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110 3.17. Closure

A. Reasons for Case Closure

Recipient’s cases will close at any time if any of the following occur:

1. The recipient family’s countable income regularly exceeds 85% of state median income; 2. There is a finding that the recipient committed an intentional program violation/fraud; 3. The recipient is no longer a resident of Virginia; 4. The recipient requests that their case be closed; or 5. The recipient is a family of a child experiencing homelessness that was conditionally approved because they could not provide required documentation. If documentation is not provided to the LDSS within 90 days of case approval, or the recipient is determined ineligible after full documentation is provided, the child care case will be automatically closed after 90 days. 6. The recipient did not secure employment or enroll in an education or training program within the designated job search period. If documentation is not provided to the LDSS within the 90-day timeframe, the recipient does not meet the extension criteria, or the recipient is determined ineligible after full documentation is provided, the child care case will be automatically closed after 90 days.

Additional reasons for case closure that may occur during the 12-month eligibility period include:

Appeal – Agency Decision Upheld Families may request that services are continued while appealing action by a LDSS. If the decision to close the case is upheld by a hearing officer, the LDSS may take action to close the case immediately after being notified of the decision.

Change in Head of Household

The applicant is considered the head of the household. If the applicant in a two parent household leaves, their case must be closed. The remaining parent, as the new head of household, must submit a new application, which must be processed to determine eligibility for the new family unit. If determined to be eligible, this family must not be placed on the waitlist and a new eligibility period must be established. If the child's custody arrangement changes (e.g., due to a court order or legal guardianship), the new guardian may apply in their locality. These families should not be subject to the waitlist. If no slots are available to serve the child(ren), the receiving locality may submit an allocation request in VACMS, documenting the new custody arrangement and the need for additional child target and/or funding to accommodate the transfer. The case manager must clearly document the justification for exempting the family from the waitlist in the case record, referencing the custody change. Only children who are currently being served should continue to receive care on the new case. If additional children are being added, they are subject to the waitlist and must meet the locality's current prioritization criteria before being authorized for care.