e. Need for Care

The parent shall have at least one eligible child residing in the home who needs child care assistance. Families with no eligible children shall be ineligible for CCAP. The approved hours of care shall be determined in accordance with the requirements of subsection (b) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

To be eligible for assistance, child care shall be needed to allow parents to participate in the following approved activities: employment for which the individual receives wages as opposed to goods or services for compensation; a self-employment activity as defined in subsection (f) of this section; for individuals receiving cash assistance, an employment services activity approved by the Department of Social Services, the Department of Labor or the designee of either agency in accordance with the State Plan requirements for the TFA cash assistance program; or for teenage parents under the age of twenty whom do not receive cash assistance, attending high school as defined in subsection (6) of section 17b-749-01 of Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

Parents who were participating in an employment services activity at the time their TFA cash assistance benefits were discontinued shall be eligible for child care services to support completion of the activity for up to twelve months after TFA assistance is discontinued, provided that the parent is employed and all other eligibility requirements are satisfied. Eligibility based on the employment services activity shall end if the parent stops participating in the activity or if the activity ends.

Parents shall maintain continuous involvement in an approved work or employment services activity. Assistance shall be available only during the hours the parent or family member is participating in an activity listed in subdivision (2) of this subsection.

A child shall not be eligible for assistance if the applicant’s spouse or the child’s other parent is living in the home and is available and capable of providing care. The spouse or other parent shall be considered unavailable if the individual is participating in an activity defined in subdivision (2) of this subsection during hours that exclude the possibility of providing care. The spouse or other parent shall be considered incapable of providing care if the individual has a significant physical or mental condition, disability or impairment that would prevent him or her from caring for the child for a period which is expected to last for at least one calendar month.

The parent shall demonstrate that his or her spouse or the other parent is not available to provide care by certifying that the spouse or other parent does not reside in the household or by verifying participation in an activity listed in subdivision (2) of this subsection.

Parents working at home shall be considered unavailable to provide care only if the nature of the employment or self-employment activity prevents the parent from providing adequate care or supervision, or if the parent routinely operates equipment or machinery that would be hazardous if the child was in the same room or area with the parent.

The applicant shall be required to verify that the spouse or the other parent is incapable of providing care by submitting verification from a treating physician or state certified mental health professional. The verification shall provide details of the nature and degree of the person’s disability or impairment, the reason the condition prevents the individual from providing care and the expected duration of the disability or impairment. The CCAP administrator may refer, but shall not require the individual to apply for disability benefits with the Social Security Administration if the condition is expected to last for more than twelve months. The evidence shall clearly establish that the spouse or other parent is not capable of providing safe and competent care. The CCAP administrator may request additional verification if the information submitted is not conclusive. In determining that an individual is not capable of providing safe and competent care, the department shall consider the age of the child, special needs, the degree of supervision required, medical information and all other available evidence.