[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 45, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 45CFR302.52]

[Page 228-229]
 
                        TITLE 45--PUBLIC WELFARE
 
PART 302--STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 302.52  Distribution of support collected in Title IV-E foster care 
maintenance cases.

    Effective October 1, 1984, the State plan shall provide as follows:
    (a) For purposes of distribution under this section, amounts 
collected in foster care maintenance cases shall be treated in 
accordance with the provisions of Sec. 302.51(a) of this part.
    (b) The amounts collected as support by the IV-D agency under the 
State plan on behalf of children for whom the State is making foster 
care maintenance payments under the title IV-E State plan and for whom 
an assignment under section 471(a)(17) of the Act is effective shall be 
distributed as follows:
    (1) Any amount that is collected in a month which represents payment 
on the required support obligation for that month shall be retained by 
the State to reimburse itself for foster care maintenance payments. Of 
that amount retained by the State as reimbursement for that month's 
foster care maintenance payment, the State IV-D agency shall determine 
the Federal government's share so that the State may reimburse the 
Federal government to the extent of its participation in financing of 
the foster care maintenance payment.
    (2) If the amount collected is in excess of the monthly amount of 
the foster care maintenance payment but not more than the monthly 
support obligation, the State must pay the excess to

[[Page 229]]

the State agency responsible for supervising the child's placement and 
care under section 472(a)(2) of the Act. The State agency must use the 
money in the manner it determines will serve the best interests of the 
child including:
    (i) Setting aside amounts for the child's future needs; or
    (ii) Making all or part of the amount available to the person 
responsible for meeting the child's daily needs to be used for the 
child's benefit.
    (3) If the amount collected exceeds the amount required to be 
distributed under paragraphs (b) (1) and (2) of this section, but not 
the total unreimbursed foster care maintenance payments provided under 
title IV-E or unreimbursed assistance payments provided under title IV-
A, the State shall retain the excess to reimburse itself for these 
payments. If past assistance or foster care maintenance payments are 
greater than the total support obligation owed, the maximum amount the 
State may retain as reimbursement for such payments is the amount of 
such obligation. If amounts are collected which represent the required 
support obligation for periods prior to the first month in which the 
family received assistance under the State's title IV-A plan or foster 
care maintenance payments under the State's title IV-E plan, such 
amounts may be retained by the State to reimburse the difference between 
such support obligation and such payments. Of the amounts retained by 
the State, the State IV-D agency shall determine the Federal 
government's share of the amount so that the State may reimburse the 
Federal government to the extent of its participation in financing the 
assistance payments and foster care maintenance payments.
    (4) Any balance shall be paid to the State agency responsible for 
supervising the child's placement and care and shall be used to serve 
the best interests of the child as specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section.
    (5) If an amount collected as support represents payment on the 
required support obligation for future months, the amount shall be 
applied to those future months. However, no amounts shall be applied to 
future months unless amounts have been collected which fully satisfy the 
support obligation assigned under sections 408(a)(3) and 471 (a)(17) of 
the Act for the current month and all past months.
    (c) When a State ceases making foster care maintenance payments 
under the State's title IV-E State plan, the assignment of support 
rights under section 471(a)(17) of the Act terminates except for the 
amount of any unpaid support that has accrued under the assignment. The 
IV-D agency shall attempt to collect such unpaid support. Under this 
requirement, any collection made by the State under this paragraph must 
be distributed in accordance with paragraph (b)(3) of this section.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
0960-0385)

[50 FR 19648, May 9, 1985, as amended at 50 FR 31719, Aug. 6, 1985; 51 
FR 37731, Oct. 24, 1986; 64 FR 6249, Feb. 9, 1999]