MIECHV Program Manual

Bureau of Early Childhood Development

Program Manual FY21

I. Introduction/Definition

The Bureau of Early Childhood Development (The Bureau) administers community-based prevention and intervention programs to strengthen capacity of children, adolescents, women and men to make healthy decisions, utilize support systems, access opportunities, and achieve self-sufficiency. The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program is administered by the Bureau in partnership with the Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development.

Using evidence based models as determined by the US Department of Health and Human Services Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness Review, the MIECHV program provides intensive home-visitation services to new and expectant families to strengthen the parent child relationship, encourage healthy child growth and development and nurture parents in their role as the child's first teacher and prevent child abuse and neglect. Models include the following:

Healthy Families Illinois (HFI) - Assists expectant and new parents identified as having a significant risk for child abuse/neglect to reduce that risk through intensive home visiting services.

Parents as Teachers (PAT) - Provides information, support and encouragement to expectant parents and parents with children ages zero to five.

Early Head Start - Home Based (EHS/HB) - Supports and enhances the continuum of infant and toddler growth and development; support parents to fulfill their parental roles and move toward self-sufficiency.

Each MIECHV community will have a coordinated intake process to assure that families have a central point of coordination of entry for services. The coordinated intake provider will assist families in determining the services and supports that are best suited for their needs.

II. Policies and Procedures

Subject to MIECHV Program Staff review and approval, grantees will maintain and adhere to written policies and procedures for at least the following elements:

  1. The characteristics of the population targeted for services include, but are not limited to, geographic area, age, race, ethnicity, language and income. Programs must, at a minimum,
    1. HFI - determined through either the eligibility screen or Parent Survey to be at risk for child abuse and/or neglect and participants should meet at least one MIECHV Priority Population
    2. PAT - participants should meet at least one MIECHV Priority Population
    3. HS/EHS - determined in accordance with the Early Head Start/Head Start performance standards and participants should meet at least one MIECHV Priority Population
  2. Identification and referral of potentially eligible participants within the following time frames:
    1. HFI - Prenatally or within two weeks of birth or at any time based on program's eligibility
    2. PAT - Prenatally or at any time based on the program's eligibility
    3. HS/EHS - Determined in accordance with the Early Head Start/Head Start performance standards.

III. Contract and Amendment Process

  1. Contracts: Contracts are available through the CSA (Community Services Agreement) Tracking System. The Office of Contract Administration will notify all registered grantees of the contract availability via e-mail. Instructions for submission of the contract signature page will be included.
  2. Amendments: If necessary, a provider may file a modification to the Funding Application. Modifications or amendments to the funding and services plan must be submitted by the provider, in writing, and are subject to approval by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

IV. Deliverables/Costs/Payments

  1. Payments to the Provider will be rounded to the nearest $1.00. The final prospective payment may be greater or lesser than the previous payments due to rounding.
  2. In the event the documented services provided by the Provider do not justify the level of award being provided to the Provider, future payments may be withheld or reduced until such time as the services documentation provided by the Provider equals the amounts previously provided to the Provider. Failure of the Provider to provide timely documentation may result in a reduction to the total award.
  3. The final payment from the Department under this Agreement shall be made upon the Department's determination that all requirements under this Agreement have been completed, which determination shall not be unreasonably withheld. Such final payment will be subject to adjustment after the completion of a review of the Provider's records as provided in the Agreement.

V. Provider Responsibilities

MIECHV*

  1. Grantees must submit for MIECHV Program Staff approval a Program Plan in a format/time frame provided by MIECHV Program Staff.
  2. Grantees must maintain local policies and procedures for the following activities:
    1. Tracking trends related to the target population and adjustment to program plans as indicated
    2. Provision of services that are culturally relevant to the population served
    3. Cultural relevance includes, at a minimum, age, race, ethnicity and language
    4. Increase/decrease in the intensity of home visiting services
    5. Termination of home visiting services
    6. Outreach and re-engagement
    7. Transition of families to kindergarten or other Early Childhood Services
    8. Monitoring by caseload and program, the percentage of families who receive 75% or more of the expected home visits
    9. Monitoring of caseload capacity - HV programs that have been active for a year or longer will maintain at least 85% of their maximum service capacity. Maximum service capacity is the highest number of households that could potentially be enrolled at the end of the quarterly reporting period if the program were operating with a full complement of hired and trained home visitors.
    10. Maintenance of a supervisory log/ledger containing documentation of supervision (including reflective supervision), team meetings, field observations, training and other staff development
    11. Maintenance of training log for each direct service staff and supervisor documenting the completion of all job specific and ancillary training
    12. Benchmarks for annual acceptance and retention rates
    13. On-going quality assurance and continuous quality improvement, including client/staff survey
    14. Community advisement
    15. Compliance with mandated reporting requirements
    16. Compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (if the provider is an educational institution)
    17. Developmental Delay Screening, utilizing Ages and Stages, must be completed at the intervals required by the program model.
  3. Grantees will assist participating families to connect with medical providers, and when appropriate, Family Case Management and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.
  4. Grantees will participate in the MIECHV Program's efforts to improve the health and well-being of families enrolled in program services.
  5. Prior approval from the MIECHV Program Staff must be secured prior to any anticipated change to the program model.
  6. The Provider is required to comply with performance standards as delineated by the MIECHV Program Staff.

Staffing, Education and Training Requirements

  1. Program staff should be representative of the ethnic/cultural diversity of the community served and meet the following educational requirements. The ratio of supervisors to direct service staff must be in compliance with the program model requirements.
  2. Program staff, Supervisors, and Home Visitors, must have role-specific training, as required by the specified program model, within six months of hire. Additional training required by the program models must be completed within the time frames specified by the model.

Reporting Requirements

  1. Grantees will maintain, at a minimum, an individual case record for each family enrolled in the home-visiting program.
  2. Utilizing a format provided by the Department, grantees will submit a quarterly Periodic Performance Report (PPR) (pdf) by the 15th day of the month following the end of each quarter.
  3. With written consent from the participant, the provider will use the Visit Tracker information management system, or its successor(s), to record all information on program participants, and the activities of program staff.
  4. The Provider will submit data, in a manner specified by the MIECHV Program Staff, which documents the program's performance on the federally mandated benchmarks for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program.

* There is a possibility of custom exhibits with responsibilities related to professional development, technical assistance and other support to home visiting grantees including family recruitment, evaluation, and data collection.

VI. Department Responsibilities

The Department will provide technical assistance and monitoring for all programs operated under the Division of Family and Community Services.

VII. Support Services

Utilization of Community Resources - It shall be the responsibility of each project director to coordinate the services provided through the project with other sources of care in the community, such as:

  1. Victims Services
  2. Early Intervention
  3. Medical Providers
  4. School Districts
  5. WIC
  6. Family Planning providers
  7. Better Birth Outcomes program
  8. Accountable Care Entities, Managed Care Organizations, Public/Private Health Insurance
  9. Other related social service agencies

Please refer to 77 Ill. Adm. Code 630.160 and 630.170; Other Applicable Rules; and to the program-specific Exhibits for additional requirements.

VIII. Billing Instructions

Grantees shall use the following methodology to document the use of grant funds:

  1. The Provider shall provide summary documentation by line item of actual expenditures incurred for the purchase of goods and services necessary for conducting program activities. The Provider shall use generally accepted accounting practices to record expenditures and revenues as outlined in DHS Rule 509, Fiscal Administrative Recordkeeping and Requirements.
  2. Expenditures shall be recorded in the Provider's records in such a manner as to establish an audit trail for future verification of appropriate use of Agreement funds.
  3. Expenditure documentation shall be submitted in a format defined by the Division of Family and Community Services [the Periodic Financial Report (PFR) (pdf)] on a monthly basis, within fifteen days of the end of the month reported.
  4. The Provider shall submit the expenditure documentation for MIECHV by email to Gov.HomeVisting@illinois.gov
  5. All financial record keeping on the part of the Provider shall be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied.
  6. A Periodic Financial Report Form (xls) as provided by the Department

IX. Program Monitoring

The Provider shall permit Department of Human Services staff, MIECHV Staff and contractors to conduct accompanied and unaccompanied site visits of service delivery grantees for the purpose of observation and discussion of programmatic and operational content and understanding.

X. Program Budget

Grantees agree to establish and utilize a spending plan approved by the Provider's Board of Directors.

XI. Applicable Rules and Statues

The Provider shall provide services as set forth in the pertinent portions of the FCS Program Manual and shall act in accordance with all state and federal statutes and administrative rules applicable to the provision of the services, including, but not limited to the following:

Federal Rules:

  1. 2CFR 200: Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements
  2. 42 CFR 430 et seq.: Medicaid provisions of Title XIX of the Social Security Act and its rules
  3. 42 CFR 431.300 - 431.307: Medicaid provisions of Title XIX of the Social Security Act and its rules, specifically provisions regarding "Safeguarding Information on Applicants and Recipients"
  4. 42 CFR Part 50, Subpart C: Policies of General Applicability, Abortions and Related Medical Services in Federally Assisted Programs of the Public Health Service
  5. 42 CFR 54.1 et seq.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provisions regarding Charitable Choice
  6. 45 CFR Part 16: Procedures of the Departmental Grant Appeals Board
  7. 45 CFR 74 and 45 CFR 75: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provisions regarding Administration of Grants
  8. 45 CFR 260: General Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Provisions

Federal Statutes:

  1. 22 U.S. Code 7102 et seq.: Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act
  2. 42 U.S. Code 290aa et seq.: Public Health Service Act
  3. 42 U.S. Code 701 et seq.: Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant
  4. 42 U.S. Code 5101 et seq.: Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1996
  5. 42 U.S. Code 5601 et seq.: Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
  6. 42 U.S. Code 10401 et seq.: Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
  7. 42 U.S. Code 12501 et seq.: National and Community Service Act of 1990 as amended by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993
  8. 42 U.S. Code 13701 et seq.: Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994
  9. 42 U.S. Code Chapter 7, Subchapter V, Section 701: Authorization of Appropriations

State Rules: Title 44 Illinois Administrative Code

  1. Part 7000: Grant Accountability and Transparency Act

State Rules: Title 77 Illinois Administrative Code

  1. Part 630: Maternal and Child Health Services Code
  2. Part 2030: Award and Monitoring of Funds

State Rules: Title 89 Illinois Administrative Code

  1. Part 130.200: Administration of Social Service Programs, Domestic Violence Shelter and Service Programs
  2. Part 310: Delivery of Youth Services Funded by the Department of Human Services
  3. Part 313: Community Services
  4. Part 334: Administration and Funding of Community-Based Services to Youth
  5. Part 507: Audit Requirements of DHS
  6. Part 509: Fiscal/Administrative Recordkeeping and Requirements
  7. Part 511: Grants and Grant Funds Recovery

State Statutes

  1. 5 ILCS 420/1-101 et seq: Illinois Governmental Ethics Act
  2. 5 ILCS 430 et seq: State Officials and Employees Ethics Act
  3. 20 ILCS 405/405-300 Civil Administrative Code of Illinois
  4. 20 ILCS 505/17: Children and Family Services Act
  5. 20 ILCS 710: Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Services Act
  6. 20 ILCS 1305: Department of Human Services Act
  7. 20 ILCS 2310/55.05: Civil Admin. Code of Illinois
  8. 30 ILCS 105/9.04: State Finance Act
  9. 30 ILCS 105/15a: State Finance Act
  10. 30 ILCS 50/1-1 et seq: Illinois Procurement Code
  11. 30 ILCS 435/15: Human Services Provider Bond Reserve Payment Act
  12. 30 ILCS 500/1-15.60: Illinois Procurement Code
  13. 30 ILCS 500/20-80: Illinois Procurement Code
  14. 30 ILCS 540/1 et seq: State Prompt Payment Act
  15. 30 ILCS 575/0.01 et seq: Business Enterprise Program for Minorities, Females and Persons with Disabilities
  16. 30 ILCS 590/1 et seq: State Agency Employees Child Care Services Act
  17. 30 ILCS 705/1: Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act
  18. 30 ILC 708: Grant Accountability and Transparency Act
  19. 225 ILCS 10: Child Care Act of 1969
  20. 225 ILCS 460/1: Solicitation for Charity Act
  21. 305 ILCS 5/4-12, 9-1, 12-4.5 through 12-4.7, and 12-13: Illinois Public Aid Code
  22. 325 ILCS 5: Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act
  23. 410 ILCS 213: Hearing Screening for Newborns Act
  24. 750 ILCS 30: Emancipation of Minors Act
  25. 750 ILCS 60/227: Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986
  26. 760 ILCS 55/1: Charitable Trust Act
  27. A805 ILCS 5: Business Corporation Act

Note on Provider Audit Requirements

The MIECHV program uses Federal Funds and the Provider may fall under the audit requirements of OMB Circular A-133. This knowledge can be used to avoid unnecessary additional costs when requesting year-end fiscal audits. The Provider is therefore advised to notify their independent auditor (CPA) of this possibility.