(1) Each DCFS regional administrator, division of licensed resources (DLR) regional manager, or CA division director, as applicable, must establish procedures to provide for consistency in the handling of provider or vendor disputes in accordance with the children's administration prehearing procedures and this chapter.

(2) Staff at the following organizational levels will handle disputes:

(a) The DCFS regional administrator is responsible for the dispute resolution process for:

(i) All payments authorized by local office social workers;

(ii) All payments authorized under regionally managed contracts and service agreements.

(b) Regional staff are responsible for the following activities to resolve disputes:

(i) Prehearing conferences;

(ii) Mediation activities;

(iii) Administrative hearings for payments authorized in local offices; and

(iv) Administrative hearings for regionally managed contracts.

(c) For CA child care subsidy program payment disputes, DLR office of child care policy (OCCP) headquarters staff is responsible for:

(i) Prehearing conferences;

(ii) Mediation activities; and

(iii) Administrative hearings.

(d) Assigned CA division of program and policy development or office of foster care licensing (OFCL) headquarters staff, as applicable, will handle disputes arising from headquarters-managed contracts and service agreements. These staff will handle:

(i) Prehearing conferences;

(ii) Mediation activities; and

(iii) Administrative hearings.