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8.5C. Guardianship Assistance Program, Payments
Answer
Yes. However, neither the GAP payment nor the adoption assistance payment can exceed the amount of the foster care maintenance payment which the child would have received had the child remained in a foster family home.
Source/Date
5/29/2009
Legal and Related References
Social Security Act § section 473(d)(2)
Answer
No. Section 473(d)(1)(B)(iv) of the Social Security Act provides that a GAP agreement must specify, among other things, that the title IV-E agency will pay the ?total cost of nonrecurring expenses associated with obtaining legal guardianship of the child, to the extent the total cost does not exceed $2,000.? Such language does not permit a title IV-E agency the discretion to establish such a cap on specific items that qualify as nonrecurring expenses.
Source/Date
2/24/2011
Legal and Related References
Social Security Act § section 473(d)(1)(B)(iv)
Answer
Yes. The title IV-E agency may provide title IV-E payments to a relative guardian on behalf of the child when living outside of the U.S. The already established guardian must have entered into a guardianship agreement with the title IV-E agency on behalf of an eligible child.
Source/Date
2/24/2011
Legal and Related References
Social Security Act § section 473(d)(1)
Answer
No. A title IV-E agency must make the payments to the relative guardian(s) per section 473(d)(1)(A) of the Act which specifies that the guardianship assistance agreement is between the agency and the relative guardian(s).
Source/Date
5/6/2013
Legal and Related References
Social Security Act § section 473(d)
Answer
Yes. A title IV-E agency must ensure that a youth receiving a title IV-E guardianship assistance payment under section 475(8)(B) of the Act meets the education and employment criteria or is no longer incapable of meeting any of these criteria due to a medical condition, as elected by the title IV-E agency. Once a title IV-E agency determines that a youth no longer meets the criteria, the agency must discontinue title IV-E guardianship assistance payments for the youth. However, if the youth meets the criteria at a later time, the title IV-E agency may resume payments to the youth.
Source/Date
5/6/2013
Legal and Related References
Social Security Act § section 475(8)(B); ACYF-CB-PI-10-11
Answer
Yes. An agreement is required between the successor guardian and the title IV-E agency. This guardianship assistance agreement must specify that the agency will pay the total cost of nonrecurring expenses associated with obtaining legal guardianship of the child to the extent the total cost does not exceed $2,000, per section 473(d)(1)(B) of the Act. The nonrecurring expenses limit is applied per guardianship.
Source/Date
8/26/2015
Legal and Related References
Social Security Act – sections 473(d)(1), 473(d)(3)(C), Child Welfare Policy Manual Section 8.5 Question/Answer 7