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July 1, 2026

138 her work hours have decreased to 15 hours per week. Annabelle is not planning to change child care providers. The agency worker asks Annabelle if she would like to keep her original authorized hours or if she would like to decrease her authorization to part- time. Annabelle chooses the reduction. The agency worker documents this conversation and the decision in case comments and creates a new part-time authorization.

Example 2: Cassie works at Plastics Manufacturing 35 hours each week. She has an authorization for her baby, Renee, for 40 hours per week, which includes travel time. In January, Cassie reports her work hours have decreased to 22 hours per week. The agency worker documents this decrease in hours but does not update the authorization because 22 hours plus travel time is still a full-time authorization.

Example 3: Eric has an above full-time authorization for his child, Josiah, at 56 weekly hours because he has been working overtime. In February, he stops working overtime and changes to a standard 40 weekly hour schedule. He contacts the local agency to request a decreased authorization because he only sends Eric when he is working and does not need the additional funds for above full-time care. The local agency documents the conversation, including Eric’s choice for a reduction in authorized hours, and writes a new authorization based on the 40 weekly hours, including any travel time that Eric needs.

If the parent chooses to keep the original number of hours, the parent must intend to send their child to the provider for those authorized hours. If the parent consistently sends the child to their provider for significantly fewer hours but makes a full subsidy payment to the provider for the full number of hours, the local agency may conduct an investigation to determine if an error occurred.

Example 4: Roxanne loses her job and is placed in an Approved Activity Search Period (ACTS). She tells her agency worker that she would like to continue sending her children to child care using the same schedule as when she was working (40 hours per week). The agency worker leaves her current authorization in place. However, Roxanne only takes her children to child care for 10 hours per week and continues paying the child care provider the same full-time amount. Roxanne is required to report a change in child care need and her case must be evaluated by the local agency to determine if an error occurred.

Parents have the option to use authorization hours during whichever time they prefer if the provider is open and regulated during that time.

Example 5: Mariana has an authorization for her child, Paulo. Mariana is working third shift when she loses her job, and Paulo’s authorization is for overnight care. Mariana contacts the local agency, and the agency worker updates the Approved Activity Status in CWW to ACTS. The agency worker does not need to update Paulo’s authorization.