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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 07/2023 Job search at application or redetermination 4.6.6.3 A parent participating in job search outside of an Employment Plan has eligibility for child care assistance at application or redetermination when all other eligibility requirements are met. Job search outside of an Employment Plan is an authorized activity only at application and redetermination. Job search is considered an authorized activity for families requesting retroactive eligibility at application. See Chapter 4.18 (Date of Eligibility). Job search limits at application or redetermination

There is no minimum activity requirement to be eligible for job search outside of an Employment Plan at application or redetermination. Authorization for job search outside of an Employment Plan is limited to 240 hours per calendar year, and no more than 40 hours of job search can be authorized in a biweekly period. Use the application or redetermination date as the begin date for job search outside of an Employment Plan activity on the Support Activity window in MEC². Families must receive at least 12 weeks of eligibility at application or redetermination. If the family starts care after the application or redetermination date for job search reconcile the job search tracking window to ensure the family received at least 12 weeks of eligibility. See Chapter 9.1.4 (Authorizing care – Job search). When a parent on job search outside of an Employment Plan does not need child care to support the job search activities, suspend the case. See Chapter 8.9 (Suspending). Job search outside of an Employment Plan CANNOT be authorized in combination with any other activity. See Chapter 4.6.6.12 (Combinations of Activities Examples). Job search limits and new calendar years Authorization for job search outside of an Employment Plan is limited to 240 hours per calendar year (not to exceed 40 hours in a biweekly period). If a parent on job search has hours available through the end of the current calendar year, they may receive up to the available 240 hours (not to exceed 40 hours in a biweekly period) in the current calendar year and continue to receive job search for another 240 hours in the next calendar year. These families will not exceed the 240 per calendar year limit in either year but will receive more than 12 weeks of eligibility. This is appropriate. Example: On October 1, a parent requested job search outside of an Employment Plan at redetermination for 15 hours per week. At the end of December, the parent has used less than the allowed 240 hours of job search for the current calendar year and is eligible to receive up to 240 hours in the next calendar year. The parent will continue to be eligible for continuous job search from the current calendar year into the next calendar year until 240 hours of job search are used in the next calendar year or until parent starts an eligible activity, whichever occurs first.

Requirements at the end of job search • When a parent has used all allowed job search hours, the parent must meet authorized activity requirements for their subprogram. The case should become ineligible at the end of job search if a parent is not meeting minimum activity requirements that apply at application and redetermination.