Wisconsin Legislative Council - Home page
 
 

Special Committee on Child Welfare Provider Rate Implementation

Chair: Rep. Tamara Grigsby
Vice-Chair:  Sen. Robert Jauch
Legislative Council Staff: Laura Rose and Anne Sappenfield
Member List

The Special Committee is directed to study the implementation of the child welfare rate regulation system provided under s. 49.343, Stats. The committee shall advise the Department of Children and Families (DCF) on the creation of administrative rules for implementing the rate regulation system, including: (a) standards for determining whether a proposed rate is appropriate to the level of services to be provided, the qualifications of a residential care center, group home, or child welfare agency to provide those services, and the reasonable and necessary costs of providing those services; (b) factors for DCF to consider in reviewing a proposed rate; and (c) procedures for reviewing proposed rates, including rate resolution procedures for mediating an agreed-to rate when negotiations fail to produce an agreed-to rate. The committee shall also examine alternative methods of reducing the cost of out-of-home care placements for children.

Recommendations to the Legislature
  • Report to the Legislature 2009-14, Special Committee on Child Welfare Provider Rate Implementation (March 1, 2010).
  • 2009 Assembly Bill 780 and 2009 Senate Bill 567, relating to elimination of surplus retention limitations for residential care centers for children and youth, group homes, and child welfare agencies that provide rate-based services for the Department of Children and Families or a county department of human services or social services; determination of the rates charged by those providers; establishment of a performance-based contracting system for those providers; and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
Recommendations to the Joint Legislative Council (February 24, 2009)
  • Results of the Joint Legislative Council meeting.
  • Proposed Report to the Legislature 2009-14, Special Committee on Child Welfare Provider Rate Implementation (February 15, 2009).
  • LRB-4257/1, relating to elimination of surplus retention limitations for residential care centers for children and youth, group homes, and child welfare agencies that provider rate-based services for the Department of Children and Families or a county department of human services or social services; determination of the rates charged by those providers; establishment of a performance-based contracting system for those providers; and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority.
February 2, 2010 Mail Ballot Results
  • Results of February 2, 2010 mail ballot.
February 2, 2010 Mail Ballot
  • WLC: 0451/1, relating to surplus limitations for providers rate-based services for the department of child and families or a county department, child welfare provider rates, and establishing performance-based contracting for providers of out-of=home residential care for children.
  • Non-legislative recommendations.
January 20, 2010
  • Memo No. 6, Draft Language for Committee Report of Recommended Principles for Child Welfare Rate Setting (January 13, 2010).
  • WLC: 0444/1, relating to factors the department of children and families must consider in reviewing proposed child welfare rates.
  • WLC: 0445/1, relating to exempting child welfare agencies, group homes, and residential care centers for children and youth from surplus limitations under a contract for rate-based services with the department of children and families or a county department.
  • WLC: 0446/1, relating to appeals for child welfare provider rates.
  • WLC: 0447/1, relating to representation of providers of residential services to children in developing administrative rules to govern the establishment of rates for those services.
  • WLC: 0448/1, relating to requiring a neutral third party to review the level of care for an out of home placement that is assigned to a child after an assessment of the child’s needs.
  • WLC: 0449/1, relating to establishing a performance-based contracting system for providers of out-of-home residential care for children.
  • WLC: 0450/1, relating to permitting the department of children and families to increase the per client rate for a residential care center for children and youth, group home, or child welfare agency for services provided beginning on January 1, 2010 and ending on December 31, 2010.
  • Memorandum, Legislative Proposals, from Public Member John Tuohy, Department of Children and Families (January 20, 2010).
  • WAFCA Proposed Edits to the Report of the Special Committee on Child Welfare Provider Rate Implementation, distributed by Public Member Linda Hall (January 20, 2010).
December 17, 2009
  • Memo No. 4, Timelines Under 2009 Wisconsin Act 28, the Biennial Budget Act, for Establishing a Child Welfare Provider Rate Regulation System (December 7, 2009).
  • Memo No. 5, Documents Relating to Child Welfare Provider Rate Implementation (December 10, 2009).
    • Enclosure 1 to Memo No. 5, Outcomes/Deliverables, prepared by Dondieneita Fleary-Simmons, Department of Children and Families.
    • Enclosure 2 to Memo No. 5, documents prepared and/or distributed at the request of Public Member Linda Hall.
  • Email from Ron Hauser regarding information requested (November 17, 2009).
November 17, 2009
  • Memo No. 3, Child Welfare Provider Rates in Selected States (November 12, 2009)
  • Article, Performance-Based Contracting:  The Basics, Foster Family-based Treatment Association, July 2005, distributed by Public Member Linda Hall.
  • Report, Program Standards for Treatment Foster Care (2004), Foster Family-based Treatment Association, distributed by Public Member Linda Hall.
  • Testimony by Saleem El-Amin on behalf of the African American Alliance for Children & Families of Wisconsin (November 17, 2009).
  • Handouts distributed by Jim Maro, President and CEO, St. Rose Youth and Family Center, Inc.:
    • Life Skills Inventory, Independent Living Skills Assessment Tool, Children's Administration, Division of Children and Family Services (12/2000).
    • Clinical record.
    • Initial Behavioral Assessment/Residential Programs (August 6, 2009).
    • Residential Treatment Program, St. Rose Youth & Family Center, Inc.
    • Comprehensive Report, Diagnostic Eveluation Center, St. Rose Youth & Family Center, Inc.
  • Questions for Ron Hauser, Vice President, Lutheran Social Services, distributed by Public Member Linda Hall.
October 15, 2009
  • Memo No. 2, Information From the Department of Children and Families Relating to Trends in Treatment Foster Home Rates and Distribution of Children in Placements Based Upon the Rate Charged for the Placement (October 12, 2009).

  • Article, Treatment Foster Care:  A Cost-Effective Strategy for Treatment of Children with Emotional, Behavioral or Medical Needs, distributed by Joy Anderson, Executive Director, Family Works, Karen Johnson, Director of Treatment Foster Care, St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc., and Brenda Hoskins, Associate Director, My Home Your Home.

  • Testimony distributed by Joy Anderson, Executive Director, Family Works, Karen Johnson, Director of Treatment Foster Care, St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc., and Brenda Hoskins, Associate Director, My Home Your Home.

  • Testimony by Jim Balestrieri, Chief Executive Officer, Oconomowoc Residential Programs.
  • Family Partnerships Initiative -- Goals and Outcome Measures, distributed by Ron Hauser Vice President of Program Services, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc.
  • Testimony by Amelia Franck Meyer, CEO, Anu Family Services, Inc.
  • Outline distributed by Amelia Franck Meyer, CEO, Anu Family Services, Inc.
  • Due to the size of the following reports, hard copies will be available upon request:
    • Anu Family Services (formerly PATH Wisconsin)/Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Year Two:  Permanency Pilot Program, Final Report:  Implementation Study (August 31, 2009).
    • PATH Wisconsin/Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Year Two:  Permanency Pilot Program, Report:  Permanency Pilot Program Description & Research Design for Qualitative Case Study (November 1, 2008).
    • PATH Wisconsin/Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Review of PATH Wisconsin's Model of Service Delivery (June 20, 2008).
    • PATH Wisconsin/Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Review of Outcomes and Evaluation Measures (March 15, 2008).
    • PATH Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Progress Report (October 15, 2007).
    • PATH Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Summary Report (December 1, 2007).
    • PATH Wisconsin/Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Year Two:  Permanency Pilot Program, Mid-Project Summary Report:  Qualitative Case Study (February 9, 2009).
    • PATH/Wisconsin - Bremer Project:  Preventing Placement Disruptions in Foster Care, Final Report (January 15, 2008).
  • Report, Using Yesterday to Shape Tomorrow, Uniting 500,000 Foster Youth voices for one mission, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's 2009 Foster Youth Intern Report, distributed by Heidi Bronsdon, former foster youth and Secretary of the Wisconsin Youth Advisory Council.
  • Handout, Family Partnerships Initiative (FPI), distributed by Ron Hauser, President of Program Services, and Ken Prust, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Services, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.
September 23, 2009
  • Memo No. 1, Background Information on Child Welfare Provider Rates (September 18, 2009).
  • Presentation by Secretary Reggie Bicha, Department of Children and Families (September 23, 2009).