SR 24-08 Dated 01/24

SR 24-08 Dated 01/24

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES - Bureau of family assistance (bfa)

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

FROM THE OFFICE OF: Administrator IV of Bureau of Family Assistance (BFA) Debra E. Sorli BFA SIGNATURE DATE: February 22, 2024 FROM THE OFFICE OF: Bureau Chief of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration (BCDHSC) Jessie Davis BCDHSC SIGNATURE DATE: February 12, 2024 AT (OFFICE): B ureau of Family Assistance Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration TO: All BFA Staff All BCDHSC Staff All BES Staff SUBJECT: Updates to the NH Child Care Scholarship Income Limits, Cost Shares and Steps EFFECTIVE DATE: January 29, 2024

SUMMARY

This Supervisory Release (SR) releases updates to the income limits, cost shares, and step levels for the NH Child Care Scholarship program.

FORMER POLICY NEW POLICY The income limits for the NH Child Care Scholarship program are 220% of the Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG) at initial application, 250% FPG at redetermination, and 85% State Median Income (SMI) during the 12-month certification period. The NH Child Care Scholarship program has increased the income limit to 85% State Median Income (SMI) for all clients at initial application, redetermination, and during the certification period. The NH Child Care Scholarship program cost shares are determined by using Steps 1 – Step 7. There are now 3 Step levels, which control a client’s cost share amount. Cost shares are determined by a percentage of family income. Cost shares are now: $0/week for Step 1, $5/week for Step 2, and 7% of the family income for Step 3.

BACKGROUND

The state budget bill (HB2) mandates several changes to Child Care and Development Fund policies including decreasing the child care scholarship steps, adjusting cost share amounts for families, making changes to enrollment-based payments and billing, and increasing the income eligibility limits.

POLICY

Families with income at or below 100% FPG have no cost share. Families with income above 100% FPG but at or below 138% FPG have a cost share of $5 per week. Families with income above 138% of FPG have a cost share equal to 7% of the family income.

The number of step levels has been reduced from 7 steps to 3 steps.

Step Family Income Family Cost Share Assigned to Assistance Group 1 ≤100% FPG $0.00/week 2 >100% FPG and ≤ 138% FPG $5.00/week 3 >138% FPG and ≤ 85% SMI 7.00% of family income

T he income eligibility limit has been increased to 85% SMI.

Step 1 ($0/week Cost Share) Step 2 ($5/week Cost Share) Step 3 (7% Cost Share) ≤ 100% FPG > 100% FPG but ≤ 138% FPG > 138% FPG but ≤ 85% SMI FAMILY SIZE Monthly Yearly Monthly Yearly Monthly Yearly 1 $1,215.00 $14,580.00 $1,677.00 $20,120.00 $4,601.00 $55,207.00 2 $1,644.00 $19,720.00 $2,268.00 $27,214.00 $6,017.00 $72,193.00 3 $2,072.00 $24,860.00 $2,859.00 $34,307.00 $7,432.00 $89,180.00 4 $2,500.00 $30,000.00 $3,450.00 $41,400.00 $8,848.00 $106,167.00 5 $2,929.00 $35,140.00 $4,042.00 $48,493.00 $10,263.00 $123,153.00 6 $3,357.00 $40,280.00 $4,633.00 $55,586.00 $11,679.00 $140,140.00 7 $3,785.00 $45,420.00 $5,224.00 $62,680.00 $11,944.00 $143,325.00 8 $4,214.00 $50,560.00 $5,815.00 $69,773.00 $13,329.00 $146,510.00

N EW HEIGHTS & NH EASY SYSTEMS PROCEDURES

New HEIGHTS has been updated to with the new eligibility income limits, step levels, and cost shares. There is no change to NH EASY.

DESCRIPTION OF REVISIONS MADE TO FORMS

BCDHSC Form 2532, Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Levels , has been updated with the income eligibility limits, step levels, and cost share changes.

The new version of BCDHSC Form 2532 will be available electronically on the DHHS website at http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/forms-documents-0 and NH EASY Gateway to Services at https://nheasy.nh.gov/#/forms .

BCDHSC Form 2532 will also be available internally, for Department staff only, on the N:\ drive upon release of this SR.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Family Assistance Manual Topics

PART 900 NH CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP

Section 907.03 Other New HEIGHTS Notifications

Part 909 REPORTING CHANGES IN NH CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP

Part 911 REDETERMINATION OF NH CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP

Part 915 NH CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CRITERIA

Section 933.02 Annualizing Income

Part 935 NH CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP GROSS MONTHLY INCOME LIMITS

Part 938 FAMILY CAP AMOUNT, COST SHARE, AND PROVIDER CO-PAY

IMPLEMENTATION

Changes identified in the SR are effective January 1, 2024 for current cases, and will apply to any new cases processed on or after that date.

BCDHSC Form 2532, Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Limits, is effective January 1, 2024. The prior version of this form should be destroyed and not used after January 1, 2024. A Certificate of Destruction has been included at the end of this SR.

Paper copies of the updated form will not be distributed to the District Offices.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

Clients will be advised of the new NH Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Limits as of January 29, 2024, or at application or redetermination on or after January 29, 2024. Child Care Resource and Referral programs will distribute the updated table to families, as appropriate. The NH Child Care Scholarship income eligibility limits will be posted on the Child Care Scholarships page of the NH DHHS website.

The Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration will send BCDHSC Form 2532, Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Limits, to any child care provider as needed or upon request. All new, re-enrolling or renewing providers will receive the information upon DHHS enrollment. The Child Care Resource & Referral agencies will distribute the updated table electronically to all of the providers in their e-mail database. Providers may also access BCDHSC Form 2532 on the Forms page of the NH EASY website: https://nheasy.nh.gov/#/forms/ or on the New Hampshire Connections website: Child Care Scholarship - Child Care Aware of NH (nh-connections.org)

TRAINING

No special training is planned or needed.

FORMS INSTRUCTIONS

Remove and Destroy Insert/Replace BCDHSC Form 2532, Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Levels BCDHSC/BFA SR 23-22 1 double sided sheet BCDHSC Form 2532, Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Levels BCDHSC/BFA SR 24-08 1 double sided sheet

D ISPOSITION

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the Online Manuals.

DISTRIBUTION

This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for BFA policy releases. This SR, and revised Online Manuals, will be available for agency staff in the Online Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/sr_htm/sr.htm , March 1, 2023.

BFA/DMS:sn

CERTIFICATE OF DESTRUCTION I certify that all copies of Form 2532, Child Care Scholarship Income Eligibility Levels , dated 07/23, BCDHSC/BFA SR 23-22 have been destroyed. District Office Administrative Supervisor: _________________________________________ District Office: ______________________________________________________________ Return this certificate to the BFA Policy Unit, 129 Pleasant St, Brown Bldg, 3 rd Floor, Concord, NH 03301, after the instructions in the SR have been carried out.