234.6 Powers and duties of the administrator.

1. The administrator shall be vested with the authority to administer the family investment program, state supplementary assistance, food programs, child welfare, and emergency relief, family and adult service programs, and any other form of public welfare assistance and institutions that are placed under the administrator’s administration. The administrator shall perform duties, shall formulate and adopt rules as may be necessary, and shall outline policies, dictate procedure, and delegate such powers as may be necessary for competent and efficient administration. Subject to restrictions that may be imposed by the director of human services and the council on human services, the administrator may abolish, alter, consolidate, or establish subdivisions and may abolish or change offices previously created. The administrator may employ necessary personnel and fix their compensation; may allocate or reallocate functions and duties among any subdivisions now existing or later established; and may adopt rules relating to the employment of personnel and the allocation of their functions and duties among the various subdivisions as competent and efficient administration may require. The administrator shall:

a. Cooperate with the social security administration created by the Social Security Act and codified at 42 U.S.C. §901, or other agency of the federal government for public welfare assistance, in such reasonable manner as may be necessary to qualify for federal aid, including the making of such reports in such form and containing such information as the social security administration, from time to time, may require, and to comply with such regulations as such social security administration, from time to time, may find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports.

b. Furnish information to acquaint the public generally with the operation of the Acts under the jurisdiction of the administrator.

c. With the approval of the director of human services, the governor, the director of the department of management, and the director of the department of administrative services, set up from the funds under the administrator’s control and management an administrative fund and from the administrative fund pay the expenses of operating the division.

d. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in chapter 239B relating to the consideration of income and resources of claimants for assistance, the administrator, with the consent and approval of the director of human services and the council on human services, shall make such rules as may be necessary to qualify for federal aid in the assistance programs administered by the administrator.

e. Have authority to use funds available to the department, subject to any limitations placed on the use thereof by the legislation appropriating the funds, to provide to or purchase, for families and individuals eligible therefor, services including but not limited to the following:

(1) Child care for children or adult day services, in facilities which are licensed or are approved as meeting standards for licensure.

(2) Foster care, including foster family care, group homes, and institutions.

(3) Family-centered services, as defined in section 232.102, subsection 12, paragraph “b”.

(4) Family planning.

(5) Protective services.

(6) Services or support provided to a child with an intellectual disability or other developmental disability or to the child’s family.

(7) Transportation services.

(8) Any services, not otherwise enumerated in this paragraph “e”, authorized by or pursuant to the United States Social Security Act of 1934, as amended.

f. Administer the food programs authorized by federal law, and recommend rules necessary in the administration of those programs to the director for adoption pursuant to chapter 17A.

g. Provide consulting and technical services to the director of the department of education, or the director’s designee, upon request, relating to prekindergarten, kindergarten, and before and after school programming and facilities.

h. Recommend rules for their adoption by the council on human services for before and after school child care programs, conducted within and by or contracted for by school districts, that are appropriate for the ages of the children who receive services under the programs.

2. The department of human services shall have the power and authority to use the funds available to it, to purchase services of all kinds from public or private agencies to provide for the needs of children, including but not limited to psychiatric services, supervision, specialized group, foster homes, and institutional care.

3. In determining the reimbursement rate for services purchased by the department of human services from a person or agency, the department shall not include private moneys contributed to the person or agency unless the moneys are contributed for services provided to a specific individual.

[C39, §3661.007; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §234.6]

88 Acts, ch 1134, §56; 89 Acts, ch 206, §2; 92 Acts, ch 1229, §21 – 23; 93 Acts, ch 97, §28; 97 Acts, ch 41, §32; 99 Acts, ch 111, §5, 7; 99 Acts, ch 192, §28; 2001 Acts, ch 64, §5; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §286; 2007 Acts, ch 172, §10; 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §180; 2012 Acts, ch 1019, §92; 2013 Acts, ch 90, §60; 2015 Acts, ch 29, §114; 2016 Acts, ch 1073, §84; 2017 Acts, ch 29, §55, 56; 2017 Acts, ch 54, §75

Referred to in §234.38

See §13.6