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Direct Deposit
What is Direct Deposit?
Direct Deposit is the electronic transfer of your foster care and/or adoption subsidy payments into
your bank account. Direct Deposit is a safe, convenient and fast way to receive your foster care and adoption subsidy payments. It eliminates mailing delays, lost or stolen checks and standing in line to cash or
deposit your check. When you sign up for direct deposit, you are giving DCFS permission to credit your bank account.
Am I required to have direct deposit of my foster care and/or adoption subsidy payments?
Direct deposit is the fastest, most convenient and most secure way to receive your payment. However, DCFS does not require that a foster care provider or adoptive parent have direct deposit.
Can I participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) if I do not have a checking or savings account?
No. To receive EFT payments you must designate a savings or checking account in a U.S. Financial Institution.
How do I maintain the confidentiality of my information?
You will have a unique User Name and Password to maintain the confidentiality of your information. Your User Name can be used to:
- View
- Add
- Delete
- Change your banking information
- Request to update your address or change your contact telephone number in CHRIS
Why did I receive an actual check if I signed up for direct deposit?
Some of the most common reasons why you may receive a warrant (paper check) even though you have signed up for Direct Deposit are as follows (this is not an all exclusive list):
- Due to the timing of when you create a profile on the DCFS Provider Portal, if it is within the dates listed below in the Bank Account Profile section in which no new bank account information can be added, your first direct deposit will be applied to your next foster care and/or adoption payment.
- If you have entered an invalid bank account (i.e., an account number or routing number that doesn't exist) or an incorrect bank account (an account that belongs to someone else) and the payment can't be processed, your payment will be switched from direct deposit to a warrant (paper check) to prevent a disruption in your future payments.
Can I distribute my board payment to more than one financial institution or into more than one bank account?
No. The entire amount of your payment can only be distributed into one financial institution and into one bank account type.
Do all types of payments get direct deposited?
At this time, you can sign up to receive foster care and adoption subsidy payments for children that are placed in your home. If you receive both foster care payments and adoption subsidy payments, both payments will be received via direct deposit and funds can only be distributed into one bank account. Mileage reimbursement claims will still be handled via paper submissions, and may be paid by check or by Direct Deposit. If payment is preferred via direct deposit it must be noted on the TR-1 when the form is submitted. Write “Direct Deposit” in the top right-hand corner of the TR-1 to indicate that the reimbursement should be deposited directly into your account.
What information do I need to provide to sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer (Direct Deposit)?
You will need the following information to sign up for direct deposit:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Date of Birth
- Last four digits of your SSN
- Email address provided to DCFS
- AASIS Member "Unique" ID
- Account Type (Checking or Savings)
- Financial Institution Routing Number
- Financial Institution Account Number
Registration
How Do I Register?
To register, simply click the New User Registration link which appears on the “Home” screen and provide the following information:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Date of Birth
- Last four digits of your SSN
- email address provided to DCFS
- AASIS Member "Unique" ID
Payable service approved providers in CHRIS are eligible to create a profile on the Foster and Adoption Family portal. All of the identifying information that you enter on the Foster and Adoption Family Portal must match your information in the DCFS provider file. If you receive a message stating that some or all of the identifying information doesn't match, you will have to contact your DCFS Resource Worker. He or she can verify the data entered in your DCFS provider file and make any required corrections.
You can register using the above information for either Head of Household 1 (HOH1) or Head of Household 2 (HOH2).
What is the AASIS Member "Unique" ID and where do find it?
Your AASIS member "Unique" ID is a 7 digit number that identifies each head of household member in AASIS for payment purposes. Each head of household member that had an email address listed in the DCFS CHRIS computer system at the time the DCFS Foster and Adoption Family Portal became active received an email which contained your AASIS member Unique ID. This is the same number that is used for reimbursement of travel expenses. If you need assistance with obtaining your AASIS member ID you can contact your DCFS Resource Worker or use the Contact link on the DCFS Foster and Adoption Family Portal page.
How do I get assistance to complete the registration?
For assistance in completing the registration you can use the information in the “Contact” screen to request assistance or contact your DCFS Resource Worker.
I never received my confirmation e-mail
If after a few minutes you still do not receive the confirmation email, be sure to check your spam/junk folder. If you can't locate the email in the junk/spam folder and you still have the registration page open, you can select the Resend button and this will resend the confirmation email.
If you still don't receive your confirmation e-mail, use the Contact screen to let us know about the issue.
What are the rules for setting a Password?
Password rules:
- Must be 8 to 20 characters in length
- Can contain any alphabetic, numeric or special character
- Must contain at least one (1) number
- Must contain at least one (1) upper case letter
- Expires every sixty (60) days
- The password is case sensitive
What is my User Name?
Your User Name is the email address that you originally provided to your DCFS resource worker. Your User Name cannot be changed. If your email address changes, you must notify your DCFS Resource Worker of your new email address to receive notifications from the Foster and Adoption Family Portal. If you forget your user name, use the ‘Forgot User Name?’ link found on the Home (login) screen. Remember, your original e-mail address will continue to be used as your user name.
Your User Name should be kept private and confidential to protect your information from unauthorized access to banking information.
Login
How do I Login?
To login, enter your User Name and password on the home screen. You must read the terms of service and disclaimer and select the checkbox agreeing to the terms of service prior to selecting the login button.
I've lost/want to change my password. What do I do?
If you can't remember your password, on the “Home” screen, enter your User Name and select the Forgot Password Link. You will be prompted to answer the set of security questions that you selected when you created your account. Once you have successfully answered the security questions, you will be directed to a password change screen, and will be able to enter a new password, and re-enter it for cross-check.
If you can't remember your password and you do not successfully answer the set of security questions that you selected when you created your account, your account will be locked and you can select the Can't Logon link on the “Home” screen to have your password reset. You will have to provide some information to verify your identity. Once your identity has been verified, an email will be sent to your e-mail address on-record in CHRIS, providing you with a temporary password.
If you remember your password and just desire to change your existing password, after successfully logging into the Provider Portal, you can change your password on the "User Profile" tab using the Change Password link.
What if I forgot my User Name?
If you can't remember your User Name, select the Forgot User Name Link on the “Home” screen. You will have to provide some information to verify your identity. Once your identity has been verified, an email will be sent to your e-mail address on-record in CHRIS, providing you with your User Name.
What if I want to change my security Questions/Answers?
After logging into your account, select the User Profile Selection on the Activity Panel and select the Change Security Questions/Answers Link. You can select new questions or edit the answers to your previously selected questions.
Placements and Payments
What if I see inaccuracies on the Placement begin/end dates or payment amounts?
Contact your assigned primary caseworker or supervisor.
What is the difference between current and past placements?
Current shows open and active placements of children in your care, while past shows closed and inactive placements.
What do the service start and service approve dates mean under Placement Information?
The service start date is the start date for the applicable paid service. The service approve date is the date the applicable paid service was approved in CHRIS by the supervisor.
What are placement entry and exit dates?
The dates the child was placed in or removed from your home.
How is the payment amount determined?
Board payment and subsidy amounts are approved to be paid on a monthly basis (EX: rate of $410/month). The actual amount paid is either by the complete month, or determined based on the number of days the child is in a placed and payable service, and pro-rated (EX: At a rate of $410/month, but for 10 days of a 31 day month would equal $132.26). For foster children, the provider where the foster child is placed through midnight will receive board payment for that day. If the foster child exits the placement prior to midnight, the provider will not be paid for that day.
DCFS Forms
How do I use the DCFS Forms feature?
This feature provides you the opportunity to open, download or print off common forms used by DCFS in the management of children in your care. The forms were created in MS Office and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, and you may need the Adobe Reader ™ application to open many of them. If you have other questions about the use of these forms, please contact your resource worker.
User Administration
What is the ‘Change Photo’ feature in the User Profile used for?
Once logged into the Foster and Adoption Family portal, you have the option to upload a photo of yourself, your family, or your home to add a ‘personal’ touch to your profile. You can change the photo at any time.
Our Physical Location Address has changed. How do I notify DCFS?
Once logged into the Foster and Adoption Family portal, you can request that your DCFS resource worker change your address in CHRIS under the ‘User Profile’ feature. You have the option to select the address type as ‘Street’ and ‘Rural’. Upon submission of your request, the DCFS resource worker is automatically notified via email to make this change in CHRIS. Once it is updated, you should see the change reflected from your User Profile on the Foster and Adoption Family portal.
What is text messaging?
Text messaging will be used to notify Foster Family homes of critical and immediate needs to place children. If you opt-in to this feature, you will be notified by cell phone text message when each need occurs. You can contact DCFS, if interested in fostering this child (or children). If you opt in (or out), and decide later you would like to opt out (or in), you can update your selection from the ‘User Profile’ feature on the portal activity panel.
What is RAVE?
RAVE is the 3rd-party vendor providing the text messaging notification system that DCFS uses to notify Foster Family Homes of critical and immediate needs to place children.
I changed my text option settings to opt out of notifications, but I still received a text message?
There may be a delay before your selection option is updated with RAVE. Please verify that your text opt in/out option is set to “No” for the household members who do not want to subscribe. If you continue to receive these messages after 48-hours since you made the change, please use the ‘Contact Us’ page for additional assistance.
Will I be charged for receiving RAVE text messages?
There is no cost to you for the RAVE notification subscription. However, if your mobile phone carrier charges you to send or receive text messages, those charges may apply. Many calling plans include unlimited text messages. Depending on your cell phone plan, you could be charged for text messages. Check with your carrier for your plan specifics.
Can I receive RAVE messages on my Google Voice number?
Google Voice does allow you to send and receive messages through your data plan as opposed to a text messaging plan. You should consult with your carrier for details and specifics.
My Home
What is My Home tab?
The “My Home” tab allows you to view information pertaining to your home. You will see contact information for your assigned resource worker and resource supervisor name, email address and phone number; re-evaluation due date, number of slots your home is approved for, number of filled slots and how many slots you have available. You will also have access to view current FFSS.
Can I see Medicaid numbers of the children placed in my home?
Yes, Under the “View Placements” tab you will see a list of the child(ren) currently keyed into your home. The last column in this table will include their Medicaid number.
How do I know if I have any approved FFSS?
All FFSS in process will show up on the “My Home” tab under the Foster Family Support System section. Before using your FFSS, check with your resource worker to confirm the FFSS has been approved and the initial visual home inspection has been completed.