal Grandparents - Child’s Maternal Grandparents - Child’s Other Paternal Relative - Child’s Other Maternal Relative


- Child’s Sibling - Related to Child’s Half Sibling - Not related/prior positive relationship with child - Not related/no prior positive relationship with child (This option will always be entered for children in congregate care settings.)


- M982 activities do not update to BICS. - Foster homes must be certified for the date of the M982 entry. New York

State Law precludes placement of a child in an un-certified foster home. - Entry of the M982 is not permitted if the On Hold checkbox has been

selected for the foster home in the CONNECTIONS FAD stage. The foster home will display as “Inactive” in the Resource Directory.



M990 – CHILD DISCHARGED FROM FOSTER CARE PROGRAM

Definition and Uses

[M990 - Child Discharged From Foster Care Program] Indicates that the child has been discharged from the care and custody or guardianship and custody of the Commissioner of LDSS or OCFS. It should be recorded as soon as possible after discharge.



[Required] This field is populated with the eight-digit identification number of the foster care home or facility in which the child is placed (and is being discharged from). This field corresponds to Modifier A when the M990 entry is saved.

Reason for Discharge: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason for a discharge. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M990 entry is saved. There are 30 possible codes for this field: 500 - GOAL ACHIEVED 502 - END OF CT ORD SVCS (End of court ordered services / child request) 507 - NOT ELIGIBLE 515 - CHG-ST REGS/AGCY POL (Change in state regulations / agency policy) 535 - DEATH 537 - MOVED FROM DISTRICT 550 - CLIENT’S REQUEST 552 - GOAL NOT ACHIEVED 553 - CASE NUMBER INCORRECT 570 - RETURN TO NAT.PARENT (Return to natural parent) 571 - RELEASE TO RELATIVE 572 - RELEASE TO PRP (Release to Primary Responsible Person) 573 - ADOPTION SUBSIDIZED 574 - ADOPTION-NON SUBSIDY 575 - RELEASE-OWN RESPONS. (Release to own responsibility) 576 - ENTER ADULT MENTAL H (Enter adult mental health facility) 577 - ENTER CHILD MENTAL H (Enter child mental health facility)


578 - ENTER PENAL/CORRECT. (Enter penal / correctional facility) 579 - ENTER JOB TRAINING 580 - ENTER MILITARY 581 - ADULTHOOD ATTAINED 582 - ENTER DFY FACILITY (Enter Division For Youth facility) 583 - AWOL (Absent without official leave) 584 - ENTER DMH FACILITY (Enter Department of Mental Health facility) 585 - ADMIN ACTION (Administrative action) 588 - CUST TRF REL/NON-REL (Custody transfer to relative / non-relative) 589 - GARD ASG REL/NON-REL (Guardianship assigned to relative / non-relative) 590 - NOT DISCHARGED - FREED 591 - DISCHG TO PERM GUARD (Discharged to permanent guardian) 600 - KINGAP DSCHRG W SUBS (Kinship-Guardianship Assistance Program discharge with subsidy)

Length of Stay

[Required] This drop-down menu is used to select the amount of time the child was in a foster care program prior to discharge. Either “In Care < 24 hours” or “In Care > 24 hours” must be selected, as appropriate.


- If using M990 with status of “In 24-hour care,” “Absent,” or “Trial Discharge,” entry of only codes 535, 553, 570-584, and 591 is allowed.

- If using M990 with a discharge reason code of 600, the child’s status must be “In 24-hour care” or “Absent.”

- M990 will stop payment in BICS as of the day prior to the M990. - M990 with discharge reason code of 600 must be preceded by legal activity

L300 - Hearing type of legal event 26 (KINGAP HEARING) and a hearing disposition code of 87 (KINGAP LETTERS GRNTD (GRANTED)). Kinship Guardianship Hearing-Letters of Guardianship must be recorded prior to the closing of the WMS case.

Reimbursement M990 will shorten any legal activities in BICS to the day prior to the M990.


M999 – CHILD’S TRACK CLOSED

Definition and Uses

[M999 - Child’s Track Closed] Indicates the closing of the track for the child on the Activities window. It should be recorded as soon as possible after services have ended.


Modifiers Reason for Discharge: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason for discharge. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the M999 entry is saved. There are 30 possible codes for this field: 500 - GOAL ACHIEVED 502 - END OF CT ORD SVCS (End of court ordered services / child request) 507 - NOT ELIGIBLE 515 - CHG-ST REGS/AGCY POL (Change in state regulations / agency policy) 535 - DEATH 537 - MOVED FROM DISTRICT 550 - CLIENT’S REQUEST 552 - GOAL NOT ACHIEVED 553 - CASE NUMBER INCORRECT 570 - RETURN TO NAT.PARENT (Return to natural parent) 571 - RELEASE TO RELATIVE 572 - RELEASE TO PRP (Release to Primary Responsible Person) 573 - ADOPTION SUBSIDIZED 574 - ADOPTION-NON SUBSIDY 575 - RELEASE-OWN RESPONS. (Release to own responsibility) 576 - ENTER ADULT MENTAL H (Enter adult mental health facility) 577 - ENTER CHILD MENTAL H (Enter child mental health facility) 578 - ENTER PENAL/CORRECT. (Enter penal / correctional facility) 579 - ENTER JOB TRAINING 580 - ENTER MILITARY 581 - ADULTHOOD ATTAINED


582 - ENTER DFY FACILITY (Enter Division For Youth facility) 583 - AWOL (Absent without official leave) 584 - ENTER DMH FACILITY (Enter Department of Mental Health facility) 585 - ADMIN ACTION (Administrative action) 588 - CUST TRF REL/NON-REL (Custody transfer to relative / non-relative) 589 - GARD ASG REL/NON-REL (Guardianship assigned to relative / non-relative) 590 - NOT DISCHARGED - FREED 591 - DISCHG TO PERM GUARD (Discharged to permanent guardian) 600 - KINGAP DSCHRG W SUBS (Kinship-Guardianship Assistance Program discharge with subsidy)

Length of Stay

[Required] This drop-down menu is used to select the amount of time, if any, the child was in a foster care program prior to discharge. Either “In Care < 24 hours,” “In Care > 24 hours,” or “Child Not in Care” must be selected, as appropriate.


- Reason for discharge codes may be auto-generated based upon WMS case closing reason codes and cannot be data recorded on the Activities window:

o For Activities placement cases, only discharge reason codes 535, 553, 570-584, 590, and 591 may be entered. All other discharge codes for Activities placement cases are auto-generated by WMS case closing.

o For Activities non-placement cases, only discharge reason codes 500, 502, 507, 537, 550, 552, and 585 may be entered. All other discharge codes for Activities non-placement cases are auto-generated by WMS case closing.

- If no M990 (Child Discharged from Foster Care Program) has been recorded, the M999 will stop payment in BICS as of the day prior to the M999.

- M999 with discharge reason code of 600 must be preceded by legal activity L300 (Hearing) with any hearing disposition code between 26 and 87. Kinship-Guardianship Hearing-Letters of Guardianship and should be recorded prior to the closing of the WMS case.

- M990 with discharge reason code of 600 must be preceded by legal activity L300 - Hearing type of legal event 26 (KINGAP HEARING) and a hearing disposition code of 87 (KINGAP LETTERS GRNTD (GRANTED)). Kinship Guardianship Hearing-Letters of Guardianship must be recorded prior to the closing of the WMS case.


If using M999 with status “In 24-hour care,” “Absent,” or “Trial Discharge,” use discharge reason codes 535, 553, 570-584, 590, and 591.

- If using M999 with discharge reason code 600, the status must be “In 24-hour care” or “Absent.”

Reimbursement If no M990 (Child Discharged from Foster Care Program) has been recorded, the M999 will shorten any legal activities as of the day prior to the M990.


Module 5: Legal Activities

Legal: ‘L’ Codes

Legal activities are reported at each stage of the court process, from Petition Filed (Activity code L100) through the Court Hearing (L300) and, where applicable, the Appeal Process (L500). Legal Activity codes also capture Agreements Signed (L600), Removals (L700), TPR Petition Not Required (L800), and Raise the Age (RTA) Date of Offense (L900). Modifier fields are used to provide additional information on the Legal Activities.

Legal Code Legal Activity L100 Petition Filed L300 Hearing L500 Appeal L600 Agreement Signed L700 Removal L800 TPR Petition Not Required L900 Raise the Age (RTA) Date of Offense


L100 - PETITION FILED

Definition and Uses

[L100 - Petition Filed] A petition is submitted to the court requesting the court to review the legal matter described in the petition and for the court to grant the relief requested by the petitioner. Petition filed should be entered as soon as possible after the event takes place.


Modifiers Type of Legal Event: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the type of legal event. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the L100 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 02 - 358A COURT ACTION (Social Services Law 358-a Court Action) 04 - ART 10 ABUSE/NEGLECT (Family Court Act - Article 10 Abuse/Neglect [Child Protective Proceedings]) 06 - ARTICLE 7 PINS (Family Court Act - Article 7 - Person In Need of Supervision [PINS]) 07 - ARTICLE 3 JD (Family Court Act - Article 3 - Juvenile Delinquents [JD]) 08 - 756 COURT Review (Family Court Act - 756-a Court Review-PINS) 10 - 384B COM GUAR & CUST (Social Services Law 384-b Commitment of Guardianship and Custody) 11 - 651B REFUGEE ASST (Family Court Act 651-b Refugee Assistance Program) 12 - VIOLATION OF DISPOS (Violation of Disposition) 13 - OTHER FAMILY COURT 14 - OTHER CT (NON-FAM) (Other Court - Non-Family) 15 - 355.3 JD 12MO PERM H (Family Court Act 355.3 - JD 12 Month Permanency Hearing) 19 - 355.3 JD I/EXT PLCMT (Social Services Law 355.3 - JD Initial Extension of Placement Hearing) 20 - 355.3 JD S/EXT PLCMT (Social Services Law 355.3 - JD Subsequent Permanency/Extension of Placement Hearing) 22 - ART10-B 18+RE-ENT FC (Article 10-B Child 18+ Re-Entering Foster Care) 24 - ART6-REST PRTNL RGTS (Article 6 - Restoration of Parental Rights) 27 - ART10-C DEST CHILD (Article 10-C Destitute Child)


Court Code: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the court code based on the court with jurisdiction over the case. Each county is listed alphabetically and contains three court types within each county: Family, Supreme, or Surrogate court. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the L100 entry is saved.

Docket No.: (Field C)

[Optional] This field is used to record the docket number. This field corresponds to Modifier C when the L100 entry is saved.

Next Hearing Date: (Field D)

[Optional] This field is used to enter the next hearing date. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the L100 entry is saved.


The entry of a Type of Legal Event other than those listed above will result in the following message, “Modifier not recommended for this event. Do you wish to Save this activity or return to the window for modification?” Since only the legal events listed above are appropriate for this activity, it is not recommended that others be saved.

Reimbursement Only petitions filed for Article 10 (Modifier A = 04 - Family Court Act - Article 10 Abuse/Neglect [Child Protective Proceedings]) provide reimbursement in BICS. L100 with a type of legal event code 04 will provide Non IVE reimbursement for a period of 14 days from the activity date. An M910 must exist on the child’s track for the current placement for L100 activities with a type of legal event code 04 to update to BICS. If no M910 exists, the L100 activity will not update to BICS. If the M910 is entered after the L100 has been entered, the L100 will update to BICS on the same day that the M910 does.


L300 - HEARING

Definition and Uses

[L300 - Hearing] A legal proceeding that the court conducts relative to the petition before the court at which the court hears the factual and legal arguments of the parties to the proceeding. There are various kinds of hearings in the different courts. Some hearings are fact-finding in nature and others are disposition hearings. Hearings may be adjourned several times before the court renders its decision. Court orders may include several dispositions as the result of the hearing. Each L300 can accommodate two dispositions. More than one L300 can be entered for the same hearing.



[Required] This field is used to record the type of legal event. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the L300 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 02 - 358A COURT ACTION (Social Services Law 358-a Court Action) 04 - ART 10 ABUSE/NEGLECT (Family Court Act - Article 10 Abuse/Neglect [Child Protective Proceedings]) 06 - ARTICLE 7 PINS (Family Court Act - Article 7 - Person In Need of Supervision [PINS]) 07 - ARTICLE 3 JD (Family Court Act - Article 3 - Juvenile Delinquents [JD]) 08 - 756 COURT Review (Family Court Act - 756-a Court Review-PINS) 10 - 384B COM GUAR & CUST (Social Services Law 384-b Commitment of Guardianship and Custody) 11 - 651B REFUGEE ASST (Family Court Act 651-b Refugee Assistance Program) 12 - VIOLATION OF DISPOS (Violation of Disposition) 13 - OTHER FAMILY COURT 14 - OTHER CT (NON-FAM) (Other Court - Non-Family) 15 - 355.3 JD 12MO PERM H (Family Court Act 355.3 - JD 12 Month Permanency Hearing) 19 - 355.3 JD I/EXT PLCMT (Social Services Law 355.3 - JD Initial Extension of Placement Hearing) 20 - 355.3 JD S/EXT PLCMT (Social Services Law 355.3 - JD Subsequent Permanency/Extension of Placement Hearing)


21 - 1089 PERMANENCY HEAR (1089 Hearing Pursuant to Section 10A of the Family Court Act) 22 - ART10-B 18+RE-ENT FC (Article 10-B Child 18+ Re-Entering Foster Care) 23 - ART10-B 18+PERM HEAR (Article 10-B Child 18+ Permanency Hearing) 24 - ART6-REST PRTNL RGTS (Article 6 - Restoration of Parental Rights) 26 - KINGAP HEARING 27 - ART10-C DEST CHILD (Article 10-C Destitute Child)

Hearing Disposition: (Field B or C)

[Required] This field is used to record the hearing disposition. This field corresponds to Modifier B or C when the L300 entry is saved. Court orders may include several dispositions as the result of the hearing. Each L300 can accommodate two dispositions. Below is the list of possible codes for this field: 14 - WITHDRAWN 15 - ADJOURN IN CONT. DIS (Adjournment in contemplation of dismissal) 16 - Suspended Judgement 20 - DISMISS PETITION (Dismissal of petition) 21 - ADJOURNED 31 - ABUSE 32 - NEGLECT 33 - PINS (Person In Need of Supervision) 34 - JD - IF PLCD. =<12MO (Juvenile Delinquent, If placed, placement cannot exceed 12 months) 35 - PERMANENT NEGLECT 36 - TECHNICAL ABANDON. (Technical abandonment) 37 - DEV DISABLE PARENT (Developmental disability parent) 38 - SEVERE/REPEATED ABUSE 39 - PARENTS DECEASED 41 - ORDER OF PROTECTION 42 - TRANS. CUST. + GUAR (Transfer of custody and guardianship [Surrender or TPR Only]) 43 - CARE/CUSTODY - LDSS 44 - CONT FC-PERM AND EXT (Continued foster care - permanency and extension)


45 - DILIGENT EFFORT 46 - RETRN CHILD TO PARNT (Return child to parent) 47 - RETRN CHLD TO GUARD (Return child to guardian) 48 - RETRN CHLD TO RELAT (Return child to relative) 49 - OTH PLND PERM ARNGMT (Other planned permanent arrangement) 50 - BEGIN TO FREE CHILD (Begin efforts to free child for adoption) 51 - CHILD FREED FOR ADOP (Child freed for adoption) 52 - PLACE CHLD ADP HOME (Place freed child in adoptive home) 54 - NOT IN DSS CUSTODY 55 - CT ORD SUPERVISION (Court ordered supervision) 56 - CT ORDER PREV SERV (Court ordered preventive services) 57 - CT ORDERED ADOPT SER (Court ordered adoptive services) 58 - CT ORDERED OTHER SER (Court ordered other services) 59 - NO REUNION-AG.CIRCUM (No reunion - aggravated circumstances) 60 - NO REUNION-PRNT CONV (No reunion - parent conviction) 61 - NO REUNION-TPR SBLNG (No reunion - Termination of Parental Rights to sibling) 62 - CUST TRF REL/NON-REL (Custody transferred to relative / non-relative) 63 - ART6 C/G REL NON-REL (Article 6 Custody/Guardianship relative / non-relative) 64 - ARTICLE 10 REMAND 65 - COMM CUSTODY CEASES (Commissioner custody ceases) 68 - CONT FC-EXT ONLY (Continued foster care - extension only) 70 - JD/PINS DETENTION 71 - JD PLCMNT > 12 MOS (JD initial placement exceeds 12 months) 81 - RSNBL EF FNLZ PERM (Reasonable efforts to finalize permanency)


82 - NORSNBL EF FNLZ PERM (No reasonable efforts to finalize permanency) 83 - PERMANENT GUARDIAN 84 - REST P-RGT COND APRD (Restoration of parental rights plan conditionally approved) 85 - REST P-RGT B-PR APRD (Restoration of parental rights of both parents approved) 86 - REST P-RGT 1-PR APRD (Restoration of parental rights of one parent approved) 87 - KINGAP LETTERS GRNTD (Kinship-Guardianship Assistant Program Letters Granted) 88 - DIR CUS XFR/CONT REL (Direct custody transferred to/continued with relative) 89 - DIR CUS XFD/CNT NREL (Direct custody transferred to/continued with non-relative) 90 - DESTITUTE CHILD 91 - FINAL COS TO PARENTS (Final court order of supervision to parents) 92 - CTH NON SECURE JD (Close To Home non-secure JD) 93 - CTH LMTD SECURE JD (Close To Home limited secure JD) 94 - CTH UNSPEC JD (Close To Home unspecified JD)

Date Certain / Next Hearing Date: (Field D)

[Optional] This field is used to record the date certain of the next hearing if known. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the L300 entry is saved. Entry in Modifier D is required for all L300 entries for children placed voluntarily (384-a), under Article 10, completely freed children (including JD/PINS), and children placed in the direct legal custody of relatives/non-relatives via Article 10. Modifier D entry will be “DATE CERTAIN” for the next permanency hearing. JD/PINS - The system will automatically generate extension of placement/permanency hearing due date 12 months from the last hearing date. The entry of a date in Modifier D for JD/PINS is only necessary if the hearing due date is less than 12 months.


The entry of a Type of Legal Event other than those listed above will result in the following message, “Modifier not recommended for this event. Do you wish to save this activity or return to the window for modification?”


Since only the legal events listed above are appropriate for this activity, it is not recommended that others be saved. Modifier B or C = 62 No longer available for entry effective 11/07/2011.

Reimbursement An M910 must exist on the child’s track for the current placement for L300 activities to update to BICS. If no M910 exists the L300 activity will not update to BICS. If the M910 is entered after the L300 has been entered, the L300 will update to BICS on the same day that the M910 does.


L500 - APPEAL

Definition and Uses

[L500 - Appeal] A legal process by which a case determination made in a lower court is challenged before a higher court. The higher court may uphold, modify, or reverse a lower court’s decision. It may dismiss a petition or remand the case back to the lower court for further consideration. Date of Activity is the date the appeal is filed. Modifiers A and B identify the court finding which is challenged in the appeal.



[Required] This field is used to record the type of legal event. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the L500 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 01 - 384A TRANS CARE/CUS (Transfer of Care and Custody) 02 - 358A COURT ACTION (Social Services Law 358-a Court Action - Voluntary) 03 - 392 COURT REVIEW 04 - ART 10 ABUSE/NEGLECT (Family Court Act - Article 10 Abuse/Neglect [Child Protective Proceedings]) 05 -1055 COURT REVIEW 06 - ARTICLE 7-PINS (Persons in Need of Supervision) 07 - ARTICLE 3 JD (Family Court Act - Article 3 - Juvenile Delinquents [JD]) 08 - 756 COURT Review (Family Court Act - 756-a Court Review-PINS) 10 - 384B COM GUAR & CUST (Social Services Law 384-b Commitment of Guardianship and Custody) 11 - 651B REFUGEE ASST (Family Court Act 651-b Refugee Assistance Program) 12 - VIOLATION OF DISPOS (Violation of Disposition) 13 - OTHER FAMILY COURT 14 - OTHER CT (NON-FAM) (Other Court - Non-Family) 15 - 355.3 JD 12MO PERM H (Family Court Act 355.3 - JD 12 Month Permanency Hearing) 19 - 355.3 JD I/EXT PLCMT (Social Services Law 355.3 - JD Initial Extension of Placement Hearing) 20 - 355.3 JD S/EXT PLCMT (Social Services Law 355.3 - JD Subsequent Permanency/Extension of Placement Hearing)


21 - 1089 PERMANENCY HEAR (1089 Hearing Pursuant to Section 10A of the Family Court Act) 22 - ART10-B 18+RE-ENT FC (Article 10-B Child 18+ Re-Entering Foster Care) 23 - ART10-B 18+PERM HEAR (Article 10-B Child 18+ Permanency Hearing) 24 - ART6-REST PRTNL RGTS (Article 6 - Restoration of Parental Rights) 26 - KINGAP HEARING 27 - ART10-C DEST CHILD (Article 10-C Destitute Child)

Hearing Disposition: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the hearing disposition. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the L500 entry is saved. Below is the list of possible codes for this field: 14 - WITHDRAWN 15 - ADJOURN IN CONT. DIS (Adjournment in contemplation of dismissal) 16 - Suspended Judgement 20 - DISMISS PETITION (Dismissal of petition) 21 - ADJOURNED 31 - ABUSE 32 - NEGLECT 33 - PINS (Person In Need of Supervision) 34 - JD - IF PLCD. =<12MO (Juvenile Delinquent, If placed, placement cannot exceed 12 months) 35 - PERMANENT NEGLECT 36 - TECHNICAL ABANDON. (Technical abandonment) 37 - DEV DISABLE PARENT (Developmental disability parent) 38 - SEVERE/REPEATED ABUSE 39 - PARENTS DECEASED 41 - ORDER OF PROTECTION 42 - TRANS. CUST. + GUAR (Transfer of custody and guardianship [Surrender or TPR Only]) 43 - CARE/CUSTODY - LDSS 44 - CONT FC-PERM AND EXT (Continued foster care - permanency and extension) 45 - DILIGENT EFFORT 46 - RETRN CHILD TO PARNT (Return child to parent) 47 - RETRN CHLD TO GUARD (Return child to guardian)


48 - RETRN CHLD TO RELAT (Return child to relative) 49 - OTH PLND PERM ARNGMT (Other planned permanent arrangement) 50 - BEGIN TO FREE CHILD (Begin efforts to free child for adoption) 51 - CHILD FREED FOR ADOP (Child freed for adoption) 52 - PLACE CHLD ADP HOME (Place freed child in adoptive home) 54 - NOT IN DSS CUSTODY 55 - CT ORD SUPERVISION (Court ordered supervision) 56 - CT ORDER PREV SERV (Court ordered preventive services) 57 - CT ORDERED ADOPT SER (Court ordered adoptive services) 58 - CT ORDERED OTHER SER (Court ordered other services) 59 - NO REUNION-AG.CIRCUM (No reunion - aggravated circumstances) 60 - NO REUNION-PRNT CONV (No reunion - parent conviction) 61 - NO REUNION-TPR SBLNG (No reunion - Termination of Parental Rights to sibling) 62 - CUST TRF REL/NON-REL (Custody transferred to relative / non-relative) 63 - ART6 C/G REL NON-REL (Article 6 Custody/Guardianship relative / non-relative) 64 - ARTICLE 10 REMAND 65 - COMM CUSTODY CEASES (Commissioner custody ceases) 68 - CONT FC-EXT ONLY (Continued foster care - extension only) 70 - JD/PINS DETENTION 71 - JD PLCMNT > 12 MOS (JD initial placement exceeds 12 months) 81 - RSNBL EF FNLZ PERM (Reasonable efforts to finalize permanency) 82 - NORSNBL EF FNLZ PERM (No reasonable efforts to finalize permanency) 83 - PERMANENT GUARDIAN 84 - REST P-RGT COND APRD (Restoration of parental rights plan conditionally approved)


85 - REST P-RGT B-PR APRD (Restoration of parental rights of both parents approved) 86 - REST P-RGT 1-PR APRD (Restoration of parental rights of one parent approved) 87 - KINGAP LETTERS GRNTD (Kinship-Guardianship Assistant Program Letters Granted) 88 - DIR CUS XFR/CONT REL (Direct custody transferred to/continued with relative) 89 - DIR CUS XFD/CNT NREL (Direct custody transferred to/continued with non-relative) 90 - DESTITUTE CHILD 91 - FINAL COS TO PARENTS (Final court order of supervision to parents) 92 - CTH NON SECURE JD (Close To Home non-secure JD) 93 - CTH LMTD SECURE JD (Close To Home limited secure JD) 94 - CTH UNSPEC JD (Close To Home unspecified JD)

Court Code: (Field C)

[Required] This field is used to record the court code based on the court with jurisdiction over the case. Each county is listed alphabetically and contains three court types within each county: “Family,” “Supreme,” or “Surrogate” court. This field corresponds to Modifier C when the L500 entry is saved.

Source Of Appeal: (Field D)

[Optional] This field is used to enter the source of appeal. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the L500 entry is saved. Below is a list of possible codes for this field: 1 - COURT ON OWN MOTION 2 - DIS/CTY/CORP ATTRNY (District / County / Corporation Attorney) 3 - OTHER PETITIONER 4 - CHLD OR LEGAL REP (Child or Legal Representative) 5 - OTH INTERESTED PARTY (Other Interested Party) 6 - AUTH RESPONSBLE AGCY (Authorized Responsible Agency) 7 - PUTATIVE PARENT


The entry of a Type of Legal Event other than those listed above will result in the following message, “Modifier not recommended for this event. Do you wish to save this activity or return to the window for modification?” Since only the legal events listed above are appropriate for this activity, it is not recommended that others be saved.


Reimbursement L500 activities do not update to BICS and do not provide any reimbursement.


L600 - AGREEMENT SIGNED

Definition and Uses

[L600 - Agreement Signed] A signed legal document in which a parent or guardian transfers care and custody, or a person to whom a parent entrusted a child transfers care, through a voluntary placement agreement to a social services district (SSL 384-a), or a parent or guardian transfers custody and guardianship of a child to a social services district (SSL 384 or 383-c). It should be entered as soon as possible after the agreement has been signed to facilitate reimbursement.



[Required] This field is used to record the type of legal event. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the L600 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 01 - 384A TRANS CARE/CUS (Social Services Law 384-a Transfer of Care and Custody of Children) 09 - 384 VOL SURNDR ADOPT (Social Services Law 384 Voluntary Surrender for Adoption) 17 - 383-C VOL SRDR ADOPT (Social Services Law 383-c Voluntary Surrender For Adoption [Child in Care]) 25 - KINGAP AGREEMENT (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program Agreement)


The entry of a Type of Legal Event other than those listed above will result in the following message, “Modifier not recommended for this event. Do you wish to save this activity or return to the window for modification?” Since only the legal events listed above are appropriate for this activity, it is not recommended that others be saved.



L700 - REMOVAL

Definition and Uses

[L700 - Removal] This code is used to indicate a child protective removal – Family Court Article 10. It should be entered as soon as possible after removal to facilitate reimbursement.


Modifiers Type of Legal (rmvl): (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the type of removal. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the L700 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 25 - TEMP REMVL W/CONSENT (Temporary Removal With Consent) 26 - EMER REMVL W/O ORDER (Emergency Removal Without Consent) 27 - PRELIM ORDER REMVL (Preliminary Order of Removal) 28 - PRELIM ORDER AFT PET (Preliminary Order After Petition)

Date Certain / Next Hearing Date: (Field D)

[Optional] This field is used to record the date certain / next hearing date if known. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the L700 entry is saved.


None



L800 - TPR PETITION NOT REQUIRED

Definition and Uses

[L800 - TPR Petition Not Required] This code is used to document the reason(s) why a Termination of Parental Rights Petition is not required - SSL 384-b 3(1) (i,ii). The L800 documents the exception to the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) requirement that a TPR petition must be filed under certain situations, such as where a child has been in foster care for 15 of the most recent 22 months. It should be entered as soon as possible.


Modifiers Termination of Parental Rights Reason: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason why a TPR is not required. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the L800 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1 - Compelling Reason(s) Exists 2 - Services Not Provided 3 - Approved Relative Home Placement


None

Reimbursement No reimbursement is provided for L800 activities.


L900 - RAISE THE AGE (RTA) DATE OF OFFENSE

Definition and Uses

[L900 - RTA Date of Offense] Identifies the date the Raise the Age youth committed the offense. The L900 activity can only be entered for RTA youth who are at least 16 years old as of the date of the L900 activity. The date of the L900 activity cannot be earlier than October 1, 2018. An L900 must be recorded for RTA youth before the placement module can be used to record an RTA placement.


Modifiers None


None

Reimbursement The L900 code will not update to, or provide legal authority or reimbursement, in BICS.


Module 6: Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP), Close To Home (CTH), Special, and Memo

Activities

Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP)

Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) is designed to provide a monthly payment, and other benefits, to qualified relative guardians of foster children who have been discharged from foster care. In most cases, Medicaid coverage for the child is also provided in addition to financial support. The following KinGAP Activities codes are used to report events related to the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program.

KinGAP Code KinGAP Activity K100 KinGAP Application Received K200 KinGAP Application Denied K210 KinGAP Application Approved K300 KinGAP Agreement Approved

Close To Home (CTH)

Close To Home (CTH) is a juvenile justice reform initiative designed to keep youth close to their families and community. The initiative allows New York City youth adjudicated as juvenile delinquents, whom Family Court has determined do not require a secure placement, to be placed in the custody of the New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) for residential services and aftercare.

CTH Code CTH Activity C003 Close To Home Aftercare Ends C950 Close To Home Aftercare Absence Begins C960 Close To Home Absence Ends

Special and Memo Codes

The Special codes and Memo code provide additional information in Activities.

Special Code Special Activity

S100 Child’s Claiming Category (System-generated)

S200 Child’s Level of Difficulty S400 Initial Candidacy Determination S410 Six-Month Candidacy Re-Determination S420 Candidacy Ended Memo Code Memo Activity MEMO Enter Case Comment in Activities


K100 - KINGAP APPLICATION RECEIVED

Definition and Uses

[K100 - KinGAP Application Received] Used to record the date the KinGAP application was received by the district


Modifiers None


An M910 must be on file. The Activity date of a K100 must be greater than the date of an M910. A K100 cannot be invalidated if a K200 or K210 are entered.

Reimbursement No reimbursement is available in BICS for a K100.


K200 - KINGAP APPLICATION DENIED

Definition and Uses

[K200 - KinGAP Application Denied] Used to record the date the KinGAP application was denied


Modifiers None


The K200 date must be greater than or equal to the date of the K100 (KinGAP Application Received).



K210 - KINGAP APPLICATION APPROVED

Definition and Uses

[K210 - KinGAP Application Approved] Used to record when a KinGAP application has been approved by the district


Modifiers None


The K210 date must be greater than the date of the K100 (KinGAP Application Received).



K300 - KINGAP AGREEMENT APPROVED

Definition and Uses

[K300 - KinGAP Agreement Approved] System-generated when the Kinship Guardianship Agreement L600/25 activity is stored


Modifiers None


Must be preceded by a K100 activity. If the L600/25 is invalidated, the K300 is removed.



C003 - CLOSE TO HOME (CTH) AFTERCARE ENDS

Definition and Uses

[C003 - Close To Home Aftercare Ends] Used for NYC ACS CTH youth who exit CTH Aftercare but continue foster care placement

Security NYC ACS or voluntary agency staff with the MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function

Modifiers None


Only entered for NYC ACS CTH youth who exit CTH Aftercare to a foster care setting (i.e., for those youth with a foster care placement that extended beyond their JD/CTH placement)

Reimbursement No reimbursement is available in BICS for C003 entries.


C950 - CLOSE TO HOME (CTH) AFTERCARE ABSENCE BEGINS

Definition and Uses

[C950 - Close To Home Aftercare Absence Begins] Used for NYC ACS CTH youth who are on trial discharge, are receiving Aftercare Services, and are absent from Aftercare Services


Modifiers Reason For Absence: (Field A)

[Optional] This field is used to record the reason for a start to an aftercare absence. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the C950 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: SB - HOSPITAL SC - AWOL (Absent without official leave) SD - SENT TO DETENT FACIL (Sent to detention facility) SJ - SENT TO JAIL


None



C960 - CLOSE TO HOME (CTH) ABSENCE ENDS

Definition and Uses

[C960 - Close To Home Absence Ends] Used for NYC ACS CTH youth who are on trial discharge to end an absence from Aftercare Services


Modifiers None


None



S100 - CHILDS CLAIMING CATEGORY (System-generated)

Definition and Uses

[S100 - Child’s Claiming Category] This code is system-generated from WMS, for NYC only, indicating a child’s claiming category.


Modifiers None


None



S200 - CHILDS LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

Definition and Uses

[S200 - Child’s Level of Difficulty] S200 is used to record the Level of Difficulty (LOD) of children placed in foster care. LOD is used by the Statewide Services Payment System (SSPS) to determine foster care payment amounts from the rate tables that have been established in the system. Individual LOD is determined as a casework decision based upon medical and/or psychiatric (behavioral) evaluation and certification.


Modifiers Level Of Difficulty: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the child’s level of difficulty. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the S200 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field:

1 - Normal, with modifiers A-H, J-N, and P-Z

2 - Special, with modifiers A-H, J-N, and P-Z

3 - Exceptional, with modifiers A-H, J-N, and P-Z


LOD can be entered as a single numeric character of 1, 2, or 3 or as a single numeric character of 1, 2, or 3 with an alpha modifier. The alpha modifier (Field A) may be any letter from “A” to “Z” except “I” or “O.” The purpose of the LOD modifier is to allow for more than one rate to be available on the rate tables for each level of care. SSPS requires that each child in care have an LOD assigned. For an LOD of 2 (Special) or 3 (Exceptional), an S200 activity entry must be made in CONNECTIONS Activities. When there is no S200 entry, SSPS will automatically default to LOD 1 (Normal or Basic). Voluntary agency workers are not permitted to enter an S200 activity that results in an increase to the LOD.

Reimbursement A retroactive decrease in LOD may result in a reduction or loss of reimbursement for foster care payments.


S400 - INITIAL CANDIDACY DETERMINATION

Definition and Uses

[S400 - Initial Candidacy Determination] S400 is used to record the child’s candidacy for foster care. A Title IV-E candidate for foster care is a child who is at serious or imminent risk of removal from his or her home and placement into foster care as evidenced by the LDSS pursuing the child’s removal from the home or making reasonable efforts to prevent such removal. Accurately recording candidacy determination is necessary to secure federal and state reimbursement for allowable pre-placement administrative expenses associated with candidates for foster care.


Modifiers Status: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the child’s status as a candidate for foster care. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the S400 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field:

CN - Candidate

NC - Not a Candidate

Based On: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the basis for documenting a child as either a candidate, or not a candidate, for foster care. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the S400 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field:

CA - Case Record (Use only with Modifier A code “CN”)

CO - Court Petition/Order (Use only with Modifier A code “CN”)

NA - N/A (Not Applicable) (Use only with Modifier A code “NC”)


At initial determination of candidacy for foster care, the LDSS worker must complete the Federal Foster Care Candidacy Determination Form (OCFS-4777) for each individual child who is being considered as a candidate for foster care. The OCFS-4777, along with the documentation that supports the finding that the child is a candidate for foster care, must be stored in the child’s case record.

Reimbursement Timely and accurate determinations of candidacy for foster care enable the state and LDSS to receive federal reimbursement for allowable pre-placement administrative expenses associated with candidates for foster care. Failure to record activities correctly may adversely affect reimbursement an LDSS may receive for candidates for foster care expenditures.


S410 - SIX-MONTH CANDIDACY RE-DETERMINATION

Definition and Uses

[S410 - Six-Month Candidacy Re-Determination] S410 is used to record the child’s continued candidacy for foster care. After a child has been initially determined to be a candidate for foster care, justification for the child to continue to be considered a candidate for foster care must be re-determined and documented every six (6) months thereafter for Title IV-E reimbursement for administrative costs for candidates for foster care to continue.


Modifiers Status: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the child’s status as a candidate for foster care. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the S410 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field:

CN - Candidate

NC - Not a Candidate

Based On: (Field B)

[Required] This field is used to record the basis for documenting a child as either a candidate, or not a candidate, for foster care. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the S410 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field:

CA - Case Record (Use only with Modifier A code “CN”)

CO - Court Petition/Order (Use only with Modifier A code “CN”)

NA - N/A (Not Applicable) (Use only with Modifier A code “NC”)


So long as the child is being treated and claimed as a candidate for foster care, every six months the LDSS worker must complete a six-month re-determination that the child continues to be a candidate for foster care using the Federal Foster Care Candidacy Determination Form (OCFS-4777). This must be stored in the child’s case record/case file along with the appropriate supporting documentation and the prior completed determination forms.



S420 - CANDIDACY ENDED

Definition and Uses

[S420 - Candidacy Ended] S420 is used to record the end of a child’s candidacy for foster care. Claiming for the child as a candidate for foster care must cease should the child be placed into foster care or where the child is no longer in serious or imminent risk of placement into foster care.


Modifiers None


Should it be determined at any point while the case is open that such child is no longer a candidate for foster care, the date of such determination needs to be recorded in the Event Date field.



MEMO – ENTER CASE COMMENT IN ACTIVITIES

Definition and Uses

[MEMO - Memo Entry] Used to enter a comment in Activities.


Modifiers CCRS -MEMO: (Field A)

[Required] Limited to eight characters

CCRS – MEMO: (Field B)

[Optional] Limited to eight characters

CCRS – MEMO: (Field C)

[Optional] Limited to four characters


Memo entries do not update to BICS. Some memos may be system-generated, such as “DLT M999,” which is generated when an Activities track is reopened and, as a result, the previous M999 Activity was system-deleted.

Reimbursement Track re-openings will update to BICS and restore any legal activities that were shortened by the M999 entry.


Module 7: Adoption Activities

Adoption: ‘A’ Codes

Adoption Activities must be recorded for every child who has a goal of adoption or is free for adoption (with a goal other than adoption).

Adoption Code Adoption Activity A410 Foster Parents Interested in Adoption A415 Voluntary Consent/Waiver Attempted A425 Adoptive Case Referred to Legal A428 Approved by District to Free Child A430 Mother’s Parental Rights Terminated A431 Legal Father’s Rights Terminated A433 Putative Father #1-Rights Terminated A434 Putative Father #2-Rights Terminated A499 Child Completely Freed for Adoption A500 Child Photo-Listing Request Sent A501 Photo-Listing Request Received A505 Child Photo-Listing Approved A507 Child Photo-Listing Disapproved A508 Updated Photo-Listing Required A509 New Photo-Listing Approved A512 Waiver of Referral A513 Waiver Removed/Needs Referral A514 Delay in Photo-Listing A516 Notification of Photo-list Waiver

A520 New York State Adoption Services (NYSAS) Photo Hold Requested

A530 New York State Adoption Services (NYSAS) Subsidy Requested

A533 Local District Adoption Subsidy Approves-Handicap A534 Local District Adoption Subsidy Approves-Hard to Place A540 Approved Adoptive Home A549 Child Not Free Rights Restored (System-generated) A550 Child Placed in Adoptive Home A560 Paper Search Utilized A570 Adoption Disrupted A580 Family Given Permission to Adopt A590 Petition For Legal Adoption Filed A599 Child Legally Adopted


A410 - FOSTER PARENTS INTERESTED IN ADOPTION

Definition and Uses

[A410 - Foster Parents Interested In Adoption] This code is entered by the agency after a discussion with the foster parents about the intentions to adopt a child. A “Yes” (Y) indicates that both the foster family and the agency are willing to have this family become an adoptive family. A “No” (N) indicates that the family is not interested in adopting the child. A code of “A” indicates that the agency is not willing to pursue an adoption with this family. If a child is not in a family facility, this code is not required. All other children with a goal of adoption should have this code entered.


Modifiers Home Willing to Adopt: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the status of the home that is willing to adopt. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A410 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - NO-AGENCY DECLINES N - NO Y - YES


Must be dated prior to the date of code A499 (Child Freed). Child must have a goal of adoption. May have multiple entries until A499 is entered.



A415 - VOLUNTARY CONSENT/WAIVER ATTEMPTED

Definition and Uses

[A415 - Voluntary Consent/Waiver Attempted] This code is entered when activity is begun to free the child voluntarily, such as locating or attempting to contact the parent.


Modifiers None


Must be dated prior to the date of code A499 (Child Freed)



A425 - ADOPTIVE CASE REFERRED TO LEGAL

Definition and Uses

[A425 - Adoptive Case Referred To Legal] This code is entered when the caseworker sends the necessary information to his or her agency’s legal department for them to file a petition to terminate parental rights.


Modifiers None





A428 - APPROVED BY DISTRICT TO FREE CHILD

Definition and Uses

[A428 - Approved By District To Free Child] This code is entered when the district approves the Permanency Planning Goal (PPG) of “Discharge to Adoption.”


Modifiers None


In NYC, this code has been locally defined as “District Approval of Plan for Adoption.” At this time, the code is no longer in use. This code must be dated prior to the date of code A499 (Child Freed).



A430 - MOTHER’S PARENTAL RIGHTS TERMINATED

Definition and Uses

[A430 - Mother’s Parental Rights Terminated] This code is entered when the mother’s parental rights are ended.


Modifiers Method Used - Free Adoption: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the method used to free the child for adoption. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A430 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1A - SURRENDER(384 VOL) 1B - DENIAL OF PATERNITY 1C - WAIVER OF RIGHTS 1D - DECEASED PARENT(S) 1E - SURRENDER(383-C VOL) 1Z - OTHER (NON-COURT) 2A - COURT-GUARD/DECEASE 2B - COURT-TECH.ABANDON. 2C - COURT-PERM.NEGLECT 2D - COURT-MENTAL ILLNESS 2E - COURT-RETARDATION 2F - COURT-REPEATED ABUSE 2G - COURT-SEVERE ABUSE 2H - COURT-LOSS-CIVIL RGT 2I - COURT-FAIL TO CONTES 2Z - COURT-OTHER





A431 - LEGAL FATHER’S RIGHTS TERMINATED

Definition and Uses

[A431 - Legal Father’s Rights Terminated] This code is entered when the legal father’s rights are ended.








A433 - PUTATIVE FATHER #1 - RIGHTS TERMINATED

Definition and Uses

[A433 - Putative Father #1 - Rights Terminated] This code is entered when the first putative father’s rights are ended.








A434 - PUTATIVE FATHER #2 - RIGHTS TERMINATED

Definition and Uses

[A434 - Putative Father #2 - Rights Terminated] This code is entered when the second putative father’s rights are ended.








A499 - CHILD COMPLETELY FREED FOR ADOPTION

Definition and Uses

[A499 - Child Completely Freed For Adoption] This code is entered when a child has been freed from all parents/guardians.


Modifiers Dt. adopt. Order Sign.: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the date the judge signed the order or the date the parents signed the last surrender.

Method Used - Free Adopt – Mother: (Field B)

This field is used to record the method used to free the child for adoption. This field corresponds to Modifier B when the A499 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1A - SURRENDER(384 VOL) 1B - DENIAL OF PATERNITY 1C - WAIVER OF RIGHTS 1D - DECEASED PARENT(S) 1E - SURRENDER(383-C VOL) 1Z - OTHER (NON-COURT) 2A - COURT-GUARD/DECEASE 2B - COURT-TECH.ABANDON. 2C - COURT-PERM.NEGLECT 2D - COURT-MENTAL ILLNESS 2E - COURT-RETARDATION 2F - COURT-REPEATED ABUSE 2G - COURT-SEVERE ABUSE 2H - COURT-LOSS-CIVIL RGT 2I - COURT-FAIL TO CONTES 2Z - COURT-OTHER

Method Used - Free Adopt – Father: (Field C)

This field is used to record the method used to free the child for adoption. This field corresponds to Modifier C when the A499 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1A - SURRENDER(384 VOL) 1B - DENIAL OF PATERNITY 1C - WAIVER OF RIGHTS 1D - DECEASED PARENT(S) 1E - SURRENDER(383-C VOL)


1Z - OTHER (NON-COURT) 2A - COURT-GUARD/DECEASE 2B - COURT-TECH.ABANDON. 2C - COURT-PERM.NEGLECT 2D - COURT-MENTAL ILLNESS 2E - COURT-RETARDATION 2F - COURT-REPEATED ABUSE 2G - COURT-SEVERE ABUSE 2H - COURT-LOSS-CIVIL RGT 2I - COURT-FAIL TO CONTES 2Z - COURT-OTHER

Method Used - Free Adopt – Other: (Field D)

This field is used to record the method used to free the child for adoption. This field corresponds to Modifier D when the A499 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1A - SURRENDER(384 VOL) 1B - DENIAL OF PATERNITY 1C - WAIVER OF RIGHTS 1D - DECEASED PARENT(S) 1E - SURRENDER(383-C VOL) 1Z - OTHER (NON-COURT) 2A - COURT-GUARD/DECEASE 2B - COURT-TECH.ABANDON. 2C - COURT-PERM.NEGLECT 2D - COURT-MENTAL ILLNESS 2E - COURT-RETARDATION 2F - COURT-REPEATED ABUSE 2G - COURT-SEVERE ABUSE 2H - COURT-LOSS-CIVIL RGT 2I - COURT-FAIL TO CONTES 2Z - COURT-OTHER


Date cannot precede the date of the A410, A415, A425, A428, A430, A431, A433, or A434 codes on file. If a putative father has not been cleared (i.e., rights have not been terminated or it has not been determined that the putative father’s consent to adoption is not required), this code should not be entered. Modifier B or C or D required. Only one A499 may be recorded. Cannot invalidate A499 if A500 is present.



A500 - CHILD PHOTO-LISTING REQUEST SENT

Definition and Uses

[A500 - Child Photo-Listing Request Sent] This code is entered when the district or agency has mailed the registration (DSS-2703 + photograph + description). All children who have been in care 90 days or more must be photo-listed within 10 days of being freed, except those freed children already placed in approved adoptive homes, those children whose referral may be waived (see code A512), and those children whose photo-listing may be waived (see code A516).


Modifiers None


The date of event is the date the request is mailed.



A501 - PHOTO-LISTING REQUEST RECEIVED

Definition and Uses

[A501 - Photo-Listing Request Received] This code is entered by NYSAS to indicate that the photo-listing has been received.

Security NYSAS or OCFS staff

Modifiers None


The date of event is the date the request is postmarked.



A505 - CHILD PHOTO-LISTING APPROVED

Definition and Uses

[A505 - Child Photo-Listing Approved] This code is entered by NYSAS to indicate that the child is being published for the first time and provides information on both the date of publication and child’s assigned Blue Book Number.


Modifiers Child’s Blue Book Number: (Field A)

This field is used to record the child’s Blue Book Number. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A505 entry is saved.


The date of event is the date the child’s picture and summary are published.



A507 - CHILD PHOTO-LISTING DISAPPROVED

Definition and Uses

[A507 - Child Photo-Listing Disapproved] This code is entered by NYSAS to indicate that the referral for photo-listing does not meet guidelines for photo-listing.


Modifiers Guideline Not Met: (Field A)

This field is used to record whether a better photograph, summary, or both photograph and summary are needed to meet the guidelines for photo-listing. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A507 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - NEED BETTER PHOTOGRAPH B - NEED BETTER SUMMARY C - NEED BETTER PHOTOGRAPH AND SUMMARY


The date of event is the date of review of the DSS-2703.



A508 - UPDATED PHOTO-LISTING REQUIRED

Definition and Uses

[A508 - Updated Photo-Listing Required] This code is entered by NYSAS as a reminder to notify districts and agencies that a child’s photo-listing needs to be updated. (DSS-2703 + photograph + description). This notification is generally sent 4 to 6 weeks prior to the current photo-listing expiring. A photo-listing automatically expires after 18 months and such child must be photo-listed again if otherwise required.


Modifiers None


The date of event is the date the notification letter is sent to the district/agency.



A509 - NEW PHOTO-LISTING APPROVED

Definition and Uses

[A509 - New Photo-Listing Approved] This code is entered by NYSAS to indicate that the child’s publication is being updated and provides the information on both the date of the new publication and the child’s newly assigned Blue Book Number.

Security NYSAS staff or OCFS staff

Modifiers Child’s Blue Book Number: (Field A)

This field is used to record the child’s Blue Book Number. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A509 entry is saved.


The date of event is the date the child’s picture and summary are published.



A512 - WAIVER OF REFERRAL

Definition and Uses

[A512 - Waiver of Referral] This code is entered when the district or agency determines that a written referral for photo-listing is not required. This is either because the child has been placed with a foster parent who has expressed, in writing, an interest in adopting the child OR the agency has identified two or more prospective adoptive placements for the child. If a foster parent withdraws his or her interest in adopting the child or is disapproved as the adoptive parent, the child must be referred to NYSAS.


Modifiers Reason Removed – Referral: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the method used to free the child for adoption. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A512 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - FOS PAR INT ADP CHLD B - ID TWO OR MRE PLCMTS


This code is used only for a child who has not been photo-listed before. If child has already been photo-listed and a hold is being requested, use code A520. A499 must be on file prior to this activity. Only one A512 is permitted per tracking period. System-generated To and From dates.



A513 - WAIVER REMOVED / NEEDS REFERRAL

Definition and Uses

[A513 - Waiver Removed / Needs Referral] This code is entered when the district or agency determines that the condition represented by code A512 is no longer applicable or the child, who previously did not consent to adoption, now consents.


Modifiers Reason Removed – Referral: (Field A)

[Required] This field is used to record the reason the waiver is removed. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A513 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - CHILD 14, CONSENTS B - NO POTENTIAL PLACMTS C - FOST PRNTS NO INTRST


A499 must be on file prior to this activity. Only one A513 is permitted per tracking period. Must have previous A512 or A516. If A512 is present, modifier must be consistent.



A514 - DELAY IN PHOTO-LISTING

Definition and Uses

[A514 - Delay in Photo-Listing] This code is entered by NYSAS to indicate that the request for delay in photo-listing of a child who is not emotionally prepared for adoption has been approved. Approval is based on NYSAS’ receipt of DSS-2703, Parts I and II + photograph + narrative + written statement from psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker verifying that the child is not emotionally prepared for adoptive placement. Approval of a delay in photo-listing will be given for a one-time period of 6 months from the date of A499. If the child is not placed in an adoptive home by the end of the 6 month period, the child will be immediately photo-listed. There will be no extensions on delays.

Security NYSAS staff

Modifiers Reason of the Request of Delay: (Field A)

This field is used to record the reason of the request of delay. This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A514 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - CHILD NOT EMOTIONALLY READY

Freed Date: (Field B)

This field is used to record the freed date and is system-generated.

Freed Date Plus 6 Months: (Field C)

This field is used to record the freed date plus 6 months and is system-generated.


The date of event is the date the delay is requested.



A516 - NOTIFICATION OF PHOTO-LIST WAIVER

Definition and Uses

[A516 - Notification of Photo-list Waiver] This code is entered when the district or agency is requesting a waiver of photo-listing of a freed child because the child is age 14 or over and will not consent to adoption. A waiver is automatically in effect for a freed child in kinship care whose Permanency Planning Goal (PPG) is not adoption; therefore, no special waiver code is necessary for that situation.


Modifiers Photo-List Waiver: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A516 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - CHILD 14, NO CONSENT


If a child’s PPG changes to adoption, the child must be referred to NYSAS within five (5) working days of the change. Child must be at least 14 years of age. A499 must be on file prior to this activity. Only one A516 is permitted per tracking period.



A520 - NYSAS PHOTO HOLD REQUESTED

Definition and Uses

[A520 - NYSAS Photo Hold Requested] This code is entered when the district or agency requests a hold on the photo-listing of a child who is already listed. The hold prevents further inquiries on the child.


Modifiers Reas.hold Req/apprv: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A520 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - TOO MANY INQUIRIES B - CHILD VISITING HOME C - CHLD NOT EMTNLY RDY D - FOS PAR INT ADP CHLD E - ID TWO OR MRE PLCMTS


A505 must be on file prior to this activity.



A530 - NYSAS SUBSIDY REQUESTED

Definition and Uses

[A530 - NYSAS Subsidy Requested] This code is entered by the district when they have made a preliminary decision regarding a subsidy. NYSAS will reply with acceptance or rejection.


Modifiers Type Subsidy Child: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A530 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1A - HANDICAPPED 2A - HARD TO PLACE-OTHER 2B - HARD TO PLACE-AGE 2C - HARD TO PLACE-SIBS 2D - HARD TO PLACE-6 MOS. 2E - HARD TO PLACE-18 MOS.

Type Adopt. subsidy: (Field B)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier B when the A530 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - MAINTENANCE ONLY B - MEDICAL ONLY C - MAINT .AND MEDICAL D - IV-E MAINT-MEDICAL E - COBRA


None



A533 - LOCAL DISTRICT ADOPTION SUBSIDY APPRVS-HNDCPD

Definition and Uses

[A533 - Local District Adoption Subsidy Apprvs-Hndcpd] This code is no longer necessary or available. This code was historically used by districts to identify the date an adoption subsidy agreement was approved for a child who met the definition of a handicapped child in NYCRR 421.24(a)(2). The district’s adoption subsidy approval date has been available in the Adoption Subsidy electronic database since September 2010.


Modifiers LDSS Type Child-Hand: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A533 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1A - Handicapped



Handicaps: (Field C)

[Optional] This field corresponds to Modifier C when the A533 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - MEDICAL B - PHYSICAL C - BEHAVIORAL D - EMOTIONAL E - SCHOLASTIC F - DEVELOPMENTAL

Special Handicaps: (Field D)

[Optional] This field corresponds to Modifier D when the A533 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - AUTISM B - BLIND C - CEREBRAL PALSY D - DOWN’S SYNDROME E - HYDROCEPHALIS


F - DEAF G - SPINA BIFIDA


None



A534 - LOCAL DISTRICT ADOPTION SUBSIDY APPRVS-HRD TO PLC

Definition and Uses

[A534 - Local District Adoption Subsidy Apprvs-Hrd To Plc] This code is no longer necessary or available. This code was historically used by districts to identify the date an adoption subsidy agreement was approved for a child who met the definition of a hard-to-place child in NYCRR 421.24(a)(3). The district’s adoption subsidy approval date has been available in the Adoption Subsidy electronic database since September 2010.


Modifiers LDSS Type Child-Hard: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A534 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 2A - HARD TO PLACE-OTHER 2B - HARD TO PLACE-AGE 2C - HARD TO PLACE-SIBS 2D - HARD TO PLACE-6 MOS. 2E - HARD TO PLACE-18 MOS.




None



A540 - APPROVED ADOPTIVE HOME

Definition and Uses

[A540 - Approved Adoptive Home] This code is entered after the home study is completed and the home is approved for this child. Child may or may not be in the home.


Modifiers None


None



A549 - CHILD NOT FREE RIGHTS RESTORED (System-generated)

Definition and Uses

[A549 - Child Not Free Rights Restored] This code is a system-generated activity indicating that a child’s rights have been restored and they are not freed for adoption.


Modifiers None


None



A550 - CHILD PLACED IN ADOPTIVE HOME

Definition and Uses

[A550 - Child Placed In Adoptive Home] This code is entered when the child is freed, the home is approved, the child is in the home (or on temporary absence), and an adoptive placement agreement is signed.


Modifiers Type Of Adopt. home: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A550 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: F - CURRENT FOSTER HOME N - NOT CURR.FOSTER HOME


A499 must be on file prior to this activity. Cannot be invalidated if A570, A580, or A590 occurred after the A550 and there is no other A550.



A560 - PAPR SEARCH UTILIZED

Definition and Uses

[A560 - Papr Search Utilized] This code is entered when a paper search is utilized.


Modifiers Result of Search: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A560 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: 1 - ADOPT FAM FOUND 2 - POSS ADOPT FAM FOUND 3 - NO APPRO FAM FOUND


None



A570 - ADOPTION DISRUPTED

Definition and Uses

[A570 - Adoption Disrupted] This code is entered if an adoption fails before finalization. Child may or may not leave home.


Modifiers Reasons Adopt. disrup: (Field A)

[Required] This field corresponds to Modifier A when the A570 entry is saved. Below is a list of appropriate codes for this field: A - AGENCY DECISION B - ADOPT.PAR.DECISION C - CHILD’S REQUEST D - OTHER


Must be dated after the date of code A550. Cannot be entered prior to the date of the A499.



A580 - FAMILY GIVEN PERMISSION TO ADOPT

Definition and Uses

[A580 - Family Given Permission To Adopt] This code is entered when the period of supervision is ended and the agency had decided to give permission for the family to contact an attorney, and to move ahead with legal adoption in court.


Modifiers None


Must be dated after the date of code A550. Code may not be entered before A499.



A590 - PETITION FOR LEGAL ADOPTION FILED

Definition and Uses

[A590 - Petition for Legal Adoption Filed] This code is entered when the adoptive family files the petition for legal adoption.


Modifiers None


Must be dated after the date of code A550. Code may not be entered before A499.



A599 - CHILD WAS LEGALLY ADOPTED

Definition and Uses

[A599 - Child Was Legally Adopted] This code is entered when the adoption is finalized. A Welfare Management System (WMS) closing code of 573 or 574 will also generate this code.


Modifiers None


Only one A599 is allowed per tracking period. If an M999 is entered with a reason for discharge 573 or 574, an A599 is system-generated if one does not exist.



Module 8: Outputs & Reports

Outputs and Reports There are two reports that are accessible from the NAVIGATION PANE.

1. The Activity Person Information Report provides information for the specific WMS/FSS number searched. The report will include information on every individual on the specific case including CIN, track indicator, track status, start date, and the Family Relationship Matrix if available.

2. The Activity Report is enabled only when a specific child/CIN is selected and will contain

current and invalidated activities for that CIN. The report contains case information such as WMS case number, Case Status, CID, and child-specific information such as name, date of birth, and CIN. Sealed information, such as an A599 - Child was Legally Adopted activity, will be available for up to 60 days after which the Activity Report link will be disabled. The Activity Report can also be narrowed down to specific activity types when generating the report.

Accessing Reports These reports may be viewed via their respective links in the NAVIGATION PANE, which will enable based on your role and Business Function. The Activity Person Information Report link will be available when you have access to at least one person in the case or stage that was searched. The Activity Report link will be available if your district/agency is assigned Primary Responsibility and you have a Business Function or role.


Accessing the Activity Person Information Report 1 Click the Search/Maintain drop-down menu and select “Activities.”

The Activities window displays.

2 Enter the appropriate CIN, WMS Case #, or Stage ID. The Search button enables.

3 Click the Search button. The case records display.

4 Select a child from the grid. The Activity Person Information Report link enables.

5 Click the Activity Person Information Report link. The report displays in PDF format, is not modifiable, and may be printed.

6 Close the report by clicking the X in the upper right-hand corner of the window, or by clicking the File menu and selecting the Exit command.


Accessing the Activity Report

1 Click the Search/Maintain drop-down menu and select “Activities.” The Activities window displays.

2 Enter the appropriate CIN, WMS Case #, or Stage ID. The Search button enables.

3 Click the Search button. The case records display.

4 Select a child from the grid. The Activity Report link enables.

5 Click the Activity Report link. The Generate Activity Report window displays for the selected child.

6 Select one or more Activity Report types using the checkboxes. The Run Report and Clear buttons enable. Selecting the All Activities checkbox will return every Activity on the track for the selected CIN and will disable all other checkboxes. Selecting the Current Track Activities checkbox will return only Activities on the current track. Earlier Activities, under a track that is now closed, will not be returned on the Activity Report.

7 Click the Run Report button. The report displays in PDF format, is not modifiable, and may be printed.

8 Close the report by clicking the X button in the upper right-hand corner of the window, or by clicking the File menu and selecting the Exit command.


Module 9: Resources

The HELPFUL INFO Tab in CONNECTIONS The HELPFUL INFO tab contains a filterable grid featuring CONNECTIONS Tip Sheets, Job Aids, and other valuable documentation. By default, the documents are organized first by area, then by document type, then by document description. A document can be opened by clicking the Navigate link associated with it. Filter rows can be used to quickly locate specific documents or sets of documents.

OCFS Intranet and Internet Sites The OCFS CONNECTIONS Internet and intranet sites provide specific information about CONNECTIONS, such as Build information, training schedules, and Quick Start Guides. There is also important security awareness information posted on the Security page. Updates regarding the CONNECTIONS Transformation are also posted to these sites.

OCFS CONNECTIONS Internet site: https://ocfs.ny.gov/connect/Default.asp OCFS CONNECTIONS intranet site:

http://ocfs.state.nyenet/connect/

OCFS Regional Implementation Staff If you cannot find the answer to your question(s) through either of the online options already mentioned, you can contact one of the many statewide CONNECTIONS Regional Implementation staff members. The current list of members is always available on the OCFS CONNECTIONS Internet and intranet sites:

on the Internet: https://ocfs.ny.gov/connect/contact.asp

on the intranet: http://ocfs.state.nyenet/connect/contact.asp


Application Help Mailbox The NYS CONNECTIONS User Support/Triage staff can assist users with complex application issues. It is required to contact the ITS Service Desk and receive a ticket number prior to contacting the Application Help Mailbox. Questions, problems, and concerns can be emailed to:

[email protected]

NYS ITS Service Desk The Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) Service Desk staff is available to answer basic questions related to your equipment, or to solve problems you are having with the CONNECTIONS application. If they cannot solve your problem, they will record your information and forward it to others who can. The ITS Service Desk is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Upon contacting the Service Desk, you will be given a ticket number. Staff can be reached by phone or email at:

Email: [email protected] Chat: https://chat.its.ny.gov

Phone: 1-844-891-1786

Your agency may have procedures in place for contacting the ITS Service Desk. Check with your supervisor before you call.

Professional Development Program Another resource is the CONNECTIONS Training Project of the Professional Development Program (PDP), Rockefeller College, University at Albany. CONNECTIONS trainers can provide you with personal attention and assistance when you have a question about or are experiencing an issue with any area of CONNECTIONS. Be sure to include your name, contact information, and your question or issue. A CONNECTIONS representative will respond as promptly as possible by email and/or phone.

For assistance from a CONNECTIONS representative, contact the Professional Development Program at [email protected].


Module 10: Error Messages

Error Messages CONNECTIONS may generate error messages, which will prevent you from completing an action in the Activities window. This section will review error messages specific to topics and their reason.

Error Messages Searching Activities Window Components Establishing a Track Reopening a Track Recording an Activity A599- Child Was Legally Adopted Invalidating an Activity


Searching

Error Message Reason for Display Case is currently in App/Reg Status – Tracks and Activities may not be entered until full data entry is complete

When performing a search on a WMS Case # that has not completed full data entry and been batched

Case not within district jurisdiction - inquiry denied

For state or district worker, if the CIN is found but there is no match on district

Case not within agency jurisdiction For agency worker (aka VA) if CIN is found but there is no match on agency

Access Denied. Child is tracked in a different case.

If the CIN is tracked in a WMS Case other than that which was entered

Child does not exist in WMS Case. Perform WMS Synch from Family Services Stage.

If the CIN is not currently active in the WMS Case # that was entered

No match found for the criteria entered (Message will display in the case member list grid.)

When no match is found for the WMS Case # or CIN that was entered OR When no records are returned for the entered search criteria

No Match Found for the criteria entered (Message will display in the case member list grid.)

For any user, if CIN is found but there is no match on district or agency

Case is not within district or jurisdiction – access denied

Selecting a person not placed within a facility that belongs to the agency of the logged-on worker

Case is not within district or jurisdiction – access denied

Selecting a person not placed within a facility that belongs to the agency of the logged-on worker, or where the planning responsibility does not equal that of the logged-on worker

Access Denied – Child not placed within your agency

The agency of the logged-on worker will be compared to the agency where the child is placed. If the child is not placed within the agency of the logged-on worker, the error message will display.

Access Denied – No Primary Responsibility or Child not placed within your agency

The agency of the logged-on worker will be compared to the agency where the child is placed. If the logged-on worker’s agency does not have Primary Responsibility, or the child is not placed within the agency of the logged-on worker.


Error Message Reason for Display Case is not within district jurisdiction – access denied

When the logged-on worker is from a district and has an appropriate Business Function, the agency of the logged-on worker will be compared to the Jurisdiction field on the CCRS_Child_Rec record or the Primary Responsibility field. The error message displays if the logged-on worker’s agency does not match.

CIN XXXXXXXX – Invalid AGY/PL RESP If the agency entered in Primary Responsibility field is invalid

Multiple persons have been returned for CIN# XXXXXXXX. Please select correct person from the below list.

Search returns multiple persons with the same CIN


Activities Window Components

Error Message Reason for Display All selections will be cleared. Do you wish to continue?

This message displays if a row is selected after checkboxes have been selected. Selecting ‘Yes’ will clear all selections. Selecting ‘No’ will highlight the row and keep the checkboxes selected.

Unsaved data and/or narrative(s) will be lost. Continue?

Deselecting or selecting another row in the grid when unsaved changes exist

Unsaved changes exist. Please select an option. Save, Discard, Cancel.

Clicking the X in the upper right corner to close the window when unsaved changes exist

Do you want to reset? Unsaved data and/or narrative(s) will be lost.

Clicking the Reset button when unsaved changes exist


Establishing a Track

Error Message Reason for Display TSD PREDATES CID-Y SUPP TRANS DISALLOWED

When attempting to reopen a closed track if the start date of that closed track is prior to the current Case Initiation Date (CID)

CIN: XXXXXXXX – TSD < App Date Track Start Date (TSD) may not be prior to the CID.

CIN: XXXXXXXX – TSD > 21st Birthday When attempting to open a track and the TSD is greater than the child’s 21st birthday

CIN:XXXXXXXX - Invalid TSD Date TSD is greater than today's date.

Invalid Date When an invalid date is entered in any date field

CID change not allowed. New CID of MM/DD/YYYY falls within track period of CIN XXXXXXXX

When the new CID is greater than the TSD for any of the children in the case

Reopening a Track

Error Message Reason for Display CIN: XXXXX open AGY not = Close AGY When attempting to re-open a closed track and the

logged-on worker’s agency does not match the agency of the case (Primary Responsibility)


Recording an Activity

Error Message Reason for Display Invalid Agency/Facility Code If the vendor identification number entered in Facility

Id field is invalid OR If the status of the Home is closed

Activity date greater than today’s date When a future date is entered

Fields A and B cannot be the same When Facility Ids entered in Field A and Field B are the same

Modifier <A,B,C,D> - <Modifier value> not recommended for this event. Do you wish to Save this activity (click OK) or return to the window for modification (click Cancel)?

Non-recommended modifier value message

Activity date must be > or = individual's date of birth

If the entered Date of Activity is prior to the child's date of birth


A599- Child Was Legally Adopted Error Message Reason for Display

You do not have the appropriate security to view this information

When an A599 – Child Was Legally Adopted exists, users with the View Activity and/or Maint Activity Business Function(s) may view and/or maintain Activities up to and including 60 days after the entry of the A599. Message displays when attempt is made after 60 days.


When an A599 – Child Was Legally Adopted exists, users with a role in the open FSS stage that do not have the View Activity or Maint Activity Business Function may view Activities up to and including 60 days after the entry of the A599. Message displays when attempt is made after 60 days.


When an A599 – Child Was Legally Adopted exists and the FSS stage is closed, and the user does not have the View Activity or Maint Activity Business Function(s)


Invalidating an Activity Error Message Reason for Display

Invalidate Disallowed – Sequential Activities If a worker attempts to invalidate an activity and subsequent dependent activities exist on the track

Invalidate Not Allowed – Review Legal Activities on File

If a worker is attempting to invalidate an M990 activity whose Date of Activity is prior to the Date of Activity of an L300 where Modifier B/C = 43 (aka CARE/CUSTODY-LDSS). Worker may need to invalidate the L300 before the M990 can be invalidated.

GXXX – System generated activity – invalidate not possible.

The following system-generated codes cannot be invalidated: G000 - New Perm. Goal - Prevent Placement G100 - New Perm. Goal - Return to Parents G200 - New Perm. Goal - Return to Relatives G250 - New Perm. Goal - Return to PRP G400 - New Perm. Goal - Adoption G600 - New Perm. Goal - Prevent Return G700 - New Perm. Goal - Independent Living G800 - New Perm. Goal - Adult Cust Care G850 - New Perm. Goal - Protect Child G900 - New Perm. Goal - Ind Living Refugee G903 - Initial Assessment Plan Completed G912 - Comprehensive Assess Plan Completed G918 - Reassessment Plan Completed G920 - Discharge Plan Completed G999 - Plan Amendment Completed

1XXX – System generated activity – invalidate not possible.

The following system-generated codes cannot be invalidated: 1010 - Tracking Start Date 1020 - Date of Birth Change 1021 - Sex change 1022 - Tracking Date change 1023 - Recipient ID Change.

A549 – System generated activity – invalidate not possible.

System-generated code cannot be invalidated. A549 - Child not Free Rgts Rstrd

K300 – System generated activity – invalidate not possible.

System-generated code cannot be invalidated. K300 - KinGap Agreement Approved

S100 – System generated activity – invalidate not possible.

System-generated code cannot be invalidated. S100 - Child’s Claiming Category

MEMO – System generated activity – invalidate not possible.

System-generated MEMO cannot be invalidated. MEMO - When Modifier A = ‘DLT M999’


Invalidating an Activity (continued)

Error Message Reason for Display Invalidate Disallowed If an agency worker is invalidating the most recent

S200, the prior S200's Modifier A (LOD) value is compared, and if greater, the error message will display.

Invalidate Disallowed For an agency worker, if there are only two S200s in the list of Activities, either may be invalidated if the remaining S200's Modifier A (LOD) value is not greater. If greater, the error message will display.

This action cannot be reversed. All selected rows will be invalidated. Do you want to continue?

Upon selecting an Activity and clicking the Invalidate link

CONNECTIONS Activities Window Reference Manual Page A-1 Professional Development Program v1.0 (01/22/2020)

Appendix A: Completing Tasks on the Activities Window


Activities Window Components

The Case Details section (shown above) will display the WMS case number, Case Name, Case Initiation Date, Agency, CCRS Case Status, and Stage ID. The WMS Case #, Agency, and Stage ID populate from CONNECTIONS; the CCRS Case Status populates from WMS; and the CID populates from CONNECTIONS (if the case is not yet open in Activities). The agency information is the agency that was searched in the Child/Case Search Criteria section.

Note that if a district changes the Primary Responsibility to a voluntary agency, the agency information in Case Details will not change; it will be the district that still owns the case, not the voluntary agency.

After selecting a child in the Case Details section, three tabs will display and the NAVIGATION PANE will display links that provide access to the Family Relationship Matrix (FRM) and various reports (you cannot maintain information in the FRM from this link):

• The Person Detail tab displays information about the child selected in the Case Member List grid.

• The Track Detail tab contains the details for the opening, closing, or reopening of a track for the selected child (e.g., track status, and track start and closed dates). With the proper security, it also allows you to maintain/update track information.

• The Activities tab displays adoption, close to home, kinship guardianship, legal, memo, goal, movement, and special activities for the selected child. An activity grid will display only if any activities exist for the child.

The Clear button refreshes the entire window, not just the detail fields. Upon clicking Clear:

• search criteria fields clear and reset to their default values;

• search results clear; and

• the NAVIGATION PANE resets.

Case Details


Searching The Activities window provides the ability to search for and view information about individuals receiving foster care, preventive, and pre-adoptive services. When you open the window, the Child/Search Criteria section will be expanded by default; you can collapse or expand it. The Agency field will default to the agency of the logged-on worker.

Conducting a CIN Search on the Activities Window

1 Enter the CIN in the CIN field.

2 Click the Search button.

Conducting a WMS Case Number Search on the Activities Window 1 Enter the WMS case number in the WMS Case # field.


Conducting an FSS Stage ID Search on the Activities Window 1 Enter the FSS stage ID number in the Family Services Stage field.


If the WMS case number or CIN are not found, it may mean that a new FSS has been created in CONNECTIONS and the WMS case number and CIN have not batched to CONNECTIONS. An FSS stage begins in CONNECTIONS and is synched to WMS with a click of the WMS App Reg button. This information is immediately available in WMS once the FSS stage is synched to WMS; you will have to wait until full data entry is complete in WMS before the information is batched to CONNECTIONS (batches are scheduled at night). In other words, if full data entry does not occur in WMS for a particular case, that case will remain in pending status in WMS and the batch job to CONNECTIONS will not pick it up. This may mean a change in business process. You should follow up with your supervisor if you have questions.

Results that are returned will only be where the default agency has Primary Responsibility for the child. When more than one record is found, the record with the open track will display in the grid. Conversely, if the track is closed, the most recent WMS case number and CIN will display.

The Case Details section displays the search results, including the Case Member List grid. By default, no record is selected. Once you select an individual in the grid, the Person Detail, Track Detail, and Activities tabs display with Person Detail as the active tab.


Establishing / Opening a Track The Track Detail tab contains information regarding the track status, track start and closing dates, and Primary Responsibility. It also allows the worker to open, reopen, or modify a child’s Activities track. You cannot modify information on this tab unless you have the MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function.

1 Click the Track Detail tab.

2 Click the Track Options drop-down arrow.

3 Select “Open Track.” The Track Start field enables. The Primary Responsibility field populates with the logged-on worker’s agency code. Only the district can modify this field to another district or voluntary agency. You cannot record in the Entered Agency or Entered Facility date fields; these fields populate based on movement activities.

4 Click the Save button. The record displays in the grid.

Reopening a Track Workers might reopen a track if the track was closed in error, when a case has been transferred to a new district or agency, or when a new WMS case is opened for a child freed for adoption.

1 Click the Track Detail tab.

2 Select the track that is in “Closed” status from the grid. You can only reopen the most recently closed track.

3 Click the Track Options drop-down arrow.

4 Select “Reopen Closed Track.” The Track Start field enables. The Primary Responsibility field populates with the logged-on worker’s agency code. Only the district can modify this field to another district or voluntary agency. You cannot record in the Entered Agency or Entered Facility date fields; these fields populate based on movement activities.

5 Click the Save button. The record displays in the grid.

Recording an Activity After a track is opened, activities must be recorded as timely and accurately as possible. Each activity may or may not require additional modifiers. The following activities are reviewed in other sections of this reference manual:

• Adoption • Close To Home • Kinship • Legal • Memo • Movement • Special

Only district workers

can open a track.


Recording Common Activity Events – Step-by-Step Directions This section contains step-by-step instructions for recording common movement and legal activities on the Activities tab in CONNECTIONS. The examples provided are not all-inclusive.

Recording an M910 – Child Placed 1 Record the date the activity occurred in the Date of

Activity field.

2 Click the Type of Activity drop-down arrow and select “Movement.”

3 Click the Event drop-down arrow and select “M910 - CHILD PLACED.”

4 In the Modifiers section, record the Vendor ID in the Facility Id field.

5 Click the Type of Placement drop-down arrow and select “Non-Relative” or “Relative.”

6 Click the Save button. The activity displays in the grid.

Recording an M950 – Child Begins Absence 1 Record the date of the activity in the Date of Activity field.


3 Click the Event drop-down arrow and select “M950 - CHILD BEGINS ABSENCE.”

4 Click the Reason For Absence drop-down arrow and select the appropriate reason.

5 Record the number of billable days in the # Of Billable Days field. The Anticipated Rtn Date field is for recording the date the child is expected to return. This field is optional.


Recording an M960 – Child Ends Absence 1 Record the date of the activity in the Date of Activity field.


3 Click the Event drop-down arrow and select “M960 - CHILD ENDS ABSENCE.”

4 In the Modifiers section, record the Vendor ID in the Facility Id field.

5 Click the Type of Placement drop-down arrow and select “Non-Relative” or “Relative.”


Movement codes are completed through the Placement Module.

Only district staff with the MAINT ACTIVITY and DIR ACT ENTRY (Direct Activity Entry) Business

Functions can record movements (M910, M960,

M980, M981, and M982) directly on the Activities tab.


Recording an M981 – Intra-Agency Transfer-New Facility 1 Record the date of the activity in the Date of Activity field.


3 Click the Event drop-down arrow and select “M981 - INTRA-AGENCY TRANSFER-NEW FACILITY.”

4 Click the Type of Placement drop-down arrow and select “Non-Relative” or “Relative” (for the new facility).

5 Click the Reason For Transfer drop-down arrow and select the appropriate reason.


Recording an M970 – Child on Trial Discharge 1 Record the date of the activity in the Date of Activity field.


3 Click the Event drop-down arrow and select “M970 - CHILD ON TRIAL DISCHARGE.”

4 Click the Reason For Discharge drop-down arrow and select the appropriate reason.


Recording an M990 – Child Discharged from Foster Care Program 1 Record the date of the activity in the Date of Activity field.


3 Click the Event drop-down arrow and select “M990 - CHILD DISC. FROM FOSTER CARE PROG.”

4 Click the Reason For Discharge drop-down arrow and select the appropriate reason.


Recording an M999 – Child’s Track Closed 1 Record the date of the activity in the Date of Activity field.


3 Click the Event drop-down arrow and select “M999 - CHILD’S TRACK CLOSED.”

4 In the Modifiers section, click the Reason For Discharge drop-down arrow and select the appropriate reason.


Only district workers

can close a track.


Invalidating an Activity When an activity has been recorded inaccurately—whether it’s the date or some component of the activity—the activity must be invalidated. With the MAINT ACTIVITY Business Function, workers are able to record activities and invalidate activities. Activities can only be invalidated individually. There are some activities that cannot be invalidated, such as Movement M999 - Child’s Track Closed. Activities cannot be invalidated if other valid activities are dependent on that activity. For example:

• an M950 (Child Begins Absence) cannot be invalidated if an M960 (Child Ends Absence) occurred after the M950. The M960 would need to be invalidated prior to the invalidation of the M950.

• an M970 (Child on Trial Discharge) cannot be invalidated if an M980 (Child Returned from Trial Discharge) occurred after the M970. The M980 would need to be invalidated prior to the invalidation of the M970.

Remember, movement activities are recorded sequentially and need to be invalidated sequentially. When invalidating an activity that was recorded on the same day, it is permanently deleted and does not show in inquiry when selecting the View Invalid radio button.

If you invalidate and re-enter the same activity exactly the same way on the same day, it may create a problem in BICS. For example, if you found the date of an absence (M950) was incorrect and you have already recorded the return from absence (M960), both entries would need to be invalidated. Since only the date of the absence (M950) needed to be corrected, the return from absence (M960) would be re-entered exactly the same way. Because there is no “time stamp” indicating when, during the day, the return from absence (M960) was invalidated and re-entered, the movements may “stack” incorrectly in BICS. This may result in the child still appearing as absent from care in BICS. To avoid this type of problem, when invalidating and re-entering activities exactly the same way on the same day, you should invalidate the activities one day and re-enter them the following day.

Invalidating an Activity – Example: S200 1 In the Activities grid, select the “S200 - CHILDS LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY” event.

2 Click the Invalid link in the NAVIGATION PANE. The following message displays: “This action cannot be reversed. Selected row will be Invalidated. Do you want to continue?”

3 Click the Yes button. The activity is invalidated.

CONNECTIONS Activities Window Reference Manual Page B-1 Professional Development Program v1.0 (01/22/2020)

Appendix B: M950 Allowable Absences


Children with IVE Eligibility (coded as '02'-IVE in WMS)

Type of Absence IVE Reimbursement Non-IVE Reimbursement Number of NY State Allowable Days for Absence*

Payment for Absence Period becomes Non-Reimbursable when:

SC - AWOL (Absent without official leave)

IVE reimbursement may be received for up to eight (8) days (including the date of absence) of the absence period if the child returns to the same placement within 14 days.

Non-IVE reimbursement may be received for up to eight (8) days (including the date of absence) of the absence period if the IVE criteria is not met.

8** The number of absence days paid is greater than eight (8) days.

SD - SENT TO DETENT FACIL (Sent to detention facility) SQ - VIS POTN FOS/ADOP HM (Visit potential foster/adoptive home)

IVE reimbursement may be received for up to seven (7) days of the absence period if the child returns to same placement within 14 days.

Non-IVE Reimbursement may be received for up to seven (7) days of the absence period if the IVE criteria is not met.

7 The number of absence days paid is greater than seven (7) days.

SO - VACATION SB - HOSPITAL***

IVE reimbursement may be received for up to 14 days of the absence if the child returns to same placement within 14 days.

Non-IVE reimbursement may be received for up to 15 days of the absence period if the IVE criteria is not met.

15 The number of absence days paid is greater than 15 days.

SE - WORK PROGRAM SF - SCHOOL SG - TEMP FOS CARE TRAN (Temporary foster care transfer) SH - OVER STAYED WEEKEND SI - PEND APP OF EXT CARE (Pending application of extended care) SJ - SENT TO JAIL SN - SCHOOL TRIP

No IVE reimbursement is available for this type of absence.

No non-IVE reimbursement is available for this type of absence.

0 Payment is made during the absence period.

ST - RESPITE CARE No IVE reimbursement is available for this type of absence.

Non-IVE reimbursement may be received for up to 21 days of the absence period.****


SK - SCHOOL HOLIDAY SM - RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY SP - WEEKEND VISIT

Not considered an absence for purposes of claiming restrictions and as a result should not be recorded in Activities

*Please review annual limitations regarding the reimbursement of payment for Allowable Absences in the Statewide Standards of Payment (SSOP) manual. The system does not review or count the number of absence days in a calendar year. It is expected that local districts keep records regarding foster care absence days and adjust payment accordingly.

**For NYC, if the type of absence is AWOL and if the child returns from AWOL within seven days, BICS will allow seven (7) days of reimbursement (entry of billable days is not necessary). If the child does not return within seven (7) days of the M950 date, the AWOL absence is not paid.

***Additional days may be allowed for children diagnosed with AIDS or tested positive for HIV or any infections with the probable causative agent of AIDS. See the SSOP Manual for more information.

****Review additional limitations for Respite Care and Services identified in NYS regulation 18 NYCRR 435.5. Respite care is non-reimbursable if provided for less than 24 hours, for a period greater than a 21-consecutive day episode, within a period of seven consecutive days after an episode, or for more than a total of seven weeks per year.

BICS does not review or count the number of absence days in a calendar year. LDSS must keep records regarding the number of foster care absence days and adjust payment accordingly.

Non-IVE reimbursement for IVE-eligible children is claimed as Emergency Assistance to Families (EAF) (for dual eligible children coded as IVE and with a DIR suffix code of 8E) or Federal Non-Participation (FNP) (for children coded as IVE only).


Children with Non-IVE Eligibility (coded in WMS as '01'-Pending IVE, '03' TANF, '04' EAF, '05' SSI-Aged, '06' SSI-Blind, '07' SSI- Disabled by income [Non-Categorical], '08' MA, '09' Refugee Assistance Program-Unaccompanied Refugee Minor, '13'- Home Relief -SNA or 14-Eligibility to be determined by income)

Type of Absence IVE Reimbursement Non-IVE Reimbursement Number of NY State Allowable Days for Absence*

Payment for Absence Period becomes Non-Reimbursable when:

SC - AWOL (Absent without official leave)

Not applicable Non-IVE reimbursement may be received for up to eight (8) days of the absence period (including the date of absence).

8 The number of absence days paid is greater than eight (8) days.

SD - SENT TO DETENT FACIL (Sent to detention facility) SQ - VIS POTN FOS/ADOP HM (Visit to potential foster/adoptive home)

Not applicable Non-IVE Reimbursement may be received for up to seven (7) days of the absence period.

7 The number of absence days paid is greater than seven (7) days.

SO - VACATION SB - HOSPITAL**

Not applicable Non-IVE reimbursement may be received for up to 15 days of the absence period.


SE - WORK PROGRAM SF - SCHOOL SG - TEMP FOS CARE TRAN (Temporary foster care transfer) SH - OVER STAYED WEEKEND SI - PEND APP OF EXT CARE (Pending application of extended care) SJ - SENT TO JAIL SN - SCHOOL TRIP

Not applicable No non-IVE reimbursement is available for this type of absence.

0 Payment is made during the absence period.

ST - RESPITE CARE Not applicable Non-IVE reimbursement may be received for up to 21 days of the absence period.***


SK - SCHOOL HOLIDAY SM - RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY SP - WEEKEND VISIT

Not considered an absence for purposes of claiming restrictions and as a result should not be recorded in Activities

* Please review annual limitations regarding the reimbursement of payment for Allowable Absences in the Statewide Standards of Payment (SSOP) manual. The system does not review or count the number of absence days in a calendar year. It is expected that local districts keep records regarding foster care absence days and adjust payment accordingly.

**Additional days may be allowed for children diagnosed with AIDS or tested positive for HIV or any infections with the probable causative agent of AIDS. See the SSOP Manual for more information.

***Review additional limitations for Respite Care and Services identified in NYS regulation 18 NYCRR 435.5. Respite care is non-reimbursable if provided for less than 24 hours, for a period greater than a 21-consecutive day episode, within a period of seven consecutive days after an episode, or for more than a total of seven weeks per year.

BICS does not review or count the number of absence days in a calendar year. LDSS must keep records regarding the number of foster care absence days and adjust payment accordingly.

Non-IVE reimbursement for children who are not IVE eligible is claimed per the child's WMS eligibility category.

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