Application of the Considerations to the Allocation of SACWIS Operational Costs
The following is a simplified example of how a State could develop a cost allocation methodology for an operational SACWIS. This example is provided for illustration purposes only. States may propose alternative approaches for allocating these costs.
State X has decided to utilize its existing methodology for allocating non-systems child welfare administrative costs in determining the allocation of SACWIS operational costs. This method is determined to be a reasonable proxy for identifying the specific functions performed in the operation of its SACWIS. The State's child welfare programs are State administered and the SACWIS is utilized by all caseworkers.
Step 1 - The State must identify the pool of quarterly SACWIS operational costs through the establishment of a separate allocation account. This account excludes costs of any external systems performing eligibility or financial management functions as well as any costs for SACWIS development efforts.
Step 2 - The program allocation results of the State's quarterly caseworker random moment study (RMS) are modified to exclude any agency functions that are not associated with the administration of a child welfare program (e.g. Adult Protective Services, Child Care, etc.). This is done because this SACWIS is not used to support other programs that might otherwise need to share in the costs of operating the system. The remaining RMS percentage results are recalculated as a proportion of the entire pool of child welfare activities.
Step 3 - The child welfare only RMS percentage results associated with the administration of the State's foster care (including AFCARS) and adoption assistance programs are identified and summed. All such observations are counted as title IV-E regardless of the eligibility of the case for which the activity is performed. These results, with the exception of activities associated with the performance of social services functions, are entirely allocable to title IV-E for SACWIS operational cost purposes. The social services component is excluded from the foster care/adoption assistance results and allocated to the benefiting program(s) in accordance with the RMS results.
Step 4 - The in-home child welfare RMS results (excluding those activities identified as constituting social services) for administration of child protective, child preventive, family preservation and family support type programs are potentially allocable as title IV-B type administration. The State should identify any portion of these activities that are actually allocated for title IV-B Subparts 1 or 2 claiming. Those RMS percentages should then be added to the title IV-E percentage derived in Step 3 above. It is also possible that some remaining portion of the title IV-B type administration is allocated for claiming through titles XIX or XX, TANF or State funded programs.
Step 5 - The pool of quarterly SACWIS operational costs is
allocated to title IV-E and other benefiting programs based upon
the modified percentages derived in the previous steps.
This example assumes that no programs, other than titles IV-E and
IV-B, benefit from the use of the SACWIS.
Appendix B - List of ACF Regional Offices and Phone Numbers