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433 (07/2026) Chapter 2:Eligibility • Section 6: Non-financial eligibility Determining Authorized Medical Leave hours at initial certification Caretakers may be eligible for Authorized Medical Leave for themselves or when caring for a child in the ERDC EDG. To determine child care hours while on AML, income verification is still required. The income used to determine child care hours is budgeted so the anticipated amount is the same for each month. When the initial month’s income is different (higher or lower), the initial month is still used to calculate an average for ERDC budgeting. Meaning, ODHS|OHA staff should anticipate the initial month’s income considering all that has been received to date, plus anticipated income that is expected to be received in the initial month and following months. Income is calculated in ONE as follows: (First month’s income) + (ongoing income x 11 months) = total income for the certification period / 12 months = monthly income. For all caretakers, income and schedules must be entered in ONE when determining AML at initial certification. The caretaker is also marked as being on Temporary Leave. Marking Temporary Leave will prevent the system from counting income for other programs. ONE uses this information to determine initial eligibility at certification and will use the same income when the caretaker returns to work. Two-caretaker households must have overlapping hours to be approved for AML at initial certification, unless the family has been determined eligible for Categorical ERDC or Expanded Child Welfare (EXP- CW). Overlapping hours will be determined by ONE when both caretakers’ schedules - prior to going on medical leave - are entered on the Caretaker Schedule screen in ONE. Maternity and paternity leave may be authorized for up to three months without medical documentation. If additional complications occur that require the caretaker to remain on leave, documentation is required. Medical leave requires verification of medical situations by a qualified medical professional. This must include: • Diagnosis • Prognosis, and • Expected period of time off work Authorizing a higher limit for extra hours When the child care need is greater than the standard calculation for approved hours plus travel time, ERDC/DELC can help pay for additional hours. Authorizing extra hours are limited to the following situations: • Sleep hours: Families may be eligible for sleep hours when they work an overnight shift. . When authorizing extra hours for sleep time for caretakers who work an overnight shift, sleep hours are not to exceed five (5) hours per work night. Working an overnight shift does not always mean extra hours are needed; the need for extra hours must be discussed with the family and determined by the worker. Sleep hours should be entered in ONE using the caretaker schedule screen. Sleep hours are authorized when the family meets the following criteria:
One-caretaker families: The caretaker works an overnight shift, and the care is necessary for both work hours and sleep hours.
Two-caretaker families: At least one caretaker works an overnight shift, and