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CAPS Policy – Priority Groups No.: CAPS/00-7 Effective Date: 10/01/2016 Revised: 03/02/2026 Revision Effective: 03/02/2026

CAPS Policy Manual

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Child Protective Services (CPS) and court-ordered supervision cases Description Program Requirements Eligibility Requirements Payment Authorization Children who receive a referral from Georgia Child Protective Services (CPS) for child care are considered a priority group for CAPS. This includes children with an active safety plan, an active family plan, or a court order requiring supervision for children 13 years of age or older. Children who need to receive protective services but are not formally involved with CPS may qualify for the Need to Protect priority group as prescribed in CAPS Policy 7.15.

• A referral from Georgia CPS is required. • In cases where a child has been placed in a caregiver’s home by DFCS, that placement will, for CAPS purposes, supersede any biological or legal relationships or family unit structure.

Parents must: • Meet non-financial eligibility requirements (Georgia residency, child citizenship or qualified alien status, immunization, and identity) as prescribed in CAPS Eligibility Requirements Policy (CAPS/00-6). • Meet CAPS income guidelines as prescribed in the CAPS Income Calculations Policy (CAPS/00-8). • The state-approved activity requirement may be waived while the CPS case is open and through the eligibility period.

• CAPS may pay through the end of the eligibility period of the child’s 18th birthday if requested through court order for children in CPS cases.

Children in Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) custody

Description Program Requirements Eligibility Requirements Payment Authorization Children in Georgia DFCS custody are considered a priority group. • There is no distinction in requirements based on where the child in DFCS custody is placed (e.g., relative, non-relative). • Each child will be counted as a family unit of one and will be considered as custodian and the recipient of services. • When there is a sibling group in DFCS custody, each child eligible for CAPS will have a separate CAPS case. • No family fee will be assessed for children in DFCS custody. • A referral from DFCS Social Services stating need for child care services and verification that the child is in the custody of DFCS in Georgia are required. • Children who receive CAPS under this priority group who go home or to another permanent placement will continue to be eligible for CAPS for the remainder of the 12- month eligibility period so long as the family meets residency requirements and the family’s gross applicable income does not exceed 85% of the state median income. • Verification of the child’s citizenship or qualified alien status as prescribed in CAPS Eligibility Requirements Policy (CAPS/00-6). • Current immunization as prescribed in CAPS Eligibility Requirements Policy (CAPS/00-6). • Because children in this priority group are considered a family unit of one, foster parents are not required to meet income or activity requirements.

• CAPS will reimburse up to the child care provider’s published rate barring any discount or scholarship as applied to children not in DFCS custody. • CAPS will pay informal providers the CAPS maximum reimbursement rate based on the chart located in Appendix C and may approve a negotiated rate. • Refer to the CAPS Purchase of Child Care through Scholarships Policy (CAPS/00-10) for payment rates related to children in DFCS custody. • In addition to licensed or CAPS- eligible exempt programs, informal providers may be selected for children in DFCS custody, as prescribed in CAPS Participating Providers Policy (CAPS/00-11).