Page 907

7 AAC 41.335. Family income and contribution schedule. (a) To determine the amount the family must contribute toward the eligible cost of care, the department will, or a designee shall, use the department’s Family Income and Contribution Schedule, revised as of February 21, 2022, and adopted by reference. This amount will be based on family size and income level, and on a sliding fee scale. (b) The maximum family monthly income allowed for participation in the program appears in the Family Income and Contribution Schedule, adopted by reference in (a) of this section. The maximum family monthly income may not exceed 85 percent of the state’s median income (SMI) level developed by the federal government for this state, as periodically published in the federal register, and adjusted by family size. (c) The department will review and revise the family income and contribution schedule, based on the state’s median income (SMI) published in the federal register and may consider additional revisions, based on one or more of the following factors:

(1) implementation experience may demonstrate unintended results or irregularities that require a schedule adjustment, including

(A) when increases in earned income are entirely consumed by an increased contribution under the schedule; and

(B) when contributions compete with the provision of basic necessities for a family, including reasonable expenses for the provision of food, shelter, or transportation;

(2) the state’s median income (SMI) level as described in (b)(1) of this section for the current year;

(3) the level of appropriations for the program changes, and the department must redetermine the maximum number of families that may receive child care assistance;

(4) the number of children in care and needing care under the program;

(5) the number of children in care in a family under the program;

(6) other factors that the department determines are necessary to administer a fair and equitable program consistent with the law and available appropriations. (d) Repealed 9/11/2017. (e) If the family’s monthly income or family size needs to be adjusted during its eligible period, the department or its designee will use the Family Income and Contribution Schedule and that was adopted by reference in (a) of this section in effect at the time of the family’s initial eligibility to determine the adjustment of their contribution. The department or its designee will use the Family Income and Contribution Schedule in effect at the time of the family’s application for continued program participation to determine the family’s continued eligibility.