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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 05/2023 • There is a new individual present who, without providing direct contact services in the legal nonlicensed program, may have unsupervised access to children receiving services from the program, when the commissioner has reasonable cause. Note: NETStudy 2.0 indicates background studies expire after five years. However, statute requires background studies for legal nonlicensed providers and their household members be completed at renewal, which is at least every two years. The CCAP agency must complete a study at renewal, even if NETStudy 2.0 indicates the study is not yet expired. How much do background studies cost? The Department of Human Services will pay the background study and fingerprinting fees associated with background studies for all legal nonlicensed providers and affiliated individuals until further notice. CCAP agencies cannot charge additional fees to legal nonlicensed providers for background studies or registering the provider. How do CCAP agencies collect data to initiate a background study? CCAP agencies determine how they will gather information from legal nonlicensed providers to initiate background studies. They may use the Background Study Data Collection Form or the NETStudy 2.0 applicant portal. CCAP agencies are still required to verify the subject’s identity by reviewing an acceptable form of identification. The Background Study Data Collection Form can be obtained from the department’s Background Studies Division within NETStudy 2.0 under Application > Application Forms or by emailing dhs.netstudy2@state.mn.us. Include the acronym “ESVM” in the subject line for questions about legal nonlicensed provider background studies. • If your agency uses the NETStudy 2.0 applicant portal, study subjects do not need to complete the Background Study Data Collection Form. The subjects will be sent an instruction form with a link which can be used by the provider and their household members to create accounts to initiate studies. • If your agency does not use the applicant portal, the provider and their household members each need to complete and submit a Background Study Data Collection Form. What if background study results indicate an individual is disqualified? If the legal nonlicensed provider is disqualified, the provider cannot register to be a CCAP provider. Request for reconsideration A study subject can request reconsideration of their disqualification. The study subject will receive information about their right to request reconsideration in their disqualification letter, including contact information to send their reconsideration request to the CCAP agency. The CCAP agency reviews the request and makes a recommendation in NETStudy 2.0. Review the “NETStudy 2.0 Protocol for Logging in Requests for Reconsideration and Recommendations” under the Help section of NETStudy 2.0 for detailed instructions. DHS Background Studies division processes the reconsideration. What if the provider is not disqualified but a household member is disqualified? If the legal nonlicensed provider is not able to be authorized to provide care in the provider’s home because a household member of the provider has a factor that prohibits authorization, the family can request in-home