Eligibility Online Manual
M1201D Foster Care
Purpose: This section will assist in determining eligibility for children in Foster Care.
Current Policy Effective Date: January 1, 2023
Date Last Reviewed: January 20, 2023
Previous Policy: June 1, 2022
POL M1201D: DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR FOSTER CARE
1. Applications Must Be Signed and Dated
All applications must be signed and dated by the DFS Social Worker to be processed.
DFS Authorized Representatives may submit and acquire information about Foster Care cases, but they cannot sign an application or report a change on behalf of the DFS Social Worker.
2. Applicants Must Meet Basic Eligibility Factors
Refer to Section M600 for a description of all basic eligibility factors.
If no Social Security Number is listed on the 501a Applications, benefits must still be authorized.
SSN must be provided by renewal
If a child in DFS custody does not meet citizenship, they are still eligible for Basic Foster Care.
3. Applicants Must Be Under Age 21
Clients who turn 19 are no longer eligible for IV-E Foster Care. Transition these clients to one of the following coverage groups:
Foster Care
Basic Foster Care, if necessary
Institutional Foster Care, if necessary
4. Applicants Must Be In DFS/Tribal Custody
Child is no longer in DFS/Tribal Custody when:
Custody is terminated.
Subsidized Adoption agreement is signed by DFS. Reference Section M1201E.
Subsidized Guardianship agreement is signed by DFS.
5. IV-E Foster Care Will Be Determined by DFS
The DFS Social Worker will inform Medicaid on a 607 Change Form when a child has become IV-E Foster Care eligible.
6. Applicants Living With Parents Not Eligible For IV-E Or State Foster Care
7. Applicants Do Not Meet Income Requirements
Foster Care programs have no income requirements that are determined by the Wyoming Department of Health.
8. Applicants Do Not Have Resource Test
9. Applicants In Public Institutions May Be Eligible For Institutional Foster Care
Institutional Foster Care is for children placed at Wyoming Boys/Wyoming Girls school or in a detention facility. Coverage ends when they are released from DFS/Tribal Custody.
10. Applicants May Have Eligibility For 12 Continuous Months
For regular Foster Care eligibility continues for 12 months from the effective date of eligibility or for 12 months from the last periodic review for children under age 19.
Basic Foster Care and Institutional Foster Care do not have a 12 Continuous month period. Benefits end when custody ends.
11. Eligibility Is Not Affected By Child Support Non-Cooperation
12. Clients Eligible For One Day Are Eligible For Entire Month
13. Clients Not In Wyoming May Retain Benefits
A child who moves out of Wyoming remains eligible when both of the following apply:
Child is in DFS/tribal custody.
Child is not Medicaid eligible in the new state.
14. Clients Must Be Reviewed
Clients must be periodically reviewed every 12 months to determine continued eligibility. Refer to Section M1403 for information on reviewing eligibility.
Clients must be reviewed for other Medicaid program eligibility before closing cases.
15. Clients May Be Eligible for Former Foster Youth After Their 18th Birthday
Children who were in DFS/Foster Care/Tribal custody in Wyoming and on a Federally Funded Medicaid program (Foster Care) at the time of their 18th birthday may apply and be screened for the Former Foster Youth Program. Applicant may be eligible for this program up to the age of 26 if eligibility criteria is met.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Current Wyoming Residency
U.S Citizenship/Immigration status
No income requirement
No resource requirement
Must have been released from DFS/Tribal custody on or after their 18th birthday
Must have been receiving Medicaid under a Federally Funded Foster Care program at the time of release
Institutional Foster Care and Basic Foster Care are not Federally Funded programs and do not meet eligibility criteria for Former Foster Youth
16. Clients on Foster Care Medicaid in Another State on Their 18th Birthday May Be Eligible for Former Foster Youth
If an applicant submits a renewal or new application and indicates they were in Foster Care in a state outside of Wyoming on their 18th birthday, they can be reviewed for Former Foster Youth Medicaid in Wyoming. Applicant may be eligible for this program up to the age of 26 if eligibility criteria is met.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Current Wyoming Residency
U.S Citizenship/Immigration status
No income requirement
No resource requirement
Must have turned 18 on or after 01/01/2023 and simultaneously must have been in Foster Care or Tribal Foster Care in another state on or after 01/01/2023
Self-attestation accepted
17. Clients May Lose Benefits
The case will close on the first day of the next month when any of the following occur:
Client does not complete review
Client enters a public institution
Client is no longer a Wyoming resident
Client dies
Client determined no longer eligible
Client has aged out of the program
Reference:
Defining Group: 42 CFR 435.145
Social Security Act § 1902(e)(12)
Income and Resource: 42 CFR 435.222
Clarifying Information:
A Foster Child is defined as a child who has been placed in DFS/Tribal custody and is in a foster care home or an approved/licensed facility.
Children’s Eligibility Is Not Affected By Child Support Non-Cooperation.
Information on IV-E Can Be Found in the DFS Policy Manual.
Social Worker will Notify Benefit Specialist When Child Moves Out of State.
Children who are reported by DFS or Tribal Foster Care as no longer in Custody should be switched from the Foster Care Program to the Child MAGI program for the remainder of the 12 Continuous Months, except for Institutional or Basic Foster Care.
Being formerly in Foster Care in Wyoming meets the verification requirement for Citizenship, Identity, Date of Birth, and Social Security Number, except for Basic Foster Care program.
Children reported through the DFS office contact can be eligible for Foster Care placement through an Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). Children on an ICPC are only reviewed if there is a change reported through the DFS contact. ICPC children should remain eligible through their placement on the ICPC.