Payment for Educational Services

Provided to DCF-placed Children

Connecticut Association of School Business Officials

January 7, 2005

Department of Children
and Families (DCF)

Statutory authority to place children

out-of-home.

Placement locations include:

Foster Homes,
Group Homes,
Temporary Shelters,
Safe Homes, and
Residential Facilities.

Site of Educational Services

Foster Homes, Group Homes, Temporary
Shelters, and Safe Homes:
PUBLIC SCHOOL, unless Planning and
Placement Team (PPT) determines childs
special education needs require a more
restrictive setting.
If necessary, RESC program or Private
Special Education Program.

Site of Educational Services

Residential Facilities
School within the residential facility UNLESS
treatment needs permit other options.
If permitted, PUBLIC SCHOOL, unless
Planning and Placement Team (PPT)
determines childs special education needs
require a more restrictive setting.
If necessary, RESC program or Private Special
Education Program.

Provision of Education Services

The childs RESPONSIBLE LEA:
1.

Plans the education program,

2.

Ensures appropriate services are available to

the child, and

3.

Funds the education program.

Determining the childs

RESPONSIBLE LEA:
1.

Eligible for special education services?

2.

Nexus status OR No-nexus status?

3.

Classification of DCF-placement site?

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

If child is eligible for special education, an
education plan (i.e., IEP) is developed to
meet that childs particular education
needs.
Written on State-approved forms.
Lists all special education services, regular
education services, related services, and
support services that the child must
receive.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

RELATED SERVICES may include
speech language therapy, counseling,
physical therapy, etc.
SUPPORT SERVICES may include
teachers assistant, behavioral specialist,
etc.

NEXUS
Child is considered to have nexus status if:
1. At least one parent resides in a
Connecticut town,
AND
2. That parents parental rights have not
been terminated by a court.

NO-NEXUS
Child is considered to have no-nexus status if
at least one is applicable to each of the
childs parents:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Parental rights terminated (TPR); or

Deceased; or
Whereabouts unknown; or
Resides outside Connecticut; or
Patient in treatment facility and no
Connecticut residence; or
6. Inmate in correction facility and no
Connecticut residence.

Foster Home - or - Group Home

1. Child is eligible for special education and
has NEXUS:
Nexus

LEA plans and funds IEP services;

Placement

LEA provides services unless

child requires other placement.

Foster Home - or - Group Home

2. Child is eligible for special education and
has NO-NEXUS:
Placement

services.

LEA plans, funds and provides

Foster Home - or - Group Home

3.

Child is regular education

i.e., child is NOT eligible for

special education
Placement

services.

LEA plans, funds and provides

Temporary Shelter or Safe

Home
1. Child has NEXUS

Nexus LEA may either:

Transport child to Nexus LEA, OR

Pay tuition to Placement LEA for services.

If child is eligible for special education, planning

by PPT of Nexus LEA.

If IEP requires out-of-district program, the Nexus

LEA must continue to fund that placement.

Temporary Shelter or Safe

Home
2.

Child has NO-NEXUS

Placement LEA plans, funds and

provides services.

If child is eligible for special education,

planning by PPT of Placement LEA.

Private Residential Facility

1. Child has NEXUS:
Nexus LEA plans and funds education
services.
State-calculated rate is all-inclusive.
Connecticut facility: rates posted on
SDE website.
Out-of-state facility: DCF sends rate
letter to facility.

Private Residential Facility

2. Child has NO-NEXUS:
Unified School District #2 (USD II) plans
and funds education services.
USD II is DCF-operated school district.

DCF Residential Facility

DCF-operated facilities:
1.
2.
3.
4.

CT Childrens Place
CT Juvenile Training School
High Meadows
Riverview Hospital

Unified School District #2 (USD II) plans

and funds education services within
facility.

Calculating Tuition for Services Within LEA

Special Education
SDE guidelines memo (dated 12/6/93).
IEP lists services that are eligible for tuition rate.
Most services will be noted on page 5 of IEP.
IEP services may include: special education
instruction, regular education instruction, related
services, support services, special equipment,
special supplies.

Special Education Services

Within LEA
Setting for Services as determined by PPT
and noted on IEP:

Self-contained Special Education Program for entire

school day; or

Self-contained Special Education Program for part

of school day and General Education setting
(Regular Education) for part of school day; or

General Education setting for entire school day.

TUITION: Self-contained Special Education

Program for entire school day
1. Calculate basic services costs for self-contained
program: personnel costs, fringe benefits, instructional
supplies, instructional equipment.
2. Divide by number of children in the program to calculate
individual child cost.
3. Calculate cost of any related services and/or support
services that are included in childs IEP and are not
included in basic services.
4. Calculate direct services cost by adding #2 and #3.
5. Calculate indirect services cost as 7% of #4.
6. Tuition rate = #4 + #5.

TUITION: Self-contained Special Education

Program for part of school day, and General
Education setting for part of school day
1. Calculate basic services costs for self-contained
program: personnel costs, fringe benefits, instructional
supplies, instructional equipment.
2. Divide by number of children in the program to calculate
individual child cost.
3. Calculate percentage of school day that child
participates in program.
4. Calculate cost of self-contained program for child by
applying #3 percentage to #2.
5. Calculate cost of any related services and/or support
services not included in basic services.

TUITION: Self-contained Special Education

Program for part of school day, and General
Education setting for part of school day
6.

Calculate sub-total direct services cost by adding #4

and #5.

7.

Calculate indirect services cost as 7% of #6.

8.

Calculate percentage of day that child participates in

general education.

9.

Calculate cost of regular education for child by

applying #8 to LEA average per pupil expenditure.

10. Tuition rate = #6 + #7 + #9.

TUITION: General Education setting for

entire school day
Child is special education
1. Calculate cost of any related services and/or
support services that are included in childs
IEP.
2. Calculate indirect services cost as 7% of #1.
3. Tuition rate = #1 + #2 + LEA average per
pupil expenditure.

TUITION: General Education setting for

entire school day
Child is regular education
1.

Use average per pupil expenditure as tuition rate.

2.

Education services in public school are tuition eligible

if child is placed in temporary shelter or safe home
placement.

3.

Education services in public school are NOT tuition

eligible if child is placed in foster home, group home,
or residential facility.