PURPOSE: This rule states the function and general organization of the Division of Family Services to comply with the requirements of section 536.023, RSMo (1986).

1. (1) The public assistance and social service programs established by state and federal statutes are administered by the Division of Family Services through offices located in each county and the city of St. Louis. Application for services or benefits should be made at the office in the county where the applicant or recipient lives. Information about any of the programs administered by the division can be obtained from the county office or by writing to the state office in Jefferson City. The legal basis for establishing the division—listing its powers and duties, providing for a chief administrative officer, establishing county welfare commissions and authorizing an office in each county—is contained in sections 207.010– 207.080, RSMo (1986).
2. (2) The income maintenance section in the state office supervises the work of the county offices in taking applications, making investigations and determining eligibility for the following programs: Aid to Dependent Children, General Relief, Blind Pensions, Supplemental Aid to the Blind, Medical Assistance, Nursing Care and Supplemental Payments to persons transferred from Old Age Assistance, Aid to the Blind and Permanent and Total Disability Assistance to the Supplementary Security Income program on January 1, 1974. The state statutes providing for these programs are primarily contained in sections 208.010–208.210, RSMo (1986), the statutes for Blind Pension are contained in sections 209.010–209.160, RSMo (1986).
3. (3) An additional major program in the income maintenance section is food stamps for which the division certifies household eligibility and supervises coupon issuance under authority delegated to the agency by the United States Department of Agriculture. Since the federal government finances one hundred percent (100%) of the bonus coupons used for food stamps, the federal laws are the primary governing factor, state statutes are contained in sections 205.960–205.966, RSMo (1986).
4. (4) The social service section in the state office supervises the work of the county offices in taking applications, making social studies and providing treatment in protective services, day care, foster care, adoptions and other services for children, families and unmarried parents. The primary statute authorizing these services is section 207.020, RSMo (1986), subsections (8)–(17). A separate unit has been established to handle child abuse reports, as provided by section 210.110, RSMo (1986). A separate unit has also been established to negotiate, prepare and monitor contracts for purchase of various kinds of services from both public and private providers, in accordance with the provisions of Title XX of the federal Social Security Act.
5. (5) The medical services section in the state office handles the negotiations and agreements with the providers of medical services and reviews, processes and prepares for payment the bills received for such services. The federal basis for providing matching funds to the state is contained in Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. State laws under which this program operates are contained in sections 208.151–208.158, RSMo (1986). Eligibility for these services is determined by the income maintenance staff of the county offices, recipients of any of the state public assistance programs are automatically eligible for Medicaid.
6. (6) The Bureau for the Blind has a separate staff in state and district offices, responsible for administering vocational rehabilitations for the blind, prevention of blindness, home teaching and other services to the blind, especially blind children. Federal funding is available for the rehabilitation program, the rest are state financed. The primary state statute authorizing these services is section 209.010, RSMo (1986).
7. (7) The day care licensing unit, operating under the provisions of sections 210.201–210.245, RSMo (1986), licenses or approves family day care homes, group day care homes and day care centers.
8. (8) The institutional and agency licensing units, also operating under the provisions of sections 210.201–210.245, RSMo (1986), licenses boarding homes for children and child placing agencies.
9. (9) The support services section is responsible for the supporting administrative services in the state office. There are separate units 13 CSR 40-1

for personnel, general services, research and statistics and finance.

1. (10) The quality control unit provides an organized method of reviewing county office eligibility investigations and decisions on the ADC, food stamp and Medicaid programs. Randomly selected cases are reviewed in all areas of the state and the errors found are reported immediately to the county staff and state staff in order that corrective action can be taken.
2. (11) The legal section is responsible for administering the fair hearing process as provided for by state and federal statutes, provides legal consultation to the director and agency staff and represents the agency in all court proceedings.
3. (12) The efficiency and effectiveness unit is responsible for monitoring the agency’s effective and efficient operation of the food stamp program. This is done by reviewing and auditing the complete certification and issuing process in a county office and reporting the errors and deficiencies so that corrective action can be taken.
4. (13) The data processing unit is responsible for processing with computer equipment, all financial, statistical and management reports for all sections of the division and for the preparation of all checks, Medicaid cards and Food Stamp Authorization-to-Purchase cards.

AUTHORITY: section 207.020, RSMo 1986.* Original rule filed Sept. 2, 1976, effective Dec. 11, 1976.

*Original authority: 207.020, RSMo 1945, amended 1961, 1965, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1993.