Chapter 3: Other Benefits for Kin-GAP Recipients

Children receiving Kin-GAP automatically qualify for Medi-Cal without incurring any share of cost. For those under age 21 on Medi-Cal, meeting medical necessity criteria makes them eligible for community-based specialty mental health services.

Federal Kin-GAP beneficiaries will have Medicaid eligibility in their residing state, while state Kin-GAP beneficiaries remain eligible for Medi-Cal as long as they qualify for Kin-GAP payments and reside in California. 

NOTE: Before terminating Medi-Cal coverage, counties must assess eligibility under other Medi-Cal programs.

Clothing Allowance

Policy: ACL 07-13

A child is eligible to the clothing allowance and is to be issued according to the financially responsible county’s clothing allowance payment structure regardless of the child’s county/state of residence. Clothing costs are for school age children (K-12) to get a clothing allowance when they are initially placed and then annually thereafter.

Specialized Care Increment (SCI)

Policy: ACIN I-05-10, ACL 17-11, ACL 18-48

The SCI is a supplemental payment given to the legal guardian, in addition to their determined level of care rate, for children who require additional care and supervision. 

Infant Supplement

Policy: ACL 89-15, ACIN I-10-20, ACL 11-15

The infant supplement is an additional payment tied to the Kin-GAP programs for the parent with whom the child is living. The parenting youth may be eligible for an infant supplement, and all eligible youth should be regularly screened for current or impending parenthood.

Infant supplement payments are to be used solely for the care and supervision of the child of the eligible parent. Only one infant supplement may be paid per eligible child; if both parents of the infant are receiving AFDC-FC, the infant supplement must be paid on behalf of the parent that has primary physical custody of the child.

A relative guardian caring for a minor parent who has are child living in the same home should receive an Infant Supplement and an additional two hundred dollar ($200) monthly payment that would be paid to a caregiver in a whole family foster home. A shared responsibility plan is not required. 
 

Nonrecurring Costs

Policy: ACL 14-19
Forms: KG 4, KG 5

A relative legal guardian is eligible to be reimbursed for reasonable and verified nonrecurring expenses associated with obtaining the legal guardianship assuming all other Kin-GAP eligibility conditions have been met.

Reimbursement shall not exceed $2,000 (two-thousand dollars).

Examples of reasonable and verified expenses that may be eligible for reimbursement include, but are not limited to:

1. Transportation costs for attending the hearing(s) associated with obtaining the legal guardianship, including mileage and parking. Transportation costs to bring the dependent child to the hearing(s) are already part of the foster care maintenance payment and should not be included.
2. Cost of lodging and food for the prospective legal guardian to attend the hearing.
3. Documented out-of-pocket attorney’s fees associated with obtaining the legal guardianship.
4. The KG 4 - Kin-GAP Nonrecurring Legal Guardianship Expenses Agreement must be signed by the prospective legal guardian and the public agency and received before the submission of the KG 5 to submit a claim for payment. All parties should sign the KG 4 form at the same time the SOC 369 and 369A forms.
5. KG 5 Expense form must be completed by the legal guardian to claim for payment, with appropriate documentation and receipts.