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Hoosier Care Connect to replace Care Select for foster kids

We have been notified that a new Medicaid program will be rolled out to replace Care Select. The new program is called “Hoosier Care Connect,” and is being rolled out for eligible foster children by DCS’s Medicaid Enrollment Unit.

Foster parents will receive a letter outlining these changes (also available here). Some key details are provided below. As always, contact us with any questions you may have.

Highlights of the change

  • Hoosier Care Connect is a new Medicaid program for DCS youth that will replace Care Select
  • As of July 1, 2015, the Care Select program will be going away
  • DCS’s Medicaid Enrollment Unit is responsible for enrolling eligible children on Hoosier Care Connect
  • Initially, only children and youth currently on Care Select that are eligible will be enrolled in Hoosier Care Connect.  DCS is still identifying the best approach for identifying children in out-of-home care that are appropriate for opting in to Hoosier Care Connect.  The immediate focus is on children currently enrolled in Care Select, focusing on those children with multiple needs or special conditions such as asthma or heart problems.

The role of foster parents

  • If the child is enrolled in Hoosier Care Connect, the foster parents will be responsible for assisting in completion of an initial health assessment upon entry into the Hoosier Care Connect program.  This is a questionnaire that may require coordination with the child’s FCM to complete.
  • The Managed Care Entity may also contact foster parents regarding selecting a primary medical provider.

Judge Moores Raises Awareness Around Importance of Foster Homes

Thank you, Judge Moores for bringing awareness to the critical need for more foster homes!

Know someone who is considering fostering? Please have them call 317-893-0207, or email .

Adult and Child Center offers monthly training opportunities for individuals interested in fostering. Our next training is scheduled for Saturday, May 16.

IN*SOURCE Provides Training on Special Education

IN*SOURCE provides a host of trainings (both workshops and webinars) to help parents with special needs children and youth. These trainings do count toward our foster parents’ annual training requirement. In order to get credit for completing the training(s), foster parents will need to submit a certificate to Susan Peterson. This certificate is typically provided by IN*SOURCE, or can be printed at home.

WORKSHOPS : Special Education Trainings for Parents and Professionals
If you are interested in attending any of these trainings/workshops, please contact the contact person listed for more information. If you are interested in scheduling a training/workshop, please contact Scott Carson at IN*SOURCE, (574) 234-7101 or (800) 332-4433.

Upcoming workshops include:

  • Special Education 101 / Saturday, April 11, 2015 / 10:00-12:00 noon EDT
  • The Special Education Process: Understanding Article 7 / Saturday, April 11, 2015 / 9:30-11:30 a.m. CDT
  • Your Dependent with Special Needs – Making Their Future More Secure / Monday, April 27, 2015 / 6:30 p.m. CDT
  • Transition to Adult Life / Thursday, April 30, 2015 / 12:00-2:30 p.m. CDT

Many Webinars are archived and available at your convenience; among the many available are:

  • Advocating for the Special Needs Foster Child
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): Characteristics, Practical Strategies, & Potential Supports
  • Bullying at School and Children with Autism
  • Facilitated IEP Services
  • (The) Facts About Charter Schools and Special Education

Expert Advice: Summer Camp for Special Needs Kids

Jenni Newbury Ross, Executive Director for PALS Programs, recently posted “Your special needs child can feel free and bloom at summer camp.” In this article, she offers guidance on how to select a summer camp, including “do’s” and “don’ts” like:

Do: 

  • focus on age-appropriate options
  • understand the camp’s vision
  • contact the camp before applying
  • prepare your child for the experience
  • encourage your child to try new things

Don’t

  • allow location to limit your options
  • be afraid of high tuition costs
  • misrepresent your child’s needs
  • forget to give your child space to grow
  • underestimate your child’s capabilities

A helpful article for anyone considering summer camp options!

IN*SOURCE Webinar: Transition to Adult Services

Planning for a student’s transition from school to adult life can be complex.  It may include post-secondary education or training and/or community employment, community living and leisure opportunities with family and friends.

IN*SOURCE is hosting a webinar on Monday, March 30, from 7-8:30 p.m. for parents of transition-age youth. This webinar will help parents understand some of the issues addressed in the transition planning process, including: the transition IEP; the roles of the student and family; accessing adult services and supports; the importance of the Rehabilitation Act to transition-age students.

  • When: Monday, March 30, 7-8:30 p.m.
  • Where: Online/ Webinar
  • Registration: Register online by Friday, March 27
  • Please note: Space is limited; registration will be capped. Alternately, if fewer than 3 registrations are received, this webinar may be cancelled.

Presented by Cathy Boswell,  IN*SOURCE Regional Program Specialist. For more information, please contact her at (219) 552-1992 or .

 

TOP Spring Bash is April 22

The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is hosting a FREE Spring Bash at Garfield Park on April 22, 4:30 – 7 p.m. The evening includes a DJ, free raffle, food, games, prizes, and a service learning opportunity. It will be lots of fun, and is open to students/youth ages 12 – 19.

Learn more here, or call Amanda Reuter at 317-946-9465 or Freddie King at 317-430-6278.

Indiana DCS Provides Coverage for Foster Parents

The Indiana Department of Child Services provides a foster parent insurance policy to cover incidents that occur while a foster child is in care.

The foster parent insurance policy is provided through Arthur Gallagher/Foster Parent Professionals. DCS will seek to auto-enroll foster parents into the policy coverage when an initial placement occurs into a foster home. When this occurs, foster parents should receive a letter from DCS confirming their enrollment. However, any licensed foster parent is eligible to enroll in the policy at any time by contacting the email address listed at the conclusion of this document.

See details of the coverage here.

Access the claim form here.

Kinship Care Workshop for Grandparents

The Shelby County Public Library is hosting a free workshop for grandparents who are providing kinship care for their grandchildren. The “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren / Kinship Care Workshop” will be held Monday, March 2, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Attendance is limited to 35 adults, with childcare available to workshop attendees for up to 15 children/youth. Registration is required.

What: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren/ Kinship Care Workshop
When: Monday, March 2 / 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Shelby County Public Library, Carnegie East Wing (57 W Broadway St., Shelbyville, IN)
How: Registration required; call 317-398-0127

“In-Classroom” Training Available at Home

Adult and Child Center is offering field training for foster parents – a customized approach to training that is offered at your home. Field training is an opportunity for you to address the immediate behavioral health needs of the foster children in your care, provide support to you as a foster parent in working with the children on the needed skills, and also give you credit towards your annual training requirements (up to 4 hours each year, per child in your care; maximum of 8 hours per year total training). The goal of this personalized approach is to meet the present needs of the children in your care – with an added benefit of receiving training credit.

Details about field training are included here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is field training? Field training is a customized approach to educating foster parents. When a foster care staff member works with a foster child on a specific skill, or behavior management technique, that foster care staff member will then follow up with the foster parents so the guidance can be continued in the staff member’s absence.

How much training credit will I get? Foster parents will receive credit for training, based on the amount of time the foster care staff member spent educating them on the skill building/behavior management technique, rounded up to the nearest 15 minutes. (See the “Field Training Parameters” for more detail)

What do I need to do to get credit? First, spend time with the foster care staff understanding the skill building/behavior management technique. Then, use what you learned to address that behavior with the foster child. Finally, complete the “Foster Parent Field Training Credit” form (available as a Word file or PDF) and return it to: Adult and Child Center/ Attn: TFC Licensing/ 603 E Washington St., Suite 700/ Indianapolis, IN 46204.

I’ve read the Field Training Credit information and still have questions! No problem – contact our licensing staff at 893-0207.

1.5 Training Credit Hours Available Online; Register by Friday

IN*SOURCE is offering a FREE online training entitled “Preparing for Your Student’s Special Education Case Conference” on Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Case conferences can be confusing and stressful for parents. This webinar helps parents identify issues of concern, organize documents, prepare information, and communicate effectively during the case conference.  This class will help parents become their child’s best advocate and build positive relationships with school personnel.  Presented by Cathy Boswell, IN*SOURCE Regional Program Specialist.

Please note that if fewer than 3 registrations are received, the workshop may be cancelled.  This webinar is free and is open to the public. Contact Cathy Boswell with questions, or for more information () – (219) 552-1992. 

What: “Preparing for Your Student’s Special Education Case Conference”
Where: Webinar
When: Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 10-11:30 a.m.
Please note: Registration required by Friday, Feb 6.
Training Credits: Foster parents who attend the training will receive 1.5 credit hours. You must pre-register per instructions in order to participate. Please make sure you receive a certificate or other documentation showing that you participated. Each foster parent in a home must register and send a certificate to Susan Peterson at in order to receive training credit.