Division of Youth Services Child Benefits Program

PURPOSE: The purpose of this rule is to account for monies received by the Division of Youth Services (DYS) from the Social Security Administration when the DYS has been named the representative payee of a residential youth. The DYS Child Benefits Fund is established within the State Treasury for depositing of payments from the Social Security Administration to youth in DYS custody. Monies deposited in this fund shall be used only for the purposes specified by federal or state law or by these regulations. Monies in this special trust fund are not deemed to be state funds. (1) As used in this regulation, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms mean: (A) “Benefit” means monies received on behalf of a youth from the Social Security Administration; (B) “Youth” means a person under twentyone (21) years of age committed to the custody of the Division of Youth Services (DYS); and (C) “Residential Youth” means a youth who has been committed to the DYS in the manner provided by law, and who is placed in residential care. (2) The Fiscal Liaison for the DYS is responsible for establishing centralized methods to oversee the accounting of receipts and disbursements from this fund. Such methods require that— (A) There shall be an individual ledger for each youth receiving benefits when DYS has been appointed as Representative Payee for a youth in custody. The ledger shall contain all deposits and withdrawals of the youth’s money; (B) There shall also be a control ledger to track all deposits and withdrawals from the fund; and (C) The control ledger shall be reconciled monthly with the individual ledger and the fund balance. (3) Receipts from the Social Security Administration. (A) All funds directly received by DYS as payee for a residential youth shall be deposited into the DYS Child Benefits Fund. (B) Any checks received by the DYS from the Social Security Administration will be sent to the Division of Finance and Administrative Services (DFAS) for deposit into the DYS Child Benefits Fund. (4) Utilization of the Child Benefits Fund. (A) Monies deposited in this fund shall be used only for the purposes authorized by federal and state law, or by regulation of the DYS. (B) Each facility with a youth receiving a Social Security benefit shall be issued a purchasing card designated solely for the use of the Social Security benefits of a youth in custody. (C) Authorized DYS facility staff may make purchases for the youth receiving benefits up to the amount held in the youth’s fund based on need. All purchases shall be approved by the facility manager or his or her designee. Youth will not be provided with cash. (5) Payments from the Child Benefits Fund include: (A) Facility staff for each facility shall submit monthly purchasing card statements to DYS Central Office, along with copies of receipts from purchases; (B) If funds are available, payments from the DYS Child Benefits Fund shall be made to off-set any purchases made for the youth in custody with the purchasing card; and (C) All expenditures shall be posted to the applicable individual ledgers and the control ledger. (6) Removal of DYS as Representative Payee. (A) DYS will resign as representative payee upon the release of a youth from residential care. (B) DYS will submit to the Social Security Administration a written request to resign as representative payee, along with a check for the remaining balance in the youth’s individual ledger and any documentation requested by the Social Security Administration concerning all account activity as may be required by federal law. AUTHORITY: sections 219.016, 219.036, and 660.017, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed Dec. 19, 2018, effective July 30, 2019. *Original authority: 219.016, RSMo 1975, amended 1993, 1995; 219.036, RSMo 1975, amended 1993; and 660.017, RSMo 1993, amended 1995.