7000 Budgeting

7610 Duration of Child Care Plans -

Eligibility is prorated based on date of application, provider start date or need start date at initial eligibility determination, otherwise plans should begin on the first day of the month. Initial eligibility periods shall include at least twelve full months of eligibility. Although benefits may begin with the date of application, that 12-month period should be calculated starting the 1st day of the month following the month that benefits are authorized or the first month for which benefits are authorized, whichever is later. See 10021.1 (6) for plan duration when Kansas Early Head Start is involved.

Plans should end on the last day of the month.

If a parent-guardian-caretaker wishes to change providers, that change is made the beginning of the next month.

If a new child is added to an existing child care family plan, plans for all children in the current family plan will be extended to match the 12-month eligibility period for the new child. There is no limit to the number of times this Guaranteed Eligibility (GE) period may be extended.

7620 Determining Scheduled Hours - "See Policy Memo # 04-03-02 re: "Child Care Plan Authorization - Sleep Time for Children".

EES staff shall establish a reasonable estimate of the hours needed for child care by determining with the parent(s) their average weekly work schedule. The weekly work schedule (including travel time) and the child’s school schedule (if applicable) will be entered into the system to obtain a reasonable estimate of the monthly hours to be authorized for benefits. The system will calculate the hours of child care to be authorized for school months (September through May), and for summer months (June through August), adding extra hours each month to help cover days out of school (scheduled and unscheduled) for holidays, breaks, teacher in service, etc. The system averages those extra hours for days out of school over the nine school months. For non-school age children, hours will be the same for all months. The system will be used to document how the average was determined, the school schedule of the child(ren), and any other factors used in determining the hours of child care needed. See 7600 regarding hours limit of 215 for Relative provider care. See KEES user manual for instructions on how to override child care plan hours if they exceed 215-hour maximum for a Relative provider. If the agency has made a reasonable and fair estimate or has established an average this average continues for the duration of the child care plan even if hours fluctuate on a weekly or monthly basis. If it is necessary to increase the scheduled hours, the change is made for the month following the month the need is identified. The following may be considered when determining scheduled hours:

The caretaker's schedule (employment including lunch time, work program activities, class, sleep time). If variable, documentation of the schedule may be requested on a weekly or monthly basis to determine a reasonable estimate. Sleep time may be approved for clients who work the majority of hours between 9 PM and 7 AM. It is recommended that 6 hours of sleep time be approved in these situations.

Reasonable travel time between the child care facility and the parent's place of employment.

The child's schedule (Head Start, pre-school or school). The system is designed to add additional hours of care for days out of school for breaks, holidays, teacher in service days, snow days, etc.

The individual needs of the child. If the child's nap time or preschool activities would be interrupted, consideration should be given to providing child care for more hours than is required by the employment or school schedule. If the parent works a split shift or has a break of three hours or less between classes or work program activities, child care may be provided for the break if the child would be adversely affected by going home and coming back to the child care facility. Child care may be provided when a parent's work schedule is such that the child's normal sleep pattern is interrupted. See Policy Memo 04-03-02 for further guidance on sleep time for children.

Study time for teen parents receiving child care with the ET reason code, or for adults receiving child care for post-secondary education. Study time may be approved on a case-by-case basis when there is inadequate time to study between classes and the need is documented. One hour of study time per class hour per week may be used as a guideline, but should not be automatically added to the total authorized hours without discussing the need with the teen parents or post-secondary students.

For Flint Hills Job Corps, the number of hours needed for child care will be based on information obtained on the form ES-1611 or additional specific documentation obtained from the Job Corps Center. If the parent continues to participate, such information will be re-verified at subsequent reviews. No calculation of hours is necessary for Job Corps participants. See KEES user manual for instructions on how to override child care plan hours if needed.

For children who are participating in the Kansas Early Head Start/Child Care (KEHS/CC) Partnerships, all plans will be written for 215 hours per month unless the referral from KEHS that identifies the child as a participant indicates a need for a greater number of hours. The calculation of hours is not required for these children. The start date of these plans will be indicated on the referral form. See KEES user manual for instructions on how to override child care plan hours if needed. Hours for children other than the KEHS child will be approved as follows: 215 hours per month for children who need more than 108 hours of care per month (i.e. a four year old who is not in pre-school, Head Start or pre-kindergarten) 129 hours per month for children who need 108 hours or less of care per month

Once the number of hours of care needed is determined, the following blocks of time will be authorized for each child:

Part time – 129 hours per month if the hours needed is determined to be 108 or less

Full-time – 215 hours per month if the hours needed is determined to be more than108

More than 215 hours per month may be authorized on a case by case basis if justification is provided.