Foster Care: Federal Policy on Title IV-E Share of Training Costs
HRD-94-7
Published: Nov 03, 1993. Publicly Released: Nov 03, 1993.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the availability and use of federal funds for training child welfare workers, focusing on: (1) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy that foster care training costs be allocated proportionately between the title IV-E program and other programs; (2) adherence to the HHS cost-sharing policy; (3) the effect of cost sharing on states' training programs; and (4) changes in funding for title IV-B programs that provide child welfare training grants to institutions of higher learning.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should consider amending the Social Security Act, title IV-E, section 474 (P.L. 96-272), to clarify how states are to allocate foster care training costs for federal payment. Specifically, Congress should make clear whether the federal government will pay for 75 percent of all foster care training costs incurred by each state under its approved title IV-E state plan, which benefits all children whether IV-E eligible or not, or 75 percent of foster care training costs that only benefit IV-E eligible children. | The requester shared the report with the Senate Finance Committee, which could initiate action on the matter. However, the Committee will not be taking any action on this recommendation. |
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Topics
Child care programsCost sharing (finance)Education or training costsEducational grantsEmployee trainingFederal aid to statesstate relationsFoster childrenHealth care personnelState-administered programsChild welfareSocial workers