Legal Services

The vendor required to provide legal services must be allowable iv-e expenses and related to protecting the safety of children and achieving permanence for children in out-of-home care.
- Legal representation for children and parents contributes to or is associated with: 
•    Increases in party perceptions of fairness;
•    Increases in party engagement in case planning, services and court hearings;
•    More personally tailored and specific case plans and services;
•    Increases in visitation and parenting time; and
•    Cost savings to state government due to reductions of time children spend in care.
- The extent they are necessary to support an attorney in providing independent legal representation for children in foster care, and their parents:
•    Paralegals
•    Investigators
•    Peer partners or social workers
•    Direct administrative support costs
- Reimbursement for legal services for state fiscal year 2026:
•    Hearings related to judicial determinations that it is contrary to the welfare of a child to remain in the home;
•    Hearings related to a child’s removal from the home;
•    Hearings related to judicial determinations that the agency provided reasonable efforts to prevent removal and finalize the permanency plan;
•    Permanency hearings
•    Hearings related to progress on case plans; and
•    Appeal proceedings that relate to judicial determinations required under title iv-e.
- Allowable administrative activities:
•    Independent investigation of the facts of the case, including interacting with law enforcement;
•    Meeting with clients or making home or school visits;
•    Attending case planning meetings;
•    Providing legal interpretations;
•    Preparing briefs, memos, and pleadings;
•    Obtaining transcripts;
•    Interviewing and preparing their client and witnesses for hearings;
•    Hearing presentation;
•    Maintaining files;
•    Supervising attorneys, paralegals, investigators, peer partners or social workers that support an attorney in providing independent legal representation to prepare for and participate in all stages of foster care legal proceedings; and
•    Appellate work in reference to foster care legal proceedings.