2.1 Reducing Barriers to Family Enrollment and Redetermination

Lead Agency enrollment and redetermination policies may not unduly disrupt parents’ employment, education, or job training activities to comply with the Lead Agency’s or designated local entity’s requirements. Lead Agencies have broad flexibility to design and implement the eligibility practices that reduce barriers to enrollment and redetermination. Examples include developing strategies to inform families and their providers of an upcoming redetermination and the information that will be required of the family, pre-populating subsidy renewal forms, having parents confirm that the information is accurate, and/or asking only for the information necessary to make an eligibility redetermination. In addition, Lead Agencies can offer a variety of family-friendly methods for submitting documentation for eligibility redetermination that considers the range of needs for families in accessing support (e.g., use of languages other than English, access to transportation, accommodation of parents working non-traditional hours). 2.1.1 Eligibility practices to reduce barriers to enrollment a. Does the Lead Agency implement any of the following eligibility practices to reduce barriers at the time of initial eligibility determination? Check all that apply and describe those elements checked. i. [x] Establishing presumptive eligibility while eligibility is being determined. Describe the policy, including the populations benefiting from the policy, and identify how long the period of presumptive eligibility is: Documentation of US Citizenship is required for each individual for whom child care is requested if they indicate they are a US Citizen on the application. Documentation of data of birth is also required for each child for whom child care assistance is requested. If the agency is unable to verify citizenship or a child’s date of birth, verification shall be waived and a three- month reasonable opportunity period for the individual to provide the information shall be applied. If otherwise eligible, the applicant may be approved for assistance. ii. [x] Leveraging eligibility from other public assistance programs. Describe: If any member of the nuclear family receives Cash Assistance, no financial eligibility determination is done. The nuclear family consists of the individuals who live together that are considered a family group. In addition, if a member of the nuclear family needs child care to participate in a Cash Assistance or Food Assistance work program, no application is required. For families participating in the Kansas Early Head Start Child Care Partnership program, Kansas Department for Children and Families’ eligibility staff accept the financial eligibility determination of the Kansas Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grantee in determining eligibility for child care assistance. iii. [ ] Coordinating determinations for children in the same household (while still ensuring each child receives 12 months of eligibility). Describe: iv. [x] Self-assessment screening tools for families. Describe: Families using the self- service portal of the Kansas Eligibility and Enforcement System can access a screening tool to determine whether they may be eligible to receive child care assistance. v. [ ] Extended office hours (evenings and/or weekends). vi. [x] Consultation available via phone. vii. [x] Other. Describe the Lead Agency policies to process applications efficiently and make timely eligibility determinations: All applications shall be approved or denied on a timely basis except when a determination of eligibility cannot be made within the required period due to the failure of the applicant or a collateral to provide required information. Written notice must be given the applicant by the end of the required period giving the reason(s) for the delay. Applications for Child Care Assistance are to be processed within 30 days of the application date for all applications except those from families participating in the Kansas Early Head Start Care Partnership program, which are to be processed within 7 days. The application process is tracked and monitored by field supervisors through the business process model and use of various tracking tools. viii. [ ] None. b. Does the Lead Agency use an online subsidy application? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe why an online application is impracticable. c. Does the Lead Agency use different policies for families receiving TANF assistance? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the policies: For Cash Assistance recipients, the request for a child care subsidy may be made verbally and must be documented in the file by EES staff. The basis for the number of hours approved for childcare benefits must also be documented in the file. For ease of administration, an application is not be required for those clients in transition from Cash Assistance child care to Income Eligible child care and the system determines that there is no family share deduction assigned to the case. The need for continued child care and financial eligibility shall be documented in the case file using current information. [ ] No. 2.1.2 Preventing disruption of eligibility activities a. Identify, where applicable, the Lead Agency’s procedures and policies to ensure that parents do not have their employment, education, or job training unduly disrupted to comply with the State’s/Territory’s or designated local entity’s requirements for the redetermination of eligibility. Check all that apply. i. [x] Advance notice to parents of pending redetermination. ii. [ ] Advance notice to providers of pending redetermination. iii. [ ] Pre-populated subsidy renewal form. iv. [x] Online documentation submission. v. [x] Cross-program redeterminations. vi. [ ] Extended office hours (evenings and/or weekends). vii. [x] Consultation available via phone. viii. [x] Leveraging eligibility from other public assistance programs. ix. [ ] Other. Describe: b. Does the Lead Agency use different policies for families receiving TANF assistance? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the policies: For Cash Assistance recipients, the request for a child care assistance may be made verbally and must be documented in the file by EES staff. The basis for the number of hours approved for childcare benefits must also be documented in the file. For ease of administration, an application is not be required for those clients in transition from Cash Assistance child care to Income Eligible child care. The need for continued child care and financial eligibility shall be documented in the case file using current information. [ ] No.