Kansas Economic and Employment Support Manual

2835 EM (Non-TAF) Child Care -This subtype is available to child care nuclear family (as defined in KEESM 4410) where no one receives TAF.

EM Child Care may be used for the following reasons:

1. EP (Work Program Services) - This reason code is used for former TAF recipients who need child care when their TAF case has closed but will continue to receive provider services and other support services through Work Programs. See 3410.
    
2. EM (Employment) - A primary purpose of the child care program is to support employment. Child care may also be provided with this reason code for hours of actual participation in the federal Work Study Program. Child care may also be provided for activities directly related to the hours of work and retention of the client's current employment. Examples include but are not limited to: child care for administrative leave for jury duty, ongoing mandated drug and alcohol counseling, required in service training, and sick leave when the parent-guardian- caretaker is too ill to care for the child. A suggested guideline is to use for no more than 10 days.
   
   Former TAF recipients who need child care for employment when their TAF case has closed and earned income is a factor in the closure shall receive child care under this subtype and reason code without a family share deductions for two months following TAF case closure.
    
3. TR (Training/Education/Employment) - Child Care may be provided under this subtype for persons needing to enhance current employment and/or earning potential through education and/or training. See Appendix E-11, Education and Training Assistance Aid.
   
   The following lists basic criteria for approving education and/or training under this subtype:
    
4. • SRS will not provide child care assistance for customers to complete a bachelor or higher degree unless they will complete within 6 months.
      
   • The client must be engaged in paid employment for a minimum of 20 hours per week. If self-employed, child care plans may be terminated after 6 months if the client is not working a minimum of 20 hours per week and earning the equivalent of the federal minimum wage per hour. See NOTE below regarding waiver of the employment criteria. To find the current minimum wage click this link, http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm , then scroll down and click on ‘What is the Minimum Wage?’
     
      
   • Education/Training shall be skill specific (such as VoTech/Certificate programs) and/or create greater earning potential for the client upon completion.
      
   • The client must maintain passing grades/adequate progress in accordance with the standards of the institution. Grades/progress shall be verified prior to plan renewals.
      
   • Supervisory approval using form ES-1606 is required for plans of more than 215 hours per child.
     
     
   • A Statement of Understanding, ES-1640 form must be signed by the client and received by the worker prior to approval of education/training child care hours when employment is required. Non-receipt of the Statement of Understanding shall not delay eligibility determination and/or plan authorization for employment.
     
     NOTE: In cases where there are 2 parents in the household, both parents must meet an approvable criteria for child care subsidy.
     
     NOTE: Employment criteria shall be waived if education/training (including completion of BA or AA) will be completed within 6 months, and completion will result in greater earnings potential. Employment criteria shall be waived for plans approved by the WIA, the Kansas Foster Child Educational Assistance Act of Foster Care Tuition Waiver Program, or the Work Force Development Loan Program.
     
     For clients who have been approved for employment and education/ training and subsequently lose employment with good cause as defined in 3530, child care plans may continue for education/training through the month following the month the employment is lost. Clients should be reminded that employment is an eligibility criteria and should be encouraged to obtain employment as soon as possible.
      

4. SS (Social Services) - Non-TAF recipient families who have a temporary emergency need. This is primarily based upon the parent/caretaker’s need and may be authorized for up to six (6) months. There will be no family share deduction assessed. Twenty-four (24) hours of care per day may be available for a period not to exceed 30 days dependent upon the situation. Regulated providers need to have a written authorization for an exception from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Child Care Licensing and Registration to provide more than 18 hours of care per day by the same person.
   
       Children in families with or without open social service cases may be eligible.
   
   Qualifying social service reasons would be:
    
5. 1. “Parents with Crisis”:
       
      1. Parent hospitalized or otherwise temporarily unable to provide adequate care for the child. This could be inpatient or outpatient, for physical health, mental health or substance abuse treatment. There is no other adult to care for the child.
          
      2. Family in the process of SRS Intake and Assessment.
          
      3. Family receiving services through a family preservation contractor or SRS Children and Family Services (CFS) Social Worker.
          
   2. Juvenile offenders in the custody of the Juvenile Justice Authority when the foster parent is employed and needs child care. The foster parent will need to apply at the local SRS Service Center.     The child care plan type will be coded “FC”. The foster parent will be the PI on the KsCares case. A completed “Request for Social Service Child Care”, ES-1627 and a copy of the journal entry as documentation of the child’s status will be given to the foster parent by designated JJA-contracted staff and must be retained in the SRS case file along with the application.
       

If the foster parent is also applying for child care subsidy for other children in the household, the EM reason code will be used. The family share deduction is determined by the income of the family and the number of family members. The adjudicated juvenile offender is included in the family size for the purpose of assessing the family share deduction.

 

The Social Service child care reason would not be used for :
 

4. 1. Children placed with a non-licensed, approved relative where the relative is employed. The EM (employment) reason code should be used.
       
   2. Children in licensed foster care (foster care contractors are responsible for child care). EES child care subsidy would not be used.
       
   3. Children in foster care being placed back with the parent on a limited basis and child care is needed due to parent employment. The EM reason code should be used.
       
   4. Respite care.
       
   5. SSI children.
       
   6. Children over the age of 13. The appropriate reason code would be used based on the need for care.
       
   7. Disabled children. The appropriate reason code would be used based on the need for care.
       

A Request for Social Services Child Care form (ES-1627) is required and must be signed by the EES/SS Program Administrator or designee in the respective SRS Service Center. If the situation is not resolved within the six (6) month timeframe, the family situation will be reviewed by Regional EES Program Administrator before additional months of child care are approved. Documentation in the case file will clarify how need for additional child care was established and a new ES-1627 will be completed for an additional six (6) month period.
 

5. ET (Education for Teen Parents) - Child Care is available for non-TAF teen parents needing child care to complete high school or obtain a GED. Eligibility shall be determined by a means test using only the non-exempt income of the teen parent and the teen's children. An application must be completed. If the teen parent is under the age of 18 and not determined able to act in their own behalf, the teen's parent-guardian-caretaker should be listed as the Primary Individual (PI) on the case. The family share deduction is calculated according to the family composition of PI, teen parent and the teen's children. If the teen is 18, 19 or determined able to act in their own behalf, the teen is listed as the PI and the family share deduction calculated according to the non-exempt income of the teen parent and the teen's children. ET child care may also be provided for summer breaks if the teen parent is employed and plans to return to high school in the fall. However, if a minor teen parent drops out of high school with no intention of returning and then needs child care for employment, all members of the nuclear family are included in the household and all nonexempt available income is considered when determining initial eligibility and the family share deduction. The EM reason code would be used in this situation.
   
   When a teen parent requires child care for both employment and education/ training purposes, the ET reason code should be used. The ET reason code should be used if the teen is in high school/GED and employed even if child care is only being asked for the hours of employment. When child care is needed for employment only, EM reason code should be used. If the teen parent turns 20, child care under this reason code may continue for the completion of the school term, as long as the plan was approved prior to age 20. If the teen parent turns 20 while completing the GED, child care under this reason code may continue for up to nine months past their 20th birthday as long as the plan was approved prior to age 20.
   
   Teen parents enrolled in high school are required to make passing grades or adequate progress as established by the educational institution.  
    
6. To allow mandatory food stamp work registrants to participate in the FS E&T work program in Dickinson, Geary, Pottawatomie, Riley, and Saline counties. See 3100. Good cause shall be given to food stamp work registrants for failure to participate if they can demonstrate that child care is unavailable. The client must be advised of this exception. No family share will be assigned to food stamp work program participants who are not employed.
   
   If the client is both employed and participating in work programs, child care will be accessed through the EM Child Care subtype and a family share will be assessed. One child care plan per child for each provider is developed, combining the hours child care is needed for employment and work program participation. In a two parent household where one parent is employed and the second parent is participating in work programs, child care plans should be set up under the work program participant using the EM subtype with no family share.
   
   EM Child Care may also be provided to food stamp work program participants referred to the DES component after notification has been received that the Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) development has been completed by Kansas Rehabilitation Services. Child care costs incurred after referral but prior to IPE completion will be paid by Kansas Rehabilitation Services.

EM Child Care recipients whose income falls below 70% of the federal poverty level are not assigned a family share deduction. All other EM Child Care recipients are assigned a family share deduction each month, except as noted in 2, 4 and 6 above. The family share deduction, which is used to reduce the monthly benefit, is based on the size of the family and the family’s countable gross income. (Refer to the current Monthly Family Income and Share Deduction Schedule for Child Care Services, Appendix Item F-1.) However, the family income may not exceed -185% - of the current federal poverty guidelines. The family share deduction is redetermined at review or more often if the gross monthly income or household size increases or decreases (see 7541).

2836 AE (Vocational Rehabilitation) Child Care - RS and EES staff are encouraged to collaborate in the provision of services to TAF recipients referred to the DES work component.

The following guidelines will be appropriate for most situations:

• TAF recipients referred to the DES work program component may have their child care costs paid for by Rehabilitation Services (RS) during the eligibility determination phase of the RS process.
  
  
• Once RS and the customer have implemented an Individualized Plan for Employment (Status 12 in the RS process), EES will pay for child care.
  
  
• In order for child care payments to be made by RS through EBT, the RS counselor must submit a request to EES to establish the EBT process for the case and to authorize specific expenditure of RS funds. If a request is not submitted by an RS counselor, EES will pay for the child care. See Appendix C- 22 "KsCares Procedure: Child Care EBT Payments for RS Clients", for instructions on creating child care plans for RS payments.