2.1 Reducing Barriers to Family Enrollment and Redetermination

Lead Agency enrollment and redetermination policies may not unduly disrupt parents’ employment, education, or job training activities to comply with the Lead Agency’s or designated local entity’s requirements. Lead Agencies have broad flexibility to design and implement the eligibility practices that reduce barriers to enrollment and redetermination. Examples include developing strategies to inform families and their providers of an upcoming redetermination and the information that will be required of the family, pre-populating subsidy renewal forms, having parents confirm that the information is accurate, and/or asking only for the information necessary to make an eligibility redetermination. In addition, Lead Agencies can offer a variety of family-friendly methods for submitting documentation for eligibility redetermination that considers the range of needs for families in accessing support (e.g., use of languages other than English, access to transportation, accommodation of parents working non-traditional hours). 2.1.1 Eligibility practices to reduce barriers to enrollment a. Does the Lead Agency implement any of the following eligibility practices to reduce barriers at the time of initial eligibility determination? Check all that apply and describe those elements checked. i. [ ] Establishing presumptive eligibility while eligibility is being determined. Describe the policy, including the populations benefiting from the policy, and identify how long the period of presumptive eligibility is: ii. [x] Leveraging eligibility from other public assistance programs. Describe: HB407 mandates that clients enrolled in Medical Assistance or WIC are automatically deemed income eligible for the Child Care Subsidy Program. Implementation of this new HB will tentatively take place on August 1, 2024. iii. [x] Coordinating determinations for children in the same household (while still ensuring each child receives 12 months of eligibility). Describe: Eligibility determinations take place at the case level vs. at the individual child level to streamline processing for families. If a child is added to the case at a later date, the family’s redetermination date is extended to provide 12 months of eligibility, and redeterminations for all children are conducted at that time. iv. [ ] Self-assessment screening tools for families. Describe: v. [ ] Extended office hours (evenings and/or weekends). vi. [x] Consultation available via phone. vii. [ ] Other. Describe the Lead Agency policies to process applications efficiently and make timely eligibility determinations: viii. [ ] None. b. Does the Lead Agency use an online subsidy application? [x] Yes. [ ] No. If no, describe why an online application is impracticable. c. Does the Lead Agency use different policies for families receiving TANF assistance? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the policies: Child Care Subsidy Guidance 3.3 C and 3.3 J state that child receiving TANF have already had their citizenship or immigration status and immunizations verified by TANF, therefore do not need to provide documentation when determining child care eligibility. [ ] No. 2.1.2 Preventing disruption of eligibility activities a. Identify, where applicable, the Lead Agency’s procedures and policies to ensure that parents do not have their employment, education, or job training unduly disrupted to comply with the State’s/Territory’s or designated local entity’s requirements for the redetermination of eligibility. Check all that apply. i. [x] Advance notice to parents of pending redetermination. ii. [ ] Advance notice to providers of pending redetermination. iii. [x] Pre-populated subsidy renewal form. iv. [ ] Online documentation submission. v. [ ] Cross-program redeterminations. vi. [ ] Extended office hours (evenings and/or weekends). vii. [x] Consultation available via phone. viii. [ ] Leveraging eligibility from other public assistance programs. ix. [ ] Other. Describe: b. Does the Lead Agency use different policies for families receiving TANF assistance? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the policies: Recipients of TANF (VIEW and NON-VIEW) are considered income eligible for child care subsidy and services without a determination of the family’s income eligibility. VIEW stands for Virginia Initiative for Education and Work. VIEW is the program of employment opportunities to assist individuals receiving TANF in attaining the goal of self-sufficiency as implemented in Virginia. Non-VIEW is a TANF case where the adults are not required to participate in the VIEW program. [ ] No.