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Child Care Scholarship Policy Manual 102
2.23 4K PLUS SIBLINGS In conjunction with SCDSS’ partnership with First Steps, child care is offered to siblings ages 0 through 12 when there is an approved 4K child through First Steps. The qualifying factor for child care for siblings is that there must be an eligible child that is approved for the state 4K program. When the family applies for the 4K program for their child, and the child is enrolled and has been approved for the 4K First Steps program, the client will receive an approval email from SC First Steps. The 4K First Steps application includes the application portion for child care, if needed. The application process is handled through Cognito database at First Steps.
The family must have at least one eligible 4K child approved for the 4K program through SC First Steps. o There are no work, school, training or income requirements for the family. o Clients are funded for a full 12 months and are given age-appropriate care based on the age of the child. However, when enrolled in the 4K+ Siblings program, the Child Care Scholarship Program pays only part time in order to extend the 4K day. Full time may be given when the schools are closed and child care is need for full day. o Income for this category is entered as $0. o Older and younger siblings are approved for child care and given age-appropriate child care for 12 months (52 weeks) from the date they are determined eligible. o There is no copay for this category, but parents are responsible for paying the difference in what the Child Care Scholarship Program pays and what the child provider charges.
NOTE: 4K Plus Siblings Applications that are submitted, and the client has services under a different funding source that does not expire until 6 months or more will not be processed until the originally funding category has ended. Exception: If a 4K Plus client needs to add a child. In those situations, we will allow the existing application to be closed out and all children aligned with 12 months of eligibility under the 4K Plus application.