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Subsidized Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Chapter 7. Family Definition and Determining Income Eligibility Revised 08/01/2024

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When assessing child support, child care workers must first determine if the child support is received or paid out. A. Child Support Received Child support payments received are counted in the family’s total gross monthly income. These payments may appear to be fluctuating income and/or irregular income. The child care worker will use the amounts that the applicant/recipient receives, NOT the amount that the non-custodial parent is obligated to pay. If child support is received, the base period is three (3) months prior to the month of application or redetermination (date received in agency) if representative. The child care worker must review the payments issued during the 3-month period to determine the number of representative payments and then average the amount received over a period of three (3) months. If child support payments are received weekly, child care workers are not to convert the weekly payments to a monthly payment. Child care workers must calculate the sum of all child support payments received in the three (3) month base period and take the average by dividing the sum by three (3).

If child support received is based on a new order, and no payments have been received yet, do not project. A new order with payment in the base period requires the child care worker to divide by last three months.

1. Lump Sum Child Support Payments Lump sum child support payments shall be disregarded unless the recipient states they only receive child support income via lump sum payments. If a recipient reports receiving child support income only via lump sum payments, the child care worker will use a 12-month base period (prior to the month of application or redetermination if representative), add the total child support payments received (regular