Skip to main content

Skip to navigation

The access keys for this page are:

Child in Home of a Relative (CIHR)


Procedures

Processing an Application for CIHR Assistance: February 3, 2011

Eligibility Reviews: September 29, 2011

Screening for Risk: September 29, 2011

Dotted line
Dotted line
Processing an Application for CIHR Assistance: February 3, 2011
February 3, 2011

AS OF MARCH 31, 2010, THE CHILD IN THE HOME OF RELATIVE (CIHR) PROGRAM STOPPED ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS.

Persons who applied for CIHR on or before March 31, 2010 were assessed and grandparented upon acceptance based on regulations existing as of that date and as authorized by the Child in the Home of a Relative Program Transition Regulation.  Ministry of Social Development (SD) continues to administer the CIHR program for these clients.

After March 31, 2010, any clients whose CIHR is discontinued may pursue assistance through community-based services, contact MCFD for assistance under one of its programs, or apply for income assistance through this ministry with the child as a dependent.  (To qualify for income assistance, the family unit must meet all eligibility criteria.)

Top

Dotted line
Eligibility Reviews: September 29, 2011
September 29, 2011

Eligibility reviews should be completed whenever there are changes in the household composition.  This includes when a child in the household turns 18 or another person age 18 or over moves into the CIHR home either full-time or part-time.  Eligibility reviews may also be conducted at the discretion of the worker or the office.  [See the Eligibility Review for Income Assistance for Child in the Home of a Relative form under Forms and Letters.]  

When eligibility reviews are conducted for a CIHR client, the parental signature on the Eligibility Review for Income Assistance for Child in the Home of a Relative (SD3331) form is optional.  Parents should have provided the information collected by this form on the original application for CIHR.  Where this is not the case, parents may be required to complete the form, at the discretion of the worker or the office. 

Parents should be required to complete the Eligibility Review for Income Assistance for Child in the Home of a Relative (SD3331) form when there is any question as to whether the parent is living in the home in which the child is being cared for.

Notification by MCFD of EFP or Other Agreements 

Eligibility for CIHR assistance ends when CIHR clients sign an agreement with MCFD under the Extended Family Program (EFP) or other agreements such as a Section 8, a Child’s Kin and Others or Youth Agreement.  When this occurs, MCFD will advise this ministry of the agreement and CIHR assistance will be discontinued.   The MCFD social worker will use the GA# to determine caseload and office number, and will then fax or e-mail notification to the SD ministry office noting the child’s name and GA#, and the fact that they have signed an agreement for benefits. 

Upon receipt of confirmation that a CIHR client has signed an EFP or other agreement, scan and profile the email or fax, document the information, and follow the procedures for “CIHR Discontinued for Reason Other Than the Screening” below.

Top

Dotted line
Screening for Risk: September 29, 2011
September 29, 2011

CIHR caregivers are required to report changes in the child’s circumstances by completing the Monthly Report (SD0081) [see Forms and Letters] on behalf of the child.  If the SD0081 indicates that the household composition has changed, the ministry worker contacts the relative for more information.  Ministry worker may contact MCFD After Hours Office to determine next steps if the relative fails to report changes in the household composition.

When a dependent child living in the CIHR home turns 18 or another person age 18 or over moves into the CIHR home and resides there either full-time or part-time, that person must consent to be screened as a condition of ongoing eligibility for CIHR assistance.

When a CIHR is reviewed, check to ensure there is a completed CIHR Screening Consent (SD3184) form from each person 18 years of age or older who resides either full-time or part-time in the relative’s home. 

When a person 18 years of age or older joins a CIHR household, or when a review finds that a person 18 years of age or older in the household has not already been screened, complete the following steps:

  1. Provide the relative with a Screening Consent form (SD3184) for each person residing in the home who is age 18 or over who has not yet been screened and inform the relative that they must return the completed form(s) to this ministry in order to continue receiving CIHR assistance.

  2. Advise the relative to ensure the form is completed accurately and signed, and that two pieces of identification are required when dropping off the form.  Explain that if the consent form is not submitted, a hold may be placed on their next cheque.

  3. Signal the cheque until the screening consent form is received.  Note: Do not turn cheque production off when waiting for the consent form to be submitted and when the screening process is being conducted. Reversing the cheque production status on files requires supervisory approval.  

  4. Check 2 pieces of identification of the person submitting the consent form to establish proof of identity.  At least one piece of identification must be photo ID.  Acceptable ID includes:

    Primary Photo ID Secondary ID
    Driver’s Licence* Birth Certificate
    Passport Provincial Health Card
    Secure Certificate of Indian Status Citizenship Papers
    Original Citizenship Papers  
    Immigration Documents  
    Provincial Identification  

    Note: the preferred form of ID for a CPIC check is a driver’s licence. The driver’s licence can be expired.

  5. Ensure the consent form has been filled out in full and signed.

  6. Record on the top right-hand corner of the consent form:
  • ID numbers of the person who submitted the consent form;

  • All CIHR GA file number(s) of children living in the household. The child’s name should not be recorded on the form.
  1. MAIL the Screening Consent form(s) as a package to the MCFD After Hours Office using house mail.  [See Contacts.]

  2. If the cheque was signalled, the CIHR cheque may be released after ensuring the form is completed and signed, and the ID of the person who submitted the form has been verified.

  3. Add a comment on the relevant CIHR case in ICM with the following information:
  • Confirmation that the form has been filled out in full and signed and name of the person being screened;

  • Confirmation that the ID of the person who submitted the form has been verified;

  • Date of when the form was placed in house mail to MCFD After Hours Office.
  1. DO NOT retain a copy of the Screening Consent form(s).

  2. MCFD staff email the results of the screening to the generic email address in the Global Address List (GAL) for the appropriate Ministry of Social Development office (e.g., ministry office 106 displays the email address as OFF106@gov.bc.ca).  Each office is responsible to designate staff to check this email account daily.  Scan the email results on to each case for a CIHR child in the home.

No Evidence of Risk

If the result of the screening shows no evidence of risk:

  • enter on MIS (CSC screen) that the screening is complete, “Outcome OK”; and

  • attach a scanned copy of the email result to the case in ICM.

No longer eligible for assistance

If MCFD notifies this ministry that “risk determination is not possible, the child is not residing with the CIHR care provider” the household is no longer eligible for CIHR assistance for the relevant child. If there is more than one CIHR child living in the same home, the discontinuance of CIHR assistance may apply to just the relevant child and not all CIHR children of the household.

An example of this kind of situation might be a household wherein a youth who is a CIHR recipient is involved in high-risk activities and moves out of the care provider’s home as a result of MCFD’s screening and involvement.  There are other CIHR recipients in the household who can continue to live in the home (because the youth no longer resides there) and the other CIHR recipients should continue receiving CIHR benefits.

Complete the following:

  1. Review the Client List: Open CIHR Files with Same Caregiver report, from Report2Web, to see if there are other CIHR children living in the home.

  2. Review the MCFD email result and identify the relevant child the ineligibility applies to and update the system for these files.
     
  3. From the CSC screen for the relevant CIHR files in the home, enter that the screening is complete, “Outcome Not OK.”

  4. Add a comment in ICM case indicating that “risk determination is not possible, the child is not residing with the CIHR care provider” and attach a scanned copy of the email result.

  5. Turn cheque production off on the relevant CIHR files in the home.

  6. Inform the relative that CIHR assistance is being discontinued and provide a discontinuance of assistance letter (SD3211) for the CIHR child affected in the home. [See Forms and Letters]

  7. With the letter(s), include this ministry’s Reconsideration and Appeals brochure and the MCFD email result for the relative’s review.

  8. If contacted by the relative for more information on the screening results, or if the relative disputes the screening findings, refer the relative to the MCFD After Hours Office.  [See Contacts.]

  9. After the 20 business day reconsideration period has elapsed, when closing CIHR files as a result of security screening indicating that the household is no longer eligible for assistance, use close code “CIHR-Screening not OK.”

CIHR Discontinued For Reason Other Than the Screening

If the CIHR assistance is discontinued based on any criteria other than the screening results, follow these steps:

  1. Inform the relative the assistance is being discontinued, indicating reason(s),and send the client the appropriate Denial Letter (form SD3209) [see Forms and Letters].

  2. With the letter(s), include this ministry’s Reconsideration and Appeals brochure.

  3. If contacted by the relative for information regarding the discontinuation, provide the relative the reasons for the discontinuation.

  4. After the 20 business day reconsideration period has elapsed, close the file on MIS.

If the CIHR moves to the home of a new relative, this would be considered a new application for CIHR.  The program stopped accepting new applications as of March 31, 2010, so no further CIHR assistance would be available in this case.  Clients whose CIHR is discontinued for this or any other reason may choose to contact MCFD for assistance under the Extended Family Program or other programs, or apply for income assistance through this ministry with the child as a dependant.

Reconsideration

CIHR cases discontinued, including those based on evidence of risk, can be reconsidered. [Note that while denials due to a level of risk to the child can be reconsidered as per Policy, they may not be appealed – see section 81(1) and (3) in the BC Employment and Assistance Excerpt of Regulations under Resources for Staff.]  At reconsideration, this ministry will make a new CIHR eligibility decision based on the eligibility criteria for CIHR, including the results of MCFD’s screening.

If the reconsideration decision is in the ministry’s favour, the client must be advised that this ministry has no authority to change the results of MCFD’s screening and that they must contact MCFD directly for information on the screening results.

If the reconsideration decision is in the client’s favour, this ministry will reinstate the CIHR file under the same program eligibility rules as existed prior to the decision to discontinue.

Duty to Report

If there are child protection concerns at any point after CIHR assistance has been approved, immediately refer the case to a Social Worker (SW) at MCFD.  [For more information, see Related Links – Protection of Children.]  Assistance may be issued pending the SW’s review providing the screening is complete and approved.

Top

Dotted line