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Department
of Human Services Families
First Online Policy Manual Child Care |
Revised: |
33.11 |
PROCEDURES |
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DHS Client Rep and Child Care Specialists Responsibilities ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will complete the child care
eligibility in the child care eligibility and case management system. ·
DHS client reps will determine eligibility for Families First Child
Care. ·
DHS client reps will determine eligibility for Transitional Child Care
when the client is eligible for TCC at the time of the Families First case
closure, or if the client contacts prior to the end of the month following
the month of closure. ·
DHS child care specialists will determine eligibility for Families
First Transitional Child Care when the client does not receive TCC at the
time of, or by the end of the month following, the FF closure effective
date. ·
DHS client reps may need to determine child care eligibility during
the application period if the individual is serving a 5-day compliance period
at the time of approval, or later during the period of eligibility. It is critical that eligibility be determined
as soon as the need is identified, so that child care arrangements can be
made within two weeks. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will determine the caretaker’s
child care needs, including the number of hours of care and whether care is
needed on week-ends or nights, based on the individual’s activities. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will refer to the Monthly
Income and Fee Table to show the participant the income levels that are
required to qualify for TCC. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists calculate the TCC parent
co-payment fee, which the participant pays directly to the provider. Participants receiving Transitional Child
Care are responsible for contributing a
portion of their income to pay for their child care. The parent co-payment fee is based on a
percentage of the participant’s gross monthly income. DHS assumes no responsibility for any
charges by a provider that are over and above the established state rates for
that type of care. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will provide counseling on parental
choice for the type of care appropriate for the family’s needs; the
importance of choosing quality child care; and on the parent’s responsibility
for monitoring the children’s care. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will provide local resource and
referral services for locating a provider near the family home or work
site. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will complete a child care
certificate for each child deemed eligible.
·
DHS client
reps/child care specialists will explain to the parent/caretaker that the
child care payments do not begin until the provider receives a child care
certificate. Families First/TCC
participants should not place their children in child care before receiving a
child care certificate from the client rep/child care specialist. If child care arrangements are made before
the child care certificate is approved, problems can occur in reimbursing the
provider and may impact the participant.
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DHS client reps/child care specialists must contact the participant
when the child care provider reports that a child has ten or more absences
from child care. An unusually high
number of absences may indicate that the individual is not participating in his/her
Families First/TCC activity or there may be other problems that impact the
AU’s Families First/TCC eligibility or affect the individual’s ability to
comply with the Families First PRP. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will provide limited mediation
between the participant and provider to resolve care problems. ·
DHS client reps will determine continued eligibility for Families
First Child Care every twelve (12) months.
The client rep is responsible for terminating Families First when a need
no longer exists or the AU is closed. ·
The child care specialist will conduct a review of continued
qualification for all TCC, ARCO, TPACC, and DCS cases at least every six (6)
months. The child care specialist is
responsible for terminating TCC, ARCO, TPACC, and DCS child care eligibility
when a need no longer exists or the AU no longer meets the qualification
requirements. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will send a written notice to
the caretaker when Families First child care hours are reduced or terminated,
to explain the change. This notice
should be sent as soon as possible after the client rep/child care specialist
becomes aware that the child care will change and before the hours are reduced
or terminated. The client rep/child care specialist must also include the sheet that
explains the individual’s rights and responsibilities with the notice. ·
DHS client reps will discuss the child care policies regarding the
30-hour TCC work and/or education/training requirement with Families First
participants when they report changes that may close the Families First
case. Participants will need to be
aware of what to expect with TCC.
Child care specialists will discuss these policies with clients who
apply for TCC later in their 18-month eligibility period. It is important that the client rep/child
care specialist discuss with the participant that TCC is a benefit provided
to help the participant prepare for self-sufficiency. ·
DHS client reps/child care specialists will determine good cause for
issues that may result in a termination or reduction in child care. A good cause determination is necessary
when: - The caretaker does
not provide requested information - The caretaker does
not cooperate with child support collection. ·
DHS client reps and child care specialists will give
child care providers a written 10-day day termination/change notice when a
child care case is to be terminated or a parent co-pay fee changed. Bulletin 30, FA-11-19 |
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