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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 07/2023 Processing applications for families experiencing homelessness 3.7.1

If eligible: • Approve eligibility and notify the applicant within five business days of receiving the application. See Chapter 12 (Notices). • Determine the eligibility begin date. See Chapter 4.18 (Date of Eligibility). • Determine the family copayment using the income reported on the application. Information known to the agency can also be used. See Chapter 6.21 (Family Copayment). • Authorize child care if the family has selected a registered provider. See Chapter 9.1 (Child Care Authorization) and Chapter 11.12 (Provider Registration). • After approving eligibility, request missing information or required verifications needed to continue eligibility past the three-month period. Use the Special Letter - Homeless App. See Chapter 7.3 (Verification – Initial Application). • Send the family the information or forms needed for child support cooperation, if applicable. • If the family has trouble getting verification, offer the opportunity to sign a release of information allowing you to verify the necessary information. • If known, inform the family of their reporting type if the family is a Schedule Reporter. See Chapter 8.3.6 (Reporting Types).

If ineligible: • Deny the application and notify the applicant within 30 calendar days of receiving the application or 45 calendar days with the consent of the applicant. See Chapter 12 (Notices). • For BSF cases denied for no funds available, use the information in the application to screen the family for potential eligibility and place them on your agency’s waiting list. Inform the family that they have been added to the waiting list. See Chapter 4.3.12.12 (BSF waiting list management). Retroactive Eligibility If a family eligible for expedited child care applies for MFIP or Transition Year child care and requests retroactive care, approve Eligibility and Service Authorization from the date the application is received without verifications. Once verifications are received to document eligibility for the retroactive period, send manual Service Authorizations using DHS-6217A (Child Care Assistance Notice of Decision - Service Authorization for families) (PDF) and DHS-6217B (Child Care Assistance Notice of Decision - Service Authorization for providers) (PDF) and send manual billing form(s) for the retroactive period using DHS-5523 (Child Care Assistance Billing Form) (PDF). Issue manual payments to pay for eligible care during the retroactive time periods. See Chapter 4.18 (Date of Eligibility). Subsequent applications Expedited child care is limited to no more than once every six months. After the three months of expedited child care plus the 90-day Temporary Ineligible period, a family experiencing homelessness who reapplies can be approved using expedited child care policies. Example: An application on 10/1/2020 is approved eligible for expedited child care through 1/1/2021 (three months). Eligibility continues through the end of the biweekly period to 1/10/2021. If eligibility requirements are not met by 1/10/2021, the case is put into Temporary Ineligible (TI) status until approximately 4/10/2021 (90