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Child Care Scholarship Policy Manual 82

2.11 CHILD WELFARE CHILD CARE Child care assistance may be provided if funding is available for a family that has an open Child Protective Services (CPS) treatment case or a child in an open foster care (FC) case. Cases in the investigative phase are not eligible to apply for child care. The case must be in an open/active status. Specialized and Intensive Foster Care and Clinical Services (IFCCS) foster child care cases will also be approved on a case-by-case basis (follow exception criteria below). A child may also be in the process of being adopted, but the adoption has not been finalized. Services are provided to a child’s family to prevent further abuse or neglect or to provide a stable and consistent routine for a child to compensate for stressful experiences. A child is eligible for child care through age 12. However, a child, 13 years old through age 18, who should not be left unsupervised or who has emotional problems may receive child care after the age of 12. Documentation should support the reasons child care is needed after age 12. NOTE: Only children in the custody of South Carolina are eligible for child care services through the Child Care Scholarship Program. If the child is in the custody of another state, it is the sending state’s responsibility to provide assistance to the child. Only licensed child care providers may be used for CPS and FC child care. If there is a situation in which a licensed provider cannot be obtained, an exception to the policy will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis in order to determine approval by State Office. See Exception Criteria for CPS and FC Child Care Cases below. Also see Out-of-State Provider.

2.11.1 EXCEPTION CRITERIA FOR CPS AND FC CHILD CARE CASES Child care arrangements for CPS and Foster children must be in licensed facilities enrolled in the Child Care Scholarship Program. However, exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis. The Human Services (HS) worker should request exceptions via email to Shelah Strange at shelah.strange@dss.sc.gov. Documentation should also be made in the CAPSS system and the Case manager should coordinate with their supervisor to ensure the arrangement is appropriate. The request should detail the following:

• Caretaker’s name and SSN • CPS/FC child’s name and SSN • Reason the particular facility is requested