| Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 22 § 4062
Maine
Revised Statutes
Title
22. Health and Welfare
Subtitle 3. Income Supplementation
Part 3. Children
Chapter
1071. Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act
Subchapter
7. Care of Child in Custody
§ 4062. Payments
1. Payments
by department.
The department shall provide payments to facilities caring for children
to meet the costs of clothing, board and care, within the limits of available
funds. The department may establish, by rule, different categories of
facilities, levels of need and care and flat-rate or reimbursement methods
to distribute these funds. The department may provide child care and travel
expense payments to foster and adoptive parents and trainers participating
in foster and adoptive parent training programs and volunteers participating
in the administrative case review program.
Notwithstanding
section 4061, subsection 3, any federally recognized Indian tribe in this
State or any Indian foster family home is eligible for benefits and reimbursement
under any state or federally funded program administered by the State
for the benefit of Maine children, including, but not limited to, children
within the jurisdiction of the Passamaquoddy Tribe or Penobscot Indian
Nation under the Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 United States Code, Section
1901, et seq.
2.
Unexpended balance.
An unexpended balance of funds for these purposes shall not be transferred
to another account and shall not lapse.
3.
Priority of payments.
The department shall ensure that payments for foster care made under this
subchapter have the same priority as payments for temporary assistance
for needy families pursuant to section 3769, subsection 1.
4.
Kinship preference.
In the residential placement of a child, the department shall
consider giving preference to an adult relative over a nonrelated caregiver
when determining placement for a child, as long as the related caregiver
meets all relevant state child protection standards.
CREDIT(S)
1979, c. 733, § 18;
1985, c. 521, eff. Jan. 30, 1986; 1991, c. 747, § 4; 1997, c. 530,
§ A-31, eff. June 12, 1997; 1999, c. 382, § 1; 1999, c. 392,
§ 1.
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