2.3 Prioritizing Services for Vulnerable Children and Families

Lead Agencies must give priority for child care assistance to children with special needs, families with very low incomes (considering family size), and children experiencing homelessness. A Lead Agency has the flexibility to prioritize other populations of children. Note: Statute defines children with disabilities, and CCDF rule gives flexibility to Lead Agencies to include vulnerable populations in their definition of children with special needs. CCDF defines “child experiencing homelessness” as a child who is homeless, as defined in Section 725 of Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a). 2.3.1 Lead Agency definition of priority groups Describe how the Lead Agency defines: d. “Children with special needs.” The following groups are considered children with special needs and vulnerable populations (CCS Guide, Section B-402.e): Children of parents on military deployment whose parents are unable to enroll in military- assistance program; Children of teen parents; and Children with disabilities. These children are included in the Second Priority Group, which also includes children of a qualified veteran/spouse, children of a foster youth, and children experiencing homelessness. e. “Families with very low incomes.” Families with very low incomes, which are included in the First Priority Group, is defined as families eligible for the following (CCS Guide, Section B-400): Choices child care; TANF Applicant child care; SNAP E&T child care; and At-Risk child care for former Choices child care recipients whose TANF benefits were denied or voluntarily ended within the last 12 months due to employment, timing out of benefits, or an earnings increase. Children in families with very low incomes are in the First Priority Group and are assured CCS. 2.3.2 Prioritization of child care services Identify how the Lead Agency will prioritize child care services for the following children and families. a. Complete the table below to indicate how the identified populations are prioritized. Population Prioritized Prioritize for enrollment in child care services Serve without placing on waiting list Waive co- payments as described in 3.3.1 Pay higher rate for access to higher quality care Use grants or contracts to reserve spots Other Children with special needs [x] [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [x] Describe: Providers serving children with disabilities may receive up to 190 percent of the provider’s payment rate for eligible children requiring extra classroom support. Families with very low incomes [x] [x] [x] [x] [ ] [ ] Describe: Population Prioritized Prioritize for enrollment in child care services Serve without placing on waiting list Waive co- payments as described in 3.3.1 Pay higher rate for access to higher quality care Use grants or contracts to reserve spots Other Children experiencing homelessness, as defined by CCDF [x] [ ] [x] [x] [ ] [x] Describe: Families with children experiencing homelessness have up to three months to provide documentation verifying the child’s age and citizenship or legal immigration status and the parent’s activity participation at any level to continue care for their full 12- month eligibility period. Families of children experiencing homelessness are income-eligible based on their homelessness status and are not required to submit income documentation. (CCS Guide D- 600). (Optional) Families receiving TANF, those attempting to transition off TANF, and those at risk of becoming dependent on TANF [x] [x] [x] [x] [ ] [ ] Describe: a. Does the Lead Agency define any other priority groups? [ ] No. [x] Yes. If yes, identify the populations prioritized and describe how the Lead Agency prioritizes services: As also described in 2.2.6, TWC has established a Second Priority Group (CCS Guide B-402). The Second Priority Group are served subject to availability of funds, and are served in the following order of priority: Children who need to receive protective services child care; Children of a qualified veteran or qualified spouse; Children of a foster youth; Children experiencing homelessness (previously described) (included in TWC’s CCDF definition of protective care); Children of parents on military deployment whose parents are unable to enroll in military-funded child care assistance programs; Children of teen parents; Children with disabilities; and Children of a child care worker. 2.3.3 Enrollment and grace period for children experiencing homelessness Lead Agencies must allow (after an initial eligibility determination) children experiencing homelessness to receive CCDF services while required eligibility documentation is obtained. Lead Agencies must establish a grace period that allows children experiencing homelessness and children in foster care to receive CCDF assistance while providing their families with a reasonable time to take any necessary actions to comply with State, Territory, or local immunization and other health and safety requirements. The length of such a grace period must be established in consultation with the State, Territorial, or Tribal public health agency. Note: Any payment for such a child during the grace period may not be considered an error or improper payment. a. Describe the strategies to allow CCDF enrollment of children experiencing homelessness while required eligibility documentation is obtained: For children experiencing homelessness, CCS rules exempt the family from the parent share of cost (§809.19(a)(2)(C)) and require that the child is initially enrolled for a period of three months to allow the parent to provide documentation verifying the child's eligibility (§809.52). b. Describe the grace period for each population below and how it allows them to receive CCDF assistance while providing their families with a reasonable time to take any necessary actions to comply with immunization and other health and safety requirements. i. Provide the policy for a grace period for: Children experiencing homelessness: HHSC CCR minimum standards provide a 30-day grace period to comply with immunization and other health and safety requirements (26 TAC 744.613(c)(2); 26 TAC 746.613(c)(2); 26 TAC747.613(c)(2)). Children who are in foster care: For children who are in foster care, CCR minimum standards provide a 30-day grace period to comply with immunization and other health and safety requirement (26 TAC 744.613(c)(2); 26 TAC 746.613(c)(2); 26 TAC 747.613(c)(2)). ii. Does the Lead Agency certify that the length of the grace period was established in consultation with the State, Territorial, or Tribal public health agency? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe: c. Describe how the Lead Agency coordinates with licensing agencies and other relevant State, Territorial, Tribal, and local agencies to provide referrals and support to help families with children receiving services during a grace period comply with immunization and other health and safety requirements: Boards must ensure that consumer education information, including information provided through a Board's website, contains, at a minimum, information on the prevention and control of infectious diseases, including immunizations (CCS rule §809.15(b)(2) and CCS Guide, Section H-101). CCR minimum standards require that families with children receiving services during a grace period be referred to an appropriate health-care professional to obtain the required immunizations (26 TAC §746.613(c)). The DSHS rule at 25 TAC §97.66, Provisional Enrollment for (Non-Higher Education; Non-Veterinary) Students and Children, establishes the guidelines for provisional enrollment as described here. TWC coordinates with other agencies serving young children, including those experiencing homelessness through the standing ECIA Workgroup. The ECIA Workgroup includes leadership and program administration level staff from TWC, the TEA, HHSC, DFPS, and DSHS. In FY’25, the ECIA Workgroup plans to enhance the state’s cross-agency, parent information portal to include information and resources specific to families experiencing homelessness.