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.” A child with a disability as defined in § 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 USC 1401); a child who is eligible for early intervention services under part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 USC § 1431 et seq.); a child who is less than 13 years of age and who is eligible for services under § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794); and/or a child with a documented developmental disability, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, sensory or motor impairment, or significant chronic illness who requires special health surveillance or specialized programs, interventions, technologies, or facilities. e. “Families with very low incomes.” Families with very low incomes are defined as families eligible for TANF benefits and families in which at least one child participates, or has been found eligible and is on a waiting list, for a Head Start program. 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] Describe: Receive priority on the wait list Families with very low incomes [ ] [ ] [x] [ ] [ ] [ ] Describe: Children experiencing homelessness, as defined by CCDF [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [x] Describe: Receive priority on the waitlist. (Optional) Families receiving TANF, those attempting to transition off TANF, and those at risk of becoming dependent on TANF [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: When a waitlist is initiated within a locality the locality is to follow the priority groups as follows: Tier 1: Families with at least one child ages 0-5, not yet in Kindergarten - Families in this category should be placed at the top of the waitlist -within the group families should be ordered based on application/screening date Tier 2: Families that do not fall in Tier 1 but meet any of the following categories -Tier 2 families are placed on the wait list following families in Tier 1 based on the application screening date. -Tier 2 families include: - A family unit in which includes a child who had special needs for whom services are requested; -Family with a child experiencing homelessness -Family that includes a minor parent under the age of 18 and in high school, whose child will be receiving subsidy services. -Emancipated teen parent younger than 18 and in high school; and -Case discontinued due to lack of funds 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: Families of a child experiencing homelessness that cannot provide the required documentation needed to determine eligibility at the time of application may be conditionally approved for services for a period not to exceed 90 days. Such documentation may include, but is not limited to, verification of immunizations, verification of child's citizenship or verification of income. The Lead Agency consulted with the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish that the 90-day grace period was a reasonable length of time to allow families experiencing homelessness to comply. 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: Families of a child experiencing homelessness that cannot provide documentation of their child’s immunizations at the time of application may be conditionally approved for services for a period not to exceed 90 days. The Child Care Worker will select, Not Verified, as the verification source in VaCMS. Children who are in foster care: CCDF is not used for children in foster care. 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: Licensing staff are made aware of the grace period and do not cite violations for families experiencing homelessness. The Subsidy Program and the Department of Housing and Community Development, a sister state agency, work together to assist families experiencing homelessness. Subsidy Program staff has access to the Virginia Immunization Information System through the Virginia Department of Health to verify immunization information for children whose families may not have written documentation of immunizations.