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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 1/2021 Age category exceptions 9.24.6 Maximum rates that can be paid vary by age of the child and type of provider. The age category of a child receiving CCAP is typically determined by the standard age categories for children in family child care (includes licensed family and legal nonlicensed providers) and child care centers (includes licensed and certified license exempt centers). See Chapter 2 (Glossary) under infant, toddler, preschool and school age for definitions of each age category. Center licensing provision for age flexibility Age categories for licensed child care centers fall into the following categories: • “Infant” is a child who is at least six weeks old but less than 16 months old. • “Toddler” is a child who is at least 16 months old but less than 33 months old. • “Preschooler” is a child who is at least 33 months old but has not yet attended the first day of kindergarten. • “School-age” is a child who is at least old enough to attend their first day of kindergarten within the next four months but is less than age 12 (or age 14 if the child has a documented disability). A child is school age when they are currently authorized to receive CCAP and turn age 13, up until the family’s next redetermination. A child with a documented disability is school age when they are currently authorized to receive CCAP and turn age 15, up until the family’s next redetermination. Licensing does allow for exceptions to these age categories. The licensing provision for age flexibility allows children attending licensed child care centers to receive care in a different age-category classroom for a short period of time without a licensing variance. A child may be in a different age-category classroom for the purposes of staff ratios, group size and programming when the decision is in the best interest of the child and with the agreement of parent, teacher and center director. The following exemptions are allowed without a licensing variance: • A child may be designated as an “infant” up to the age of 18 months. • A child may be designated as a “toddler” up to the age of 35 months. • A child may be designated as a “preschooler” at the age of 31 months. When the county or tribe is notified by the parent or the provider that the child meets the age criteria to qualify for the licensing provision for age flexibility, payment should be made at the rate associated with the age-rate category of the classroom that the child attends. When changing the age category in MEC², override the Service Authorization using the “Provision for Age Rate Flexibility” override reason, select the appropriate Age Rate Category and enter a case note explaining why the override was done. See “Edit Service Authorization” in the MEC² User Manual. When the age category of the child is changed, review the Service Authorization to ensure the appropriate maximum rate is paid.