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Local departments may determine the appropriate number of Snow/Emergency Day(s) to bank, based on what is typical in the locality.

K. Authorizing Care for Children Enrolled in Other Publicly-Funded ECCE Programs

Families may be eligible to participate in multiple ECCE programs to meet their care and educational needs and preferences for children. Services should not be authorized for pre-school-aged children (ages 5 and younger, not yet in Kindergarten) during hours that are supported by another public funding source, including but not limited to: • Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) • Head Start • Early Head Start • Mixed Delivery CCSP services may be authorized for hours and/or days that are not covered by these programs. For VPI, Head Start, and Early Head Start, this may include hours that “wraparound” the instructional day and full days during the summer.

Mixed Delivery payment rates reflect the cost of full-day, year-round care. Children participating in Mixed Delivery should not be authorized for services in the Child Care Subsidy Program unless the parent has child care needs outside of the Mixed Delivery grantee’s operating hours (i.e., overnight or weekend care).

L. Authorizing school-age care during instructional hours

In general, school-age children should be physically present at school during instructional hours. K-12 schools are responsible for providing a safe learning environment for children. Consequently, as stated in 1.2.C. and 3.3.I., child care services for school-age children should not be authorized during the instructional day when school is in session, including for children participating in virtual learning, unless there are valid and documented reasons why the children must be out of school. These would be extenuating, temporary circumstances as described below. • Families may request temporary (defined as 4 weeks or less) care during instructional hours while a school-age child participates in virtual learning when the child is experiencing an emergent mental, physical, or emotional health issue that temporarily prohibits their physical presence at school. A note from a qualified health professional is required as documentary evidence. o This temporary approval is intended to provide the parent with time to make alternative arrangements with the school division to facilitate a safe learning environment for the child. o Local departments may approve no more two instances of temporary care during instructional hours in a 12-month eligibility period per school-age child. o If the suspension is not temporary, parents must provide a letter from the school stating the suspension time frame to their child care case manager. The case manager must review this information with their supervisor, then forward the letter to the Regional Consultant, who will route it for review by VDSS/VDOE. A final determination will be provided based on the review.