Cass votes on child services memorandum

WALKER The Cass County Board voted Tuesday to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the state to permit Leech Lake to provide child services to band members living on the reservation instead of the county.

Leech Lake will become financially responsible for child welfare services and out of home placement costs for eligible participants when the band has signed a Title IV-E agreement. Financial responsibility for current cases will be determined through an implementation plan for transitioning from the county.

The county will remain financially responsible for child welfare cases and out of home placement costs for non-band members and those not eligible for membership in the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. The county will authorize payments for non-member children served by Leech Lake Child Welfare using the service eligibility criteria for children the county serves.

Cases will include child welfare, child protection and adoption/guardianship.

Not covered under the agreement are children's mental health, developmental disabilities, early intervention for infants and toddlers, adult services or juvenile delinquency.

Leech Lake now will become eligible to file for Title IV-E funds, which the county previously accessed to serve these band children and will receive additional state funding to operate their program.