Page 35

28

7. Work and School Requirements

7.1 Minimum Work Hours/Wage If the applicant is employed, they must be working a minimum of 80 hours per month and receive a salary equivalent to the federal minimum wage. For two-parent households, each parent must be meeting the 80-hour work per month requirement. Time spent on volunteering services cannot be considered when determining eligibility.

7.2 Minimum School Hours Applicants enrolled in educational programs are required to meet participation requirements to receive Child Care Assistance.

7.2.1 High school or GED High School or GED students are exempt from meeting a minimum work or attendance requirement. Enrollment in these programs is considered to meet minimum requirements.

7.2.2 Technical School, Associate Degree, and Bachelor's Degree Programs If the applicant is attending a college, university, or technical college a minimum of 12 semester credit hours, the applicant is considered to have met the minimum school participation requirements.

If the applicant is not attending a minimum of 12 semester credits, the applicant must either be attending 80 hours of actual class time per month, or their combination of actual work and school hours must be a minimum of 80 hours per month.

In determining whether a student has met the 80-hour requirement, CCA shall count the hours spent in unpaid internships, practice teaching and clinical work experience when required for the completion of the educational program.

7.2.3 Master’s and Doctoral Programs Eligibility cannot be approved for any class time for applicants enrolled in a Masters or Doctoral program. If the applicant is enrolled in one of these programs and is meeting the 80-hour per month work requirement, only the work hours may be covered by Child Care Assistance. Internships and research that is part of a Masters or Doctoral program may be considered work as long as the applicant receives a salary that is equivalent to the hourly federal minimum wage.

7.2.4 Training Programs that Result in Certification Training programs may be considered an educational program if they are required for employment or result in certification. Any training program will need to be verified by the training entity/facility, and the result of the training needs to move the applicant toward employment.

7.2.5 Verification of School Schedule Applicants must provide an official copy of their school schedule to verify enrollment in their educational program. This verification should indicate start and end times of each class. Other required educational activities such as lab times, student teaching, or internship hours not reflected on Example: Chris applies for CCA for their child, Billy. Chris reports he is self-employed, works 100 hours per month, and earns $400 per month. Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour. $400/$7.25 = 55. Chris’ earnings divided by the federal minimum wage equals 55 hours; therefore, Chris is not meeting the minimum work requirement of 80 hours per month.