Current Grant Year Workplan

Version

The principal objectives of AAICAMA’s project are: to facilitate the coordination and provision of medical and post-adoption services in interstate adoption cases and to build state and local child welfare agency capacity to achieve timely permanency for children awaiting adoption by removing geographic barriers to adoption. The Program Narrative contains two parts: (1) a summary of the accomplishments of the Year III and the first six months of Year IV of AAICAMA’s grant as they relate to the 4 subordinate objectives identified in the original grant proposal, and (2) the proposed task plan for Year V.

A. Major Activities and Accomplishments

Following are some of the highlights of AAICAMA’s accomplishments to date:

• Advocated for joinder in ICAMA in New York, Vermont, and Wyoming.  Vermont passed enabling legislation in June 2006 and New York executed a contract for Associate Membership in ICAMA in January 2007 while continuing to work toward full Joiner. Wyoming will introduce legislative action on the ICAMA and the new ICPC simultaneously. The Association also contracted for a professional translation of the ICAMA into Spanish to facilitate joinder by Puerto Rico.
• Updated the all state adoption assistance pages hosted by Child Welfare Information Gateway. Hyperlinks were updated twice each month.
• Partnered with AdoptUsKids to develop comprehensive interstate placement checklists of the ICPC and ICAMA processes for local workers.
• Designed and piloted a Medicaid Power Point Training with the guidance of the Medical Assistance Committee, which was sent to all states.
• Convened a joint meeting with AAICPC in 2006. Provided half day of Compact Administrator training.
• Developed an issue brief, Planning Ahead for Educational Success: The Interjurisdictional Provision of Public Education, to guide workers in securing educational services for children who move or are placed with families in another state during the pre-adoptive period
• Published two issues of Bridges. The e-version was sent to 700 child welfare workers, parents, and other interested individuals and groups.
• Created a comprehensive, chart containing state-specific data for several state adoption laws. The chart highlights the differences in state law which can contribute to delays in interstate placements.
• Developed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in response to the citizenship and identity requirements of provision 6036 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. This document is a guide for adoptive parents to help them ensure their children receive uninterrupted Medicaid in interstate situations. Collaborated with the National Association of State Medicaid Directors and APHSA to analyze the impact of this provision on the receipt of Medicaid in interstate cases. Provided the interstate component to APHSA’s comments letter (on the DRA) sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• Worked with states that collect data on children in interstate situations using state stand-alone databases to determine the feasibility of temporarily sharing their databases with states who are still developing their SACWIS.

B. Proposed Task Plan for Year V:

In Year V, AAICAMA will continue its work to meet the goals of the Adoption Opportunities grant. The detailed plan for Year V will be completed and approved by AAICAMA’s Executive Committee and the Grant Project Officer by the fall of 2007. The activities outlined below reflect the stated association mission crafted at a Strategic Planning meeting in September 2006. The goal of the activities listed below is to ensure the interstate provision and uninterrupted receipt of adoption and medical assistance.

• Assist and advocate for joinder in the Compact by New York, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico and continue to facilitate the final steps in joinder by Vermont.
• Create a multi-level approach to educate states regarding the financial and child-permanency benefits of COBRA reciprocity and advocate to increase the number of state-funded children eligible to receive Medicaid services from their state of residence.
• Provide technical assistance and assess the resulting data to initiate targeted regional audio calls with states in order to: promote interstate cooperation, establish a regular forum for state exchange, and understand state practice differences that affect interstate receipt of services in order to anticipate their affect and establish advance protocol to prevent possible delays.
• Establish strategies and protocols to establish good state practice and improve existing practice to ensure the provision and uninterrupted receipt of adoption and medical assistance service and benefits:
  • Establish good practice.  Create resources and tools to educate state staff on the Interstater Compact on adoption and Medical Assistance and associated data to improve compact administration. 
    • ICAMA orientation: Design and implement a rigorous program for new compact administrators, including quarterly audio training calls, distribution of in-depth training material on compact administration and Medicaid, and needs assessment follow-up calls.
    • ICAMA guide: Develop a reference for state staff on the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance to improve administration and implementation of the Compact.
    • Data: Improve state capacity to collect and use interstate adoption data. 
  • Improve existing practice. Investigate and assess interstate state medical and adoption assistance practices that affect the receipt of services:
    • Medicaid card issuances: Time required issuing Medicaid card to eligible child (waiting period).
    • Use of temporary/emergency Medicaid cards: Availability of emergency Medicaid cards to interstate children during wait period.
    • State coordination: Protocols between states to ensure the receipt of services during wait period (including use of the ICAMA 6.03 Form and preparation/education of parents)
    • Eligibility understanding: Bases for suspension and termination of adoption assistance (including “redetermination” vs. reevaluation of needs for adoption assistance).  Write Issue Brief of state bases and practices and create a model practice.
• Enfranchise and empower adoptive parents to become full partners with states in interstate adoption assistance:
  • Create and distribute an Interstate Parent Checklist to facilitate the navigation of the interstate system.
  • Develop reference on the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (including additional support resources associated with interstate adoption services and benefits).
• Publish and disseminate two issues of Bridges.

Upon receipt of the continuation grant award notice, the President and Program Managers of AAICAMA will meet with the Project Officer to finalize a Year V Work Plan. In addition, AAICAMA will enter into an agreement with the American Public Human Services Association for the provision of Secretariat services. This agreement will be congruent with the AAICAMA-Children’s Bureau cooperative agreement to ensure that all federal requirements are fully met.