ADMINISTRATIVE

  Attached are forms that must be completed to claim
  reimbursement for the local expenditures incurred during the
  1998-99 school year for the education of children in foster
  care who were enrolled in public schools.  Please read all
  of Attachment A carefully before completing the attached
  forms.  All reports must be signed by the appropriate person
  and returned.  If no claims are made, please mark "NONE" on
  the reimbursement form.

  The Department of Education will make all calculations and
  send the entitlement to the division after the Annual School
  Report is finalized.  Questions concerning the Annual School
  Report should be directed to Mrs. June F. Eanes, budget
  director, at (804)225-2025.


  The attached forms should be completed by September 24,
  1999, and returned to Mrs. Leigh H. Williams, senior budget
  analyst, P. O. Box 2120, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120. 
  Questions concerning these forms or procedures may be
  directed to Mrs. Williams at (804) 225-2025.

  PDS/lw

  Attachments


    Attachment A


                     DEFINITIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
                     FOR COMPLETING ATTACHMENT B
                     (FORM BA.004 - CLAIM FORM)


     Attachment B, Claim Form, is the data collection
  instrument used to support a claim for reimbursement of the
  local expense incurred for educating children who are in
  foster care and are not your financial responsibility. 
  Please note that in addition to those children claimed for
  whom your school division is providing education services,
  children attending approved regional programs also may be
  claimed on Attachment B.  (Please duplicate additional pages
  of Attachment B as necessary.)

  Column 1 - School Division of Legal Residence

     Indicate the school division (county, city, or town) of
  legal residence from which the child was sent.  Legal
  residence is defined as the domicile of the child's parent,
  legal guardian, or location of the custodial agency holding
  custody of the child.

     Reimbursement is not authorized for children in foster
  care who are legal residents of the school division(s)
  submitting the claim.  (Please see Special Note on Page 2 of
  Attachment A.)  If the placing agency has legal custody, and
  is located within the boundaries of your school division,
  the child is determined to be a legal resident of your
  school division.

     Reimbursement is not authorized for children who are
  not residents of Virginia, whether handicapped or not, who
  have been placed by an out-of-state agency or a person who
  is the resident of another state in foster care or other
  custodial care or in a child-caring institution or group
  home.

  Column 2 - Type of Placement

     Agency Placements:  Indicate the full name of the
  agency, state or local, authorized to do so under the laws
  of Virginia, that placed the child in foster care.  Please
  note:  Only children who are temporary placements may be
  claimed; permanent placements are judged as legal residents
  of the locality (i.e. legal custody of the child has been
  transferred to the agency).

     Private Placements:  If placement was made into an
  approved foster care facility by the natural parent or other
  relative, not representing an authorized agency, indicate
  their name and relationship to the child.  Please note: 
  Children placed by parents or relatives cannot be placed
  into private homes, but they can be placed into Department
  of Social Services approved facilities.

  Column 3 - Foster Home

     Indicate the official name and address of the foster
  care facility or institution, or the name and address of the
  foster parents (private home).  Do not list the name of the
  director or administrator of the foster care facility or
  institution as the name of the home.  Please do not request
  reimbursement for children placed in foster homes that are
  not approved or licensed by the State Department of Social
  Services.

     Children in the custody of a placing agency who have
  been placed in the home of their natural or adoptive
  parent(s) are not considered foster care children.  Foster
  care is defined as temporary substitute care and supervision
  of a child by a person other than the child's natural or
  adoptive parent, with whom the child resides as a member of
  the household.

  Column 4 - Child's Name

     Provide the full legal name of the child in foster
  care.

  Column 5 - Days Enrolled

     Indicate the total number of days the child was
  enrolled (not days in attendance) in your school division in
  the school year 1998-99.

  Column 6 - Handicapping Condition  (Special Education Claim
  Form)

     Indicate the primary handicapping condition of the
  child as identified on the IEP.  Use coding as illustrated
  on Attachment A, Page 3 only.

     Attachment B - Part B, page 2, is a summary sheet for
  Special Education.  Please complete this sheet giving the
  total number of days claimed in each of the handicapping
  conditions.  Please make certain that the grand total on
  this sheet matches the grand total of all the Special
  Education claim forms.

  SPECIAL NOTE:

     There may be situations when the school division of
  temporary residence contracts with another school division
  to educate the child.  Children in foster care who are legal
  residents of the sending locality may not be included for
  local cost reimbursement by either the sending or educating
  locality.  The educating locality should bill the sending
  locality for the costs incurred per the terms of the
  contract.


           DETERMINATION OF HANDICAPPING CONDITION


     The handicapping condition of the child claimed should
  be the primary handicapping condition specified in the
  child's IEP.

     Code           Handicapping Condition            
    Factor

     EMR            Educable Mental Retardation        2.32

     TMR            Trainable Mental Retardation       3.04

     SPD            Severe & Profound Disabilities     3.83

     HI             Hearing Impairments                3.51

     TBI            Traumatic Brain Injured            1.79

     SLI            Speech or Language Impairments     1.54

     VI             Visual Impairments                 3.48

     SED            Serious Emotional Disturbance      2.63

     OI             Orthopedic Impairments             3.77

     OHI*           Other Health Impairments           1.72

     AUT            Autism                             3.27

     SLD            Specific Learning Disabilities     2.01

     D/B            Deaf/Blind                         1.25

     MD             Multible Disabilities              2.41

     DD             Developmental Delay                2.21

     The factors indicated for each of the 15 primary
  handicapping conditions will be used as a multiple of the
  average per pupil cost of Regular Day School Operation to
  determine reimbursement of the total cost for handicapping
  pupils in 1998-99.  

     *When this particular code is used in claiming
       reimbursement for a handicapped child in foster
       care, please use the other side of this sheet to
       briefly describe the health impairment and return
       with Attachment B.



  Attachment B


                     1998-99 FOSTER CARE


     I hereby certify that the attached information is true
  and accurate to the best of my knowledge.



    _________________________________             __________
       Signature of Superintendent                    Date

    _________________________________  
      School Division/Division Code

    _________________________________           ________________
    Name of Individual Completing Form          Telephone Number