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Department
of Human Services Families
First Online Policy Manual Child Care |
Revised: |
33.5 |
FAMILIES FIRST CHILD CARE (FF) |
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In order to receive child care assistance,
the child care must be necessary for the caretaker to participate in work
activities. Child care is not provided
if the caretaker can arrange for free care or the children are in school
during the hours the client will participate in work activities. Child care assistance will not be given to
a two-parent family (Unemployed Parent case, incapacity or married during
receipt of assistance), if one parent is able, willing, and appropriate to
provide care in the home. Child care
will not be given to a minor parent who is an EC if the caretaker of the AU
can provide the care. Child care eligibility and the eligibility end date must be reviewed
during each contact between the client rep and the
participant. Bulletin 30, FA-11-19 Child care is available, if needed, on the first day of participation
in an activity, employment or while the parent or caretaker attends FSC
assessment. Bulletin 29, FA-08-21 Child care is available for all eligible adults (even if they are
disqualified) if they are in a work activity.
If the eligible adult is exempt from the work requirements, he/she may
still be able to receive child care if he/she volunteers for a work activity
or agrees to FSC assessment. Bulletin 29, FA-08-21 Child care cannot be provided prior to the approval for Families
First, except when the caretaker is participating in an activity
during the required 5-day compliance period to cure a sanction. Child care assistance will be terminated for Families First
participants who are non-compliant with their Personal Responsibility Plan. If the participant makes contact, either during the conciliation
period or at a later date, and is determined to have had good cause for the
non-compliance situation, or agrees to comply prior to the eligibility
termination date, the caseworker/client rep will restart the child care. Prior to restarting child care, the
caseworker/client rep must determine that child care is still needed by the
participant. Child care will be restarted
with no break in coverage if immediate child care is required in order to
participate. Otherwise, child care
will be restarted effective with the date the individual has agreed to return
to the activity. If the participant fails to comply for the 5-day period, the child
care will be terminated. In the event the Families First case is being closed for cash
benefits, and there is an open FF child care case, the child care case will
be terminated effective with the date the adverse action period expires. Exception: Families First participants, who are currently
employed, will have a child care termination end date that corresponds
with the effective date of case closure. Child care will be provided for hours associated with the
employment. This will allow
participants to continue to receive child care uninterrupted while they are
moved to Transitional Child Care (TCC). At the time of approval, child care can be provided back to the date
of application for the time that the participant was working or was in an
activity that would qualify as a PRP work activity. The child care payments may be issued to
the participant or the child care provider, as determined by the child care
specialist. Retroactive Families First
child care will not be provided if: ·
The
participant chose the child care disregard for the months in question. ·
The AU was
eligible for TCC during the application period. ·
The AU was
ineligible for cash payment, unless the individual was complying for 5 days
to remove a sanction. Child care will be provided, if needed, while a parent is in a
drug/alcohol or mental health treatment program. Child care will not be terminated when the caretaker is between
work/training activities. The provider
will retain a child care “slot” for the child for thirty days. If the break between activities will last
more than thirty days, the child care should be terminated. Retroactive cash reimbursement will be authorized to a caretaker who
verifies he/she paid child care costs during a period of Families First
eligibility and received no disregard and no direct payment was made to
the provider by DHS during that time.
This reimbursement cannot exceed the State allowable rate for the type
of child care provided. The caretaker
will be referred to the child care specialist to request the reimbursement. |
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