2.3 Prioritizing Services for Vulnerable Children and Families

Lead Agencies must give priority for child care assistance to children with special needs, families with very low incomes (considering family size), and children experiencing homelessness. A Lead Agency has the flexibility to prioritize other populations of children. Note: Statute defines children with disabilities, and CCDF rule gives flexibility to Lead Agencies to include vulnerable populations in their definition of children with special needs. CCDF defines “child experiencing homelessness” as a child who is homeless, as defined in Section 725 of Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a). 2.3.1 Lead Agency definition of priority groups Describe how the Lead Agency defines: d. “Children with special needs.” A child who has a physical or mental disability and is incapable of caring for himself or herself or who is under court supervision and who has additional care needs identified by an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP), Individual Education Plan (IEP), physician's/professional's statement, or child welfare treatment plan. e. “Families with very low incomes.” Families with incomes under 130% of the federal poverty limit (FPL), including families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). 2.3.2 Prioritization of child care services Identify how the Lead Agency will prioritize child care services for the following children and families. a. Complete the table below to indicate how the identified populations are prioritized. Population Prioritized Prioritize for enrollment in child care services Serve without placing on waiting list Waive co- payments as described in 3.3.1 Pay higher rate for access to higher quality care Use grants or contracts to reserve spots Other Children with special needs [x] [x] [ ] [x] [x] [ ] Describe: Families with very low incomes [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] Describe: Children experiencing homelessness, as defined by CCDF [x] [x] [x] [ ] [x] [ ] Describe: (Optional) Families receiving TANF, those attempting to transition off TANF, and those at risk of becoming dependent on TANF [x] [x] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] Describe: a. Does the Lead Agency define any other priority groups? [ ] No. [x] Yes. If yes, identify the populations prioritized and describe how the Lead Agency prioritizes services: Counties have the option to identify segments of the population based on local needs such as teen parents, children in foster care, or other county-identified priority populations. Currently, there are no counties that have established county-defined target populations. 2.3.3 Enrollment and grace period for children experiencing homelessness Lead Agencies must allow (after an initial eligibility determination) children experiencing homelessness to receive CCDF services while required eligibility documentation is obtained. Lead Agencies must establish a grace period that allows children experiencing homelessness and children in foster care to receive CCDF assistance while providing their families with a reasonable time to take any necessary actions to comply with State, Territory, or local immunization and other health and safety requirements. The length of such a grace period must be established in consultation with the State, Territorial, or Tribal public health agency. Note: Any payment for such a child during the grace period may not be considered an error or improper payment. a. Describe the strategies to allow CCDF enrollment of children experiencing homelessness while required eligibility documentation is obtained: Families experiencing homelessness are provided a minimum 60-day stabilization period where no verifications are required. During the stabilization period, families experiencing homelessness are not required to participate in an activity and do not have a copay. Counties may offer a stabilization period that is greater than 60 days. b. Describe the grace period for each population below and how it allows them to receive CCDF assistance while providing their families with a reasonable time to take any necessary actions to comply with immunization and other health and safety requirements. i. Provide the policy for a grace period for: Children experiencing homelessness: For license-exempt providers, families experiencing homelessness are provided with a minimum 60-day stabilization period, during which no verifications, including immunizations, are required for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program. Counties may offer a stabilization period that is greater than 60 days. Families experiencing homelessness are provided a 90-day grace period to submit immunizations to licensed child care providers. Children who are in foster care: For license-exempt providers, children in foster care who qualify for Protective Services Child Care are provided a 60-day grace period to provide immunization records. Children in foster care are provided a 90-day grace period to submit immunizations to licensed child care providers. ii. Does the Lead Agency certify that the length of the grace period was established in consultation with the State, Territorial, or Tribal public health agency? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: c. Describe how the Lead Agency coordinates with licensing agencies and other relevant State, Territorial, Tribal, and local agencies to provide referrals and support to help families with children receiving services during a grace period comply with immunization and other health and safety requirements: In consultation with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), licensed providers have a grace period of at least 90 days to gather documentation of immunizations for children experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. Currently, the grace period for families experiencing homelessness in license-exempt care is less than 60 days and was developed with input from the Colorado McKinney-Vento state coordinator for homeless education and other agencies providing services for children experiencing homelessness.