REFUGE HOUSE, INC.

PURPOSE

This procedure ensures accurate, timely, and transparent financial management for all T3C placements, building on Refuge House's track record since our founding of reliable foster family compensation. Our established practice of paying foster families before receiving state reimbursement demonstrates financial stability and our commitment to supporting caregivers. These procedures leverage Radius's automated capabilities to maintain this excellence while meeting T3C requirements.

RESPONSIBILITY

• Billing/Operations Administrator: Runs the billing-generation routine, distributes statements for review, applies corrections in Pulse/Radius, and publishes final statements to foster parents. (Role currently filled by the Director of Operational Development; defined as a role so it can be delegated.)
• Intake Coordinator: Initial placement data entry and rate verification
• Case Manager: Placement change notifications and documentation
• Program Director (with designee — currently the Case Manager Supervisor): Reviews distribution statements; approves adjustments/corrections
• Accounting (accounting@refugehouse.org): Generates payables (ACH/GL), submits agency receivables to SSCC/DFPS, and runs monthly reconciliation
• IT Administrator: System configuration, report generation, and foster-parent access provisioning

PROCEDURE

1. INITIAL PLACEMENT BILLING SETUP

Purpose and Overview

Accurate billing begins at the moment of placement. Our intake team plays a critical role in ensuring that every child's placement is properly documented with the correct Service Package and rate information. Radius automates much of this process, but human verification remains essential to catch any discrepancies before they impact payments to our foster families.

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT: Initial billing setup must be completed within 24 hours of placement to ensure timely foster parent compensation and accurate state billing.

2. SEMI-MONTHLY BILLING PROCESSES

Purpose and Overview

Since our founding, Refuge House has maintained a consistent semi-monthly billing cycle that demonstrates our commitment to foster families by paying them promptly, often before we receive our own reimbursement. This established practice shows fiscal responsibility and builds trust with our caregivers by providing predictable compensation on a reliable schedule.

CRITICAL PRACTICE: We pay foster families on the 15th and last day of each month regardless of when we receive state reimbursement, demonstrating our financial stability and commitment to our caregivers.

Payment Schedule:

• Period A (1st-15th): Paid on the 15th of the following month
• Period B (16th-last day): Paid on the last day of the following month

3. PLACEMENT CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS

Purpose and Overview

Children's needs change, and our billing system must flexibly accommodate these changes while maintaining accuracy. Quick response to placement changes ensures both outgoing and incoming foster families are fairly compensated.

4. RESPITE AND INTERMITTENT ALTERNATIVE CARE

Purpose and Overview

Supporting our foster families through respite care is essential for placement stability and caregiver well-being. T3C's requirement to pay both primary and respite caregivers recognizes the value both families provide. Our system handles these complex calculations automatically while maintaining transparency.

CRITICAL T3C REQUIREMENT: Both primary and respite caregivers must receive their Service Package daily rate during approved respite periods.

5. MONTHLY RECONCILIATION

Purpose and Overview

Regular reconciliation ensures our internal records match state systems, identifying discrepancies early when they're easier to resolve. This process protects both the agency's financial health and ensures foster families receive all compensation due to them.

6. FOSTER PARENT PAYMENT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESS

Purpose and Overview

Transparency in financial matters builds trust with our foster families. Since our founding, we've prioritized not only paying foster families before receiving our own reimbursement but also providing them with secure, convenient access to their complete payment history. Our automated statement distribution system ensures privacy while giving families 24/7 access to their financial records.

Implementation guidance. Statement distribution currently uses shared Google Drive secure folders; Refuge House is migrating foster-parent statement access to the Foster Parent Portal. The Google Drive references below describe the current mechanism and will be updated as the portal becomes the system of record.

Provider Statement Format

Each automatically generated statement follows a consistent format designed for clarity and ease of review:

Header Section:

• Refuge House contact information and logo
• Provider name and complete address
• Pay cycle designation (e.g., 2025.05-A)
• Statement generation date

Provider Communication:

• Personalized letter explaining the statement
• Instructions for reviewing accuracy
• Billing department contact information
• Request to report discrepancies promptly

Reimbursement Detail Table:

• Child name (PID tracked in system for privacy)
• Service level designation
• Date range for each child
• Number of days at each rate
• Daily rate amount
• Individual child totals
• Grand total for the payment period

Footer Section:

• Page numbering
• Statement date
• Refuge House locations

Security and Privacy Features

Our payment transparency system includes multiple security layers to protect sensitive financial information:

• Individual Secure Folders: Each provider can only access their own payment information
• Google Authentication: Leverages Google's security infrastructure for access control
• Read-Only Access: Prevents accidental modification of payment records
• Access Logging: All folder access is tracked for security monitoring
• Complete History: Providers can access all historical payments for tax and budget planning
• PID Privacy: Child PIDs tracked in system but not displayed on statements for security

This system eliminates the need for providers to contact the office for payment verification while maintaining strict privacy standards.

7. T3C METHODOLOGICAL RATE SUMMARY

Purpose and Overview

The following rate tables provide the current T3C methodological daily rates per the DFPS published rate schedule (verified June 2026). These rates determine both the CPA receivable amount and the Foster Family Home pass-through payment. Staff must use these rates when setting up placements in Radius.

T3C Service Package Daily Rates (current DFPS schedule)

T3C Add-On Service Daily Rates (current DFPS schedule)

Add-On rates are paid IN ADDITION to the primary Service Package rate. Only one primary Service Package rate applies per day; multiple Add-Ons may apply.

Critical Add-On Rules:

• STASS is NOT eligible for any Add-On Services (T3C Blueprint p.28, p.69, p.148)
• CPA must be credentialed for BOTH the primary package AND the Add-On
• Add-On rates do NOT apply to GRO settings
• FFH Pass-through of Add-On rates is still paid during Intermittent Alternative Care days but not to the IAC provider

Rate Application Examples

Rates last verified 2026-06-01 against the DFPS T3C Methodological Rate Schedule. Source split between CPA retainage and FFH pass-through reflects the current published methodology; totals previously reflected the October 2025 Blueprint edition.

REGULATORY REFERENCES

• T3C System Blueprint (October 2025) - Pages 28-30 (Rate Structure and Add-On Eligibility)
• T3C System Blueprint (October 2025) - Pages 47-163 (Service Package and Add-On Rate Details)
• T3C System Blueprint (October 2025) - Pages 403-404 (IT System Requirements)
• DFPS T3C Methodological Rate Schedule (current published rates, verified 2026-06-01) - Source of dollar values in Section 7
• TAC §749.1301 - Admission and Placement Requirements
• TAC §749.2457 - Service Planning
• TAC §749.503 - Discharge Planning
• TAC §749.121 - Administrator Responsibilities for Financial Records
• RCC Contract Section 5.1 - Placement Documentation
• RCC Contract Financial Terms and Payment Schedules
• DFPS Contract Section 8 - Financial Requirements
• GAAP Principles for Revenue Recognition

DOCUMENT HISTORY

This procedure document operationalizes the principles established in the corresponding policy by providing specific implementation details (who, when, where, and how). While policies require Board approval and remain relatively stable, procedures may be updated by the Executive Director to adapt to regulatory changes, technological advancements, or operational improvements without requiring Board approval, provided such changes maintain alignment with the policy's intent.