Section 17b-749-01.

Definitions as used in section 17b-749-01 to 17b-749-23 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, inclusive.

“Actual charge” means the fee charged by the provider for all children attending the same program as determined in subsection (a) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

“Accredited provider” means a child care provider whose program has earned national accreditation or who has completed approved course or degree work pursuant to subsection (d) of section17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

“Applicant” means the person with whom the child resides who is the child’s parent as defined in subsection (32) of this section who submits the request for assistance to the Child Care Assistance Program;

“Application” means the form prescribed by the department used to apply for child care assistance;

“Assistance unit” means the group of individuals who live together whose circumstances are taken into consideration when determining eligibility or benefits for the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program pursuant to section 8500 of the Uniform Policy Manual;

“Attending high school” means enrollment in and regularly attending classes at a state day program accredited by the State Department of Education or the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, a general equivalency diploma program, or an adult education, technical high school or vocational secondary school program which shall lead to a high school level diploma or certificate;

“Cash assistance” means financial assistance provided by the department to families with dependent children under the Temporary Family Assistance program (TFA), including families assigned to the control group or who receive Diversion Program assistance pursuant to section 8500 of the Uniform Policy Manual;

“Certificate of payment” means the document issued by the CCAP administrator authorizing payment of CCAP assistance for a specific child to a specified child care provider;

“Child care” means the care and supervision of an eligible child for not more than twelve hours in a twenty-four hour day, excluding therapy, medical treatment and public or private school or academic programs;

“Child care assistance” means a subsidy for child care expenses authorized under the Child Care Assistance Program;

“Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)” means the program that provides child care assistance in accordance with sections 17b-749-01 to 17b-749-23 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, inclusive;

“Child care agreement” means the form prescribed by the department used to collect and document information concerning provider eligibility and the agreement between the parent and the provider for the provision of child care services;

“CCAP administrator” means the unit designated by the department or an organization acting under contract with the department and acting under its direction that is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the CCAP program;

“Child with special needs” means a child under the age of nineteen who meets the requirements of subsection (b) of section 17b-749-11 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

“Commissioner” means the commissioner of the Department of Social Services or his designee;

“Countable income” means gross income less allowable deductions and excluded income;

“Department” means the Department of Social Services;

“Earned income” means compensation for personal services, including but not limited to wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses and earnings from self-employment or contractual agreements;

“Eligible child” means a child residing with the applicant who is under the age of thirteen or under the age of nineteen with special needs, who needs child care during the hours the parent is participating in employment or an approved employment services activity;

“Eligible provider” means a licensed child care provider or child care provider who is exempt from licensing that meets the requirements specified in section 17b-749-12 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

“Employment services activity” means education, training, job search or other activity pursued by a parent receiving cash assistance which is designed to eliminate barriers to employment or increase earnings and which has been approved by the Department of Social Services, the state Department of Labor or the designee of either agency in accordance with the requirements of the TANF State Plan submitted by the Department pursuant to section 402 (a) of Public Law 104-193;

“Family” means the group of individuals who live together in the same household whose circumstances are taken into consideration when determining eligibility for the CCAP program pursuant to section 17b-749-03 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies;

“Foster child” means a child placed in a foster home by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families for whom the parent receives foster care payments;

“Good cause” means circumstances or events outside the control of the family, including but not limited to severe weather, illness or the death of an immediate family member, that reasonably prevent or delay the parent from complying with a CCAP program requirement or other good cause circumstances specified in sections 17b-749-02 to 17b-749-23 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, inclusive;

“Household” means all of the individuals who live together at the same address, including individuals not included in the CCAP family unit for eligibility purposes;

“Income” means the gross countable earned and unearned income;

“In loco parentis” means a person with whom the child lives who is responsible for the day-to-day care and custody of the child when the child’s parent by blood, marriage, adoption or court order is not performing such duties;

“Issued” means the date a notice, payment or other correspondence is mailed, sent electronically or delivered in person by the department or the CCAP administrator;

“Licensed provider” means a day care center, group or family day care home licensed by the Department of Public Health to provide child day care services pursuant to section 19a-77 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

“Minor parent” means the child’s natural parent by blood who is under the age of eighteen;

“Missing Information” means verification, forms, documentation or other information used in determining eligibility for the program, a provider, payment eligibility or the amount of assistance that is absent;

“Parent” means a person with whom the child resides who is either the child’s parent by blood, marriage, adoption or a spouse or former spouse of such individuals, a legal guardian, a caretaker relative under the cash assistance program or other person standing in loco parentis;

“Provider” means the person, facility or program chosen by the parent(s) to provide child care;

“Relative” means a person of any of the degrees of kinship as specified in subdivision (b)(5) of section 19a-77 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

“Residing with” means living with on a regular basis, including taking meals together and sleeping in the same home;

“Self-employed” means working for pay either full or part-time where the individual is not considered an employee of another entity for purposes of reporting social security tax or unemployment compensation;

“School-based child care program” means a child care program operated by a public or private school pursuant to the requirements of subdivision (b)(1) and (b)(2) of section 19a-77 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

“State median income” means the state median income standards which are promulgated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services;

“Teenage parent” means a parent under the age of twenty;

“Temporary Family Assistance” means the program that provides assistance to needy families with children pursuant to section 17b-112 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

“Unlicensed child care provider” means any provider operating legally in Connecticut that is exempt from licensing as a child day care services provider pursuant to subsection (b) of section 19a-77 of the Connecticut General Statutes;

“Unearned income” means pensions, annuities, dividends, interest, rental income, lottery winnings, royalties, Social Security, supplemental security income, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, alimony, child support, foster care payments, income from means tested programs, gifts and other cash income that is not compensation for employment or self-employment;

“Verification” means documentation or other evidence sufficient to enable the department or CCAP administrator to determine the veracity of information pertinent to establishing eligibility for the program, a provider, payments or the amount of assistance;

“Victim of domestic violence” means a person who has been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by physical acts that resulted in or were threatened to result in physical injury; sexual abuse; sexual activity involving a child in the home; being forced to participate in nonconsensual sexual acts or activities; mental abuse; or neglect or deprivation of medical care; and

“Working” means employment in one or more jobs as an employee of another individual, a partnership, corporation or self-employment, for which compensation is paid in the form of earned income.