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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 1/2021 Changes in household composition 8.1.3 New Parentally Responsible Individual (PRI) Household impacts If a new Parentally Responsible Individual (PRI) is reported, add them to the household in MEC². MEC² will count PRIs added to the household even if identity and relationship information is not verified. This is appropriate. If the new PRI does not have income, the increased family size may decrease the family’s copay. This is appropriate, and the new copay can be approved even if identity and relationship information is not verified. Enter information about the PRI’s reported activity into MEC² even if it is not verified. Minimum work requirements do not apply during the 12-month eligibility period. See Chapter 4.6.6.6 (Employment outside of an Employment Plan). If the new PRI does not have an authorized activity or it is unknown if the PRI has an authorized activity, put the PRI into Extended Eligibility. See Chapter 9.15.6 (Extended Eligibility). Note: If a new PRI moves into the household while an eligible relative caregiver is receiving child care assistance, see Chapter 5.3 (Determining the CCAP family). Authorization impacts 12-Month Reporter families Verification is not required until redetermination unless the family requests an increase in authorized hours Do not decrease care for children already authorized. Do not increase authorized hours for children already authorized until relationship to the PRI and the PRI’s activity are verified. Do not authorize care for children not previously authorized until verification of the new PRI’s identity, relationship to the child(ren) are verified. Care should be authorized at the same level as other children in the household. The PRI’s activity schedule does not need to be verified to authorize care for additional children during the 12-month eligibility period. Schedule Reporter families To authorize care for Schedule Reporters, verification of the PRI’s identity, relationship, activity, and activity schedule is needed. Care must be authorized based on their verified activity schedule. If a new PRI joins a Schedule Reporter family, reports an activity but does not verify the activity and/or the activity schedule within 15 days of requesting verification, add the activity to MEC2 to maintain eligibility but suspend Service Authorizations for children of the PRI until the activity and schedule are verified.