Page 1217

COMBINED MANUAL

ISSUE DATE 12/2014

MFIP GOOD CAUSE--CHILD CARE

0028.18.02

MFIP, DWP: Caregivers may claim good cause for demonstrated inability to obtain needed child care. The Department of Human Services has developed the terms below to use in determining good cause for failure to comply with MFIP orientation and MFIP Employment Services (MFIP-ES) requirements due to inability to obtain needed child care.

Do not impose a sanction if you and/or the Employment Services Provider (ESP) determine that a participant has good cause for not complying with a program requirement because appropriate child care is not available. See 0028.18 (Good Cause for Non- Compliance--MFIP/DWP).

● Appropriate child care means:

- The provider of care is a licensed or legal non-licensed provider according to state standards.

- The provider of care is able to meet a demonstrated need for language-specific care.

- The care is appropriate to the child’s age and special needs. Special needs means a child who has a hearing impairment, visual disability, speech or language impairment, physical disability, other health impairment, mental disability, emotional/behavioral disorder, specific learning disability, autism, traumatic brain injury, multiple disabilities, or deaf/blind disability and needs special instruction and services as determined by the Department of Education. Counties should also accommodate demonstrated needs for culturally-specific services as resources allow.

● Reasonable distance means that the total commuting time to the child care provider and to work does not exceed 2 hours round trip.

● Unsuitability of informal care means that the provider does not meet standards regarding health and safety of the child that would be applied to legal, non-licensed providers.

● Affordable child care arrangements means the provider does not charge in excess of the maximum amount the county is allowed to pay, as established in a rate schedule set each year.

SNAP, MSA, GA, GRH: No provisions.