HomeMy WebLinkAboutC15-329 Child Care Assistance Program Policy for Decoupling Schedule 4
Eagle County
Department of Human Services
Child Care Assistance Program
Policy for Decoupling Schedule
Policy Title Reference
Child Care Assistance Program 9 CCR 2503-9
Policy for Decoupling Schedule CDHS Volume 3.913 (QQ)
Policy No. Effective Date
CCAP-02
Background
HB14-1317 has revised CCAP rule to allow for"de-coupling" of a child's authorized care schedule
from the primary caretaker(s) approved activity schedule.
In accordance with 9CCR 2503-9 CDHS Volume 3.913(QQ)(1).Counties must authorize care based
on verified need,by establishing an authorization to cover the maximum amount of units needed to
ensure care is available based on the client's participation in an eligible activity, and must not be linked
directly to an adult caretaker's or teen parent's employment, education,job search, or workforce training
schedule, and should not be tied to the client's activity schedule and should be based on the child's need
for care.
Purpose
The following policy describes guidelines in effect in Eagle County which are consistent with state
regulations.
Definitions
"Adult caretaker" means a person in the home who is financially contributing to the welfare of the child
and is the parent, adoptive parent, step-parent, legal guardian, or person who is acting in "loco parentis".
"Eligible activity", for the purpose of child care, means the activity that the teen parent(s)or adult
caretaker(s) are involved in. This may include job search; employment; and/or education/training, if the
county supports education/training. For teen parents, education/training is an approved activity for all
counties.
"Teen parent" means a parent under twenty-one (21) years of age who has physical custody of his/her
child(ren) for the period that care is requested and is in an eligible activity, such as attending junior
high/middle school, high school, GED program,vocational/technical training activity, employment or
job search.
"Units" or "unit of care" means the period of time care is billed by a provider and paid for a family.
(These units would be full-time, part-time, full-time/part-time, or full-time/full-time.)
Policy:
It is the policy of Eagle County to authorize child care based on the verified needs of the child and to
promote consistency for the child while taking the adult caretaker's or teen parent's participation
schedule in an eligible activity into consideration. The Child Care Schedule Request form will be used
to verify need.
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` The county will take into consideration the care needed to promote consistency for the child and base
the authorized child care on the needs of the family. The Adult caretaker will complete the child care
schedule request form (or provide the needed information in writing)to indicate the preferred child care
schedule. If the need is questionable,the child care specialist will review the case with the program
supervisor.
Examples of decoupling the authorization from the eligible activity schedule are as follows but are not
limited to:
Example 1:
Adult caretaker works five part time days a week but the selected child care provider's early childhood
education programming functions on a full time day schedule. Eagle County may authorize five full
time units of care.
Example 2:
Adult caretaker works twelve days a month on average. Eagle County may authorize three full time
units of care per week to allow consistent care for child, not dependent on caretaker working those exact
days.
Example 3:
Adult caretaker is enrolled in post-secondary education and their classes are from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
or the Adult caretaker has an evening or overnight work schedule. The selected preschool's
programming operates from 8:00 a.m.to 12:00 p.m. Eagle County may authorize care for the child for
the morning preschool session upon receipt of verification of the preschool program hours to support the
educational needs of the child.
Example 4:
Adult caretaker works for the school district or similar employer with pre-determined week-long breaks
and holidays. Curriculum at child's provider does not take a corresponding break. Care units can be
authorized during these times due to the child's need for continuity of care. Any break from Adult
caretaker's eligible activity longer than 4 weeks (required timeframe an Adult caretaker has to report
change in activity)will be considered a change in activity and processed as such.
COUNTY OF EAGLE, STATE OF COLORADO, By and
Through I : BOA: I OF C P , TY OMMISSIONERS
ot ',: /A/. 4.LAL.lb
rij m Kathy handler-Henry, Chair
Attest: e
By: / �.
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Teak J. Simonton, Clerk to the :`.:'�
