N.H. Admin. Code § He-C 6910.11 - Child Care Assistance Wait List

(a) When annual departmental cost projections reflect that available funds will be over-expended for the current fiscal year, a wait list shall be established consisting of all families applying for or receiving child care scholarship for the provision of additional child care scholarships.

(b) The following children shall be exempt from the wait list in (a) above:

(1) Children whose parent applies for employment related child care scholarship within 92 calendar days of the child's preventive or protective services closing;

(2) Children in families currently receiving TANF benefits or children whose parent applies for employment related child care scholarship within 92 calendars days of the parent's TANF closing; and

(3) Children currently experiencing homelessness as defined in He-C 6910.03(i) or children whose parent(s) apply for employment related child care scholarship within 92 calendar days of finding housing after experiencing homelessness.

(c) The department shall not pay for child care services provided to a child while he or she is on the wait list.

(d) A family shall comply with all eligibility requirements and be determined eligible in accordance with He-C 6910.06, or He-C 6910.07, and He-C 6910.08 before being placed on the wait list.

(e) A family whose child(ren) is on a wait list shall be subject to redetermination of child care scholarship every 12-months.

(f) A family whose child(ren) is on the wait list shall report the following:

(1) Start of employment;

(2) Permanent loss of employment;

(3) Start of training or educational program;

(4) Cessation of training or education program;

(5) Start of mental health or substance misuse treatment program;

(6) End of mental health or substance misuse treatment program:

(7) If the assistance group's gross income exceeds 220% of federal poverty guidelines; or

(8) If the assistance group's income increases to an amount exceeding 85% of SMI.

(g) If a family is determined ineligible or fails to maintain eligibility status, the child(ren) shall be removed from the wait list and, child care eligibility shall be terminated.

(h) If a child has been removed from the wait list, pursuant to (g) above, the family shall re-apply, be determined eligible for child care scholarship, and be added to the child care scholarship wait list. The new application date shall determine the child's position on the wait list.

(i) The wait list shall be prioritized into the following groups:

(1) The first priority group shall include:

a. Children in families with monthly gross income at or under 100% of the federal poverty level; and

b. Siblings of children who are members of a currently eligible family with an approved provider and are actively receiving assistance; and

(2) The second priority group shall include all other children determined eligible for child care scholarship who do not meet the criteria of the first priority group in (1) above.

(j) Eligible children shall be added to the wait list according to the date on the application submitted according to He-C 6910.04(e).

(k) As funds become available, funds shall be released to offer child care scholarship to children on the wait list in priority order, as follows:

(1) According to the date of a family's signed and dated application submission; and

(2) Alternating between:

a. Two children from the first priority group in (i)(1) above; and

b. One child from the second priority group in (i)(2) above.

(l) When child care scholarship becomes available to a child on the wait list, families shall receive notification stating the following:

(1) The date that one or more of their children has been released from the wait list;

(2) The date in (1) above shall be the date that funds are available for payment; and

(3) No payment shall be made for child care services received prior to the date in (k) above.

(m) The family shall have 30 days from the date in (1)(1) above to arrange for child care with an enrolled child care provider and return the provider verification form identified in He-C 6910.09(i) to DHHS.

(n) If the family fails to comply with (l)(1) above, child care eligibility shall be terminated, except for the following circumstances:

(1) The family is unable to find child care within 30 days with assistance from a child care resource and referral agency;

(2) The parent or child has an in-patient hospital stay during the 30-day period; or

(3) The information or data contained in Form 1863 "Child Care Provider Verification" (May 2020) was incorrectly entered, or no data was entered by DHHS establishing a child care link;

(4) There was an error made in the DHHS determination of child care eligibility; or

(5) The family's chosen child care provider has completed the enrollment requirements in accordance with He-C 6914.04 within 30 days, but the provider enrollment determination has not been made according to He-C 6914.04.

(o) When a single parent in the military is receiving child care scholarship and the parent is placed on orders or deployed for a period longer than 30 days, child care scholarship shall continue until:

(1) The parent's child care scholarship is terminated and the parent appoints a legal guardian or caretaker relative for his or her child(ren);

(2) The legal guardian or caretaker relative applies for child care scholarship and the child is placed on the wait list until a determination is made on the legal guardian's or caretaker relative's eligibility to receive child care scholarship; and

(3) The legal guardian or caretaker relative is found eligible to receive child care scholarship, and the child is released from the wait list.

(p) When the single parent returns from orders or deployment and assumes guardianship of his or her child, the child if on a wait list, shall be released from the wait list when the following are completed:

(1) The legal guardian's or caretaker relative's child care scholarship is terminated;

(2) The parent reapplies to receive child care scholarship, and the child is placed on the wait list until a determination is made on the parent's eligibility to receive assistance; and

(3) The single parent is found eligible to receive child care scholarship at the time the child is released from the wait list.

Notes

N.H. Admin. Code § He-C 6910.11

#7723, eff 7-1-02 (from He-C 6910.09); amd by #8377, eff 6-21-05; (See Revision Note at part heading for He-C 6910) #9474, eff 6-29-09; ss by #10120, eff 5-7-12

Amended by Volume XXXVII Number 28, Filed July 13, 2017, Proposed by #12221, Effective 7/10/2017, 7/10/2027. Amended by Volume XL Number 27, Filed July 9, 2020, Proposed by #13063, Effective 7/1/2020, Expires 7/1/2030