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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DIVISION OF WELFARE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES Child Care Policy Manual To receive subsidy benefits, the child must either be a citizen of the United States, or a non-citizen lawfully admitted to the United States. The parent/caretaker’s citizenship is not required for the household to be eligible for subsidy benefits. 214.1 Definition of Citizenship For the purposes of qualifying as a U.S. Citizen, the United States is defined as the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. In addition, nationals from American Samoa or Swain’s Islands are regarded as U.S. citizens. Children of U.S. citizens born out of the U.S. are considered citizens unless questionable. 214.2 Eligible Non-Citizens An eligible non-citizen is a person who is lawfully admitted based upon sections of the Immigration and Naturalization Act under which they are residing in the United States and provides valid verification as listed in MS 214.3. 214.3 Verification of Citizenship If a child is a citizen, verification is required at initial application. Once citizenship status has been verified, it no longer needs to be requested with subsequent applications. If a child is a non-citizen, check the expiration date on the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) document that verifies the child is a non-citizen. If the child’s document has expired, evaluate the reason for the expiration as listed below and request new documentation. Possible sources of verification are as follows (not all inclusive): • Birth Certificate (U.S. or its possessions) • Hospital or public health birth record • Baptismal record with date and place of birth • U.S. Passport • Military ID • Indian census papers • Naturalization papers Note: Copying Certificates of Naturalization is prohibited by law. The case manager must note in the computer system the Certificate number, petition number, personal identifying information, date, and the city where the Certificate was issued. • Consular Report of Birth or "Certification of Birth" issued by the U.S. Department of State • I-551 (Permanent Resident Card) – Expires 10 years from date of issue. At At the end of the ten years, the Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) does not lose his/her status, but must simply renew the card • I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) – The status of non-residents holding these documents must have their status re-verified if expired. This is a temporary document issued while status is pending or the I-551 is issued • USCIS documents, USCIS letter, a court order or a passport and other resources 200- Non-Financial Factors of Eligibility [4] MTL 01/24 July 1, 2024