Flexible Funding Guidelines 624-10-40-15

(Revised 1/15/2011 ML #3257)

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Regional Chafee Independent Living Programs will be provided with a flex fund budget. This will be the total amount of funds available to the Region for the fiscal year, and there will be no additional funds available from the Department. These funds are to be made available to eligible youth, who are actively participating in services with the Chafee IL Coordinator throughout the region, not just the county where the program is located.

 

The Chafee IL Coordinators are responsible for tracking these expenditures to assure that they do not pay out more funds to youth than can be reimbursed. These funds are to be used in their entirety as a flexible funding source to assist youth with meeting the goals on their established care plan/Chafee IL Plan. Agencies will have the flexibility to develop their own procedures regarding the disbursement of funds to youth.

 

The following state and federal requirements must be followed by agencies providing Chafee services:

• Chafee IL Coordinators must complete the Chafee Funding Request Form documenting youth eligibility and the funding justification.
• Youth receiving funding must be full participants in the Chafee IL Program and have an established care plan or Chafee IL Plan.
• Funding will be utilized to meet the transition goals specific to the youth’s needs.
• The Chafee Independent Living Program is not to be used as strictly a “funding source”.  The funding is limited, and existing community resources and other funding sources should be exhausted prior to utilizing Chafee funds.
• Flex funds can only be dispersed to youth meeting eligibility criteria.
• Provider agencies are responsible for documenting and keeping receipts of all program and youth flex fund expenditures.
• Provider agencies must record individual youth expenditures; clearly indicating which expenditures are designated General Flex and which are Room and Board Flex Funds.
• Funding expenditures will be viewed annually during the Provider Agency Quality Assurance Review and will be reported to the Department of Human Services in the year-end report.  
• 100% of flex funds must be used as direct financial assistance and/or incentives to youth.  Any remaining funds will be returned to the Department each year.
• Agencies will not be reimbursed for flex fund expenditures over and above the annual amount awarded to the agency.
• Provider Agencies must submit the total monthly flex fund expenditures on the Independent Living Monthly Claim Form, to the Department on a monthly basis.
• County provider agencies will be reimbursed by submitting SFN 119 to the Department on a monthly basis.
• Contracted private provider agencies will be reimbursed by submitting SFN 1763 to the Department on a monthly basis.