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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 02/2023 Glossary 2 (Legal Authority: Minnesota Rules 3400.0020, subp. 34b) Preschool • Licensed Family Child Care: A child is a preschooler at 24 months of age up to being eligible to attend kindergarten within the next four months. • Legal Non-Licensed Family Child Care: Follow the Licensed Family Child Care definition. • Licensed Center Child Care: A child is a preschooler at 33 months of age up to the age of being eligible to attend kindergarten within the next four months. A child in center care may be considered to be a preschooler at 31 months of age for purposes of staff ratios, group size, and programming with agreement of parent, teacher, and director if this decision is in the best interest of the child. • Licensed Exempt Centers: Follow the Licensed Center Child Care definition. NOTE: Preschool/school age category changes: in August of each year, MEC² will complete the annual school age change batch. This process changes the Age Category for children who have reached the appropriate age to start kindergarten in the fall and who have a kindergarten start date entered on the child’s school window. Without a date entered in that field, the age change cannot occur and the child will remain in the preschool age category when they should be changed to school age. Please refer to Chapter 9.24.6 (Age category exceptions).

(Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes 245A.02, Subd.19; Minnesota Rules 9503.0005) Primary provider A provider designation when a child attends care with more than one provider, usually the provider a child uses the most. (Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes 119B.097) Provider Individuals or centers licensed by a state or tribe, individuals or centers under the jurisdiction of the federal government, certified license-exempt centers, and legal non-licensed individuals providing legal child care services. Individuals or centers licensed by a state or tribe outside of Minnesota or under the jurisdiction of the federal government must meet federal health and safety requirements. See Chapter 11 (Providers). (Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes 119B.011, Subd. 19)