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______________________________________________________________________________ DIVISION OF WELFARE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES Child Care Policy Manual day. If a referral is received by Child Care staff after the issuance date, NEON subsidy benefits can be authorized back to the referral issuance date if care was used for that period. If the child care start date is prior to the referral issuance date, DWSS staff must explain the reason for this on the NEON Child Care Referral form. Child Care staff must request approval from their supervisor to authorize benefits for any period before the issuance date. If the referral issuance date is greater than 14 calendar days from the date of the interview/contact with the case manager, the case manager must contact the DWSS case manager to ensure the referral information is valid prior to approving the benefits. Once a completed NEON referral is received, the case manager must not re-verify the non-financial and income elements of eligibility. If the client provides additional information which does not match the NEON referral, the case manager must refer the client to their DWSS case manager to report the changes and contact the DWSS case manager regarding the conflicting information. However, the referral must still be acted on and the certificate issued within the appropriate timeframes. Child Care staff will not be held responsible if benefits are provided based upon a valid referral from DWSS staff and it is discovered that the household does not meet the program eligibility criteria. Refer to MS 400 for additional criteria for NEON cases. 120 INTERVIEW PROCESS 121 Interview Sites Eligibility can be determined by either a face-to-face interview with the client/representative, or by telephone. If an interview is done through the mail or over the phone, necessary documents must be sent to the client for their signature. 121.1 Interpreter Services DWSS/ CCDP can assist in providing interpretive services for both foreign and sign languages. If there is any reason to believe that a CCDP customer or companion of a CCDP customer requires any type of interpretive services, accommodation must be provided. Further, CCR&R staff must advise a person who is deaf or hearing impaired that appropriate auxiliary aids and services to facilitate effective communication may be provided free of charge. While DWSS/ CCDP, or the CCR&R agency does not directly provide auxiliary aids, all child care employees are responsible to ensure that a referral is made to the CCDP Chief. The CCDP Chief will liaison with Central Office staff to ensure that appropriate service has been provided, including initiating any necessary referral(s) to sister agencies that provide auxiliary aids. 122 Authorized Representatives The use of an authorized representative (AR) is allowable when: • The head of household’s participation is limited because of their incapacity, incompetence or when they request someone act on their behalf; or • The child attends a before and/or after school program and a parent/caretaker may be unavailable to sign the child in/out. There are two types of ARs called primary and secondary representatives. 100-Program Overview [9] MTL 01/24 July 1, 2024