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Vermont Department for Children and Families Economic Services Division Reach Up Services Rules 2300 26

2326.3 Absence of Appropriate Child Care (08/01/2024, 23-30)

a. Appropriate child care shall be considered available when either of the following conditions is met: 1. There is an available child care slot with a licensed or registered provider located within five miles of the parent's/caretaker's residence or normal route to employment, FDP activity, or meeting; or

2. The participant/caretaker chooses an approved relative child care (ARCC) provider, who is in legal compliance over a regulated child care provider.

b. Appropriate child care does not include the following:

1. Child care that Child Development Division (CDD) classifies as an ARCC provider, and that a participant/caretaker determines to be unacceptable; or

2. Child care that CDD classifies as either a registered family child care home or a licensed child care center, and that a participant/caretaker determines to be unacceptable, when such determination is confirmed by CDD.

c. If the only available child care is with an ARCC provider, the participant/caretaker is not required to use it.

2327 Conciliation (08/01/2024, 23-30)

a. Conciliation is when the Department provides a participant an opportunity to re‐engage with Reach Up services requirements prior to being sanctioned or terminated from the program.

b. The Department shall initiate conciliation when the Department has determined that the participant's de facto or overt refusal to engage in Reach Up services requirements was without good cause (rule 2323.1).

c. The conciliation process is available to households that have received 60 or more months of countable, cumulative benefits.

2327.1 Conciliation Process (08/01/2024, 23-30)

a. When the conditions for conciliation exist, the Department shall mail a notice scheduling a conciliation meeting to the participant within 10 days of the date the Department became aware of the non‐engagement.

b. The Department should schedule the meeting no sooner than the fourth workday after the date the notice is mailed.

c. A participant may waive advance notice of the conciliation meeting by signing a waiver of notice.

d. The notice of the conciliation meeting must include the following: 1. The reason for the determination of non‐engagement without good cause;

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Official source

Vermont Department for Children and Families Economic Services Division Reach Up Services Rules 2300 26

2326.3 Absence of Appropriate Child Care (08/01/2024, 23-30)

2. The participant/caretaker chooses an approved relative child care (ARCC) provider, who is in legal compliance over a regulated child care provider.

b. Appropriate child care does not include the following:

1. Child care that Child Development Division (CDD) classifies as an ARCC provider, and that a participant/caretaker determines to be unacceptable; or

c. If the only available child care is with an ARCC provider, the participant/caretaker is not required to use it.

2327 Conciliation (08/01/2024, 23-30)

a. Conciliation is when the Department provides a participant an opportunity to re‐engage with Reach Up services requirements prior to being sanctioned or terminated from the program.

c. The conciliation process is available to households that have received 60 or more months of countable, cumulative benefits.

2327.1 Conciliation Process (08/01/2024, 23-30)

b. The Department should schedule the meeting no sooner than the fourth workday after the date the notice is mailed.

c. A participant may waive advance notice of the conciliation meeting by signing a waiver of notice.

d. The notice of the conciliation meeting must include the following: 1. The reason for the determination of non‐engagement without good cause;