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CCDF POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL Effective 10/14/24. 35

2.2 Absences

ABSENCE DEFINITION: Forty (40) occasional Absence days are allowed for children authorized for a CCDF and/or OMW voucher across all providers a child has vouchers assigned to within the enrollment year. Absences apply across all vouchers and are replenished on the anniversary date of the child.

ABSENCE POLICY Absence days should be used when children are scheduled to attend but are absent due to an illness, vacation, emergency, or choose not to attend for the day. ➢ The expectation is that children with full time authorizations attend the program full time. ➢ The Applicant of a child who will not be using care for two (2) weeks or more may notify the eligibility office to set a gap in the voucher or utilize absences. A gap in the voucher will result in non-payment to the program.

EXCESSIVE ABSENCE POLICY Excessive absence occurs when a child reaches forty (40) occasional absence days (or twenty (20) consecutive days) across all voucher types and programs within the enrollment year.

Terminating Child Care for Excessive Absence When a child reaches forty (40) occasional absence days across all voucher types and programs within the enrollment year, all current and future vouchers in the sequence will be terminated. If a child has twenty (20) consecutive absences the Eligibility Office will place both the current voucher for the upcoming week and any future vouchers in pending provider, reach out to the applicant to see if any changes need to be made or if services are needed. • If only one (1) child is receiving services or if ALL children on the case have reached the excessive absence limit, then the termination will be at the case level. • If only one (1) child on the case reaches the excessive absence limit, the voucher for that child will be terminated. • The child(ren) will not be eligible to reapply for the waiting list for ninety (90) days from the termination date.