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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 08/2022 Applicant requirements 4.1 the parent being in the home. The parent can apply for child care assistance for the child while the eligible relative caregiver retains eligibility for the child. If the parent requests child care assistance for the child before eligibility of the eligible relative caregiver ends, the department recommends suspending the service authorization on the eligible relative caregiver’s case to ensure that duplicate payments are not made. Examples of eligible relative caregivers include: • Aunt who is the caregiver of a child receiving an MFIP child-only grant • Uncle receiving MFIP who is the caregiver of a child who receives SSI (child is excluded from the MFIP grant due to receiving SSI) • Person receiving MFIP for their children and their nephew • Grandparent receiving MFIP who is the caregiver of a child who receives Kinship Assistance (child is excluded from the MFIP grant due to receiving Kinship Assistance). Applicants who are not eligible Applicants who are not Parentally Responsible Individuals for a child(ren) are not eligible to receive child care assistance for that child(ren). Foster parents Foster parents are not Parentally Responsible Individuals for Child Care Assistance Program purposes. Foster parents cannot receive child care assistance for their foster children, unless they meet the eligible relative caregiver definition above.

Custody arrangements Legal and physical custody of a child does not, in itself, meet the applicant requirements for child care assistance. A person with legal and/or physical custody of a child may be eligible for the program if the person is a Parentally Responsible Individual to the child. Other caregivers Kinship caregivers (relative custodians) receiving Northstar Kinship Assistance must meet the legal guardian or eligible relative caregiver definition above in order to receive child care assistance for the child.

A person with a notarized Delegation of Power by Parent does not meet the definition of legal guardian and cannot receive child care assistance for the child. Legal authority Minnesota Statutes 119B.011, subd. 13 Minnesota Rule 3400.0020, subps. 20 and 31b