How does purchase of care work in delaware

Statutory Authority. Effective October 1, , Congress enacted the Child Care Development Fund CCDF which consolidated funding for child care for low-income working families and families reentering the workforce.

The Child Care Subsidy Program provides support for families with young children to enable the caretaker to hold a job, obtain training or meet special needs of the child. Child care may also be provided in child abuse cases to help protect the child.

Summary of Proposed Changes. The purpose of the Kinship Care Program is to assist caregivers during the day transition period when a child initially moves into the non-parent caregiver's home.

The program assists caregivers in meeting the child's immediate need for clothing, shelter, health, safety, and educational supplies. For more information, contact the Delaware Helpline or the State Service Center closest to you. The Delaware General Assembly provides funding for the Kinship Care Program and it is limited to available state funds.

Eligibility for Medicaid is determined by income. Almost any child whose parent is not in the home and who has little or no income of his or her own can get Medicaid health insurance coverage. If you or the child is eligible, Medicaid coverage may begin immediately. This is a health insurance program for children.

If you have not been able to afford medical insurance for your child and you do not qualify for Medicaid, you may be able to purchase very low cost medical insurance through the State of Delaware. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries may be eligible for help with paying all or some of their Medicare premium and, in some cases, payment of Medicare coinsurance and deductibles.

Food Stamps help single people and families with little or no income purchase food they need for good health. DSS case workers must authorize three months of child care beginning the month after the.

Provide continuity of care for the child; and. Staff will use gross monthly income in all cases except for self-employment income. Gross income is income before any deductions. See Determine the monthly amount of income using the conversion method below. This applies to earned and unearned income. Weekly gross income is multiplied by 4. Bi-weekly gross income is multiplied by 2. Bi-weekly income is income that is received every other week.

Semi-monthly gross income is multiplied by 2 to calculate the monthly income. Semi-monthly income is income that is received twice each month. If the income is different from pay to pay, use the income from the previous month or the average of the last three months income, whichever is less.

This applies for earned and unearned income. Parents and caretakers are required to report a change in household income and need for child care to DSS within 10 days of the change. A family must report a non-temporary change that occurs in their household circumstance, including:. A family may report changes by:. DSS must verify a change reported by a third party agency or person with the family. Parents and caretakers who are interested in receiving child care assistance may inquire about services by contacting a DSS office.

Parents and caretakers may informally inquire about child care eligibility by contacting a DSS office by phone call or unannounced office visit. Each informal inquiry for child care services will be reviewed by a DSS eligibility case worker at the time of inquiry. Parents and caretakers who appear to be eligible may complete the formal application process on the same day as the informal inquiry.

Eligibility case workers who are assessing informal child care inquiries shall:. Review each applicant's need for child care based on the information that the applicant provides. Notify parents and caretakers whether they are potentially eligible for services. A written decision is not required for an informal inquiry. Inform all parents and caretakers of their right to file a formal application. Proceed with the formal application process for potentially eligible parents and caretakers on the same day as the informal inquiry.

Provide the applicant with Form "Appointment and Request for Verification" when additional information is needed to complete the eligibility process. Statutory Authority. This policy applies to parents and caretakers who submit an application for child care assistance. DSS will provide child care assistance for eligible children when a parent or caretaker:.

A parent or caretaker may apply for child care:. DSS will interview the applicant and process the signed child care application within two business days. The application filing date will be the effective begin date for assistance.

A parent or caretaker must verify household income and the need for child care during the application. A parent or caretaker must verify the last 30 days of earned and unearned income received prior to.

Earned income may be verified by:. Wage stubs;. Verification of Employment Form ; or. A data match confirming employment and income. Unearned income may be verified by:. Award letters;. Pension statements;. Court order documentation;. Other forms of documentation from sources verifying the gross unearned income amount; or. A data match confirming unearned income. A parent or caretaker must verify their need for child care by providing:. Wage verification or an offer of employment that includes the amount of work hours;.

A schedule, proof of registration, or statement from an authorized education program. A schedule, proof of registration, or statement from an authorized training program verifying. A DFS referral for protective care; or. Presumptive child care may open when a parent or caretaker reports income and a need for. A parent or caretaker must provide all mandatory verifications, complete an intake interview, and. If information is returned after 30 days of the application date, but before 60 days, child care.

If information is not returned before 60 days from the application date, the parent or caretaker. DSS must inform parents and caretakers of their:.

Complete an interview either over the phone or in person. Conduct the interview the same day if possible. Parents will need to supply the following verifications:. Documentation of the special need may be provided on the Special Needs Form or any other written correspondence submitted by a physician or medical professional with the authority to do so. For a protective need, a referral from Division of Family Services must be submitted.

Parents must be given any information that will help them to make an informed decision regarding their child care services. Although verifications are needed, Presumptive Child Care may be opened pending information. Presumptive Care can be authorized for approximately one month, depending on the date of application.

A determination of financial eligibility as needed;. An assessment of the family's child care needs as well as the needs of the children to be placed in care;. Verification of appropriate information establishing need and income. Section , Eligibility Requirements, provides guidance for this review.

Category This is Category Is there a protective referral from Family Services? Use the appropriate documents identified in Section However, verification will not delay authorization of service in the event documentation is not immediately available.

If the client is applying for services the system will automatically determine eligibility for Presumptive Child Care. The system will generate the appropriate notices, request the information and end date the authorization. If the client does not meet presumptive requirements and fails to provide requested information the system will close the case and give appropriate notice.

For more detail on Presumptive Child Care see section This policy applies to all Child Care Assistance applicants who may experience a delay in service due to a wait list. Teen parents who are enrolled in or attending middle school or high school; or a program to acquire a General Education Diploma GED or similar secondary credential approved by the Delaware Department of Education;.

Use the following as a guide to explain the child care certificate package. However, they must select care that is legal. Legal care is care that is licensed or that is exempt from licensing requirements. Licensed Care: All family child care homes, large family child care homes and child care centers must have a license to operate in Delaware.

Do not allow a parent to select an unlicensed family or large family child care home, or center child care provider. License-exempt Care: The following provider types are exempt from licensing requirements in Delaware:. Though the above provider types are exempt from licensing requirements, they are still required to meet certain health and safety standards. These standards are:. DSS has established rates above which it will not pay see Appendix II for current reimbursement rates.

If the provider is willing, the certificate will act just like a DSS contract and DSS will pay the provider directly less any child care fee.

The provider will need to complete and return the original copy of the actual child care certificate before case managers can authorize care. Relative care providers will also complete and return the yellow copy of the License Exempt Provider Criminal History and Child Abuse and Neglect Background Check Request for all persons 18 and older living in the home. If this form is not returned, discontinue care. The original copy of the child care certificate is completed and returned by the provider.

The certificate package provides instructions for completion. The provider should keep a copy. The provider receives the DSS rate, the DSS determined child care parent fee if applicable, and any additional provider determined co-pay. This option is primarily for DSS fee-paying clients.

DSS chooses not to limit childcare options for any group of individuals. The DSS eligibility system determines if families applying for the Purchase of Care POC program are eligible for child care subsidy based on federal and state rules. DSS case workers will enter a family's financial and technical information into the DSS eligibility system at application, at redetermination, and when a family reports a change in circumstances.

DSS case workers will enter child care authorization information into the DSS eligibility system once a child has been determined eligible for the POC program. DSS case workers will authorize eligible children for 12 months of care. An authorization may be set for less than 12 months if the authorization period is requested in writing by:. A medical professional verifying the length of time child care is required for a special need; or. DSS case workers will enter the child care copayment amount in the Dependent Care Expense screen of the DSS eligibility system after the copayment has been assigned to each authorization.

DSS will send notification to the family of their eligibility and authorization status for the POC program. DSS will send a written eligibility notice to the family that will include:. The POC eligibility approval or denial determination;. The copayment calculation if the family is approved for POC.

DSS will send a letter of authorization for each authorized child to the family. The letter will include:. The type of care full-time, part-time, or time and a half ;. The information from this form becomes the basis upon which child care services are authorized.

Therefore, the information should be as complete and accurate as possible. Their signature represents their official request for service. This enables DSS to maintain the concept of seamless service. The family's shelter and utility expense deductions; and.

DSS will waive the copayment if one of the following conditions applies to a family:. The child receives TANF and is being cared for by a caretaker who is not the child's natural or adoptive parent. The parent is age 18 or younger and is attending high school or a high school equivalent.

DSS may assign a copayment to a case with a caretaker if the eligible child receives income and does not meet one of the waiver conditions listed in section 2 of this policy. DSS will calculate the family's assigned copayment as a monthly amount. The copayment will not increase beyond the initial copayment amount during the eligibility period if the family reports an increase in income.

The copayment will decrease during the eligibility period if the family reports a decrease in income. DSS determines if a family has an excessive financial burden when establishing the family's copayment for the Purchase of Care POC program.

When determining excessive financial burden, expense deductions are limited to:. Any mandatory expense required by a landlord or a mortgage holder e. Current monthly utility expenses e. Telephone expenses, which are capped at the same rate as the Food Supplement Program's standard allowance; and. The DHCP premiums are included in the unreimbursed medical cost deduction.

DSS will consider any unreimbursed medical costs not covered by Medicaid or DHCP as a deduction to determine the family's income for excessive financial burden. DSS will apply one of the following utility allowances as a deduction to a family's gross income when applicable:.

DSS will waive child care copayments for families who are determined to have an excessive financial burden. This fee, in combination with what DSS pays the provider, represents the reimbursement limit DSS allows for child care services.

These limits are based on the child care type and the age of the child. DSS has contracts with providers for these rates which include purchase of care plus option. Obtain such information in writing from providers whenever possible. However, it is acceptable to obtain this information verbally if the following procedures are used. Accept and document e. Request that the provider follow up this information in writing to the child care monitor in their county.

NOTE: Allow timely 10 days and adequate notice. This policy applies to parents and caretakers who need immediate child care services, but who have not. Parents and caretakers may self-declare income and the need for child care at the time of application. Presumptive child care is limited to a one- or two-month eligibility and authorization period. If a case is pending verifications prior to the date of adverse action in the eligibility system, child care will be approved for the current month only.

If a case is pending verifications after the date of adverse action in the eligibility system, child care will be approved for the current month and the next month only. Parents and caretakers are not eligible for presumptive child care if they:. DSS case workers will:. Process the child care application and complete the intake interview within two business days.

Enter the application information and select "pending verification" for missing mandatory. The eligibility system will automatically open presumptive child. Enter the presumptive child care authorization period of one or two months after the child care.

Inform the parent or caretaker in writing of the mandatory verifications required to complete. Update the mandatory verifications in the eligibility system to "verified" once the parent or caretaker.

The case worker will also update the authorization to the next review period, which will be Update the mandatory verifications in the eligibility system to "not verified" one day after the. The child care case will close at the end of the presumptive child care authorization period.

These parents may be able to get child care assistance if their children are placed in another child care setting. Authorizations always start after service has been approved. An authorization ends on the last day of the month of the authorization period. At no time can the authorization period exceed the review date. The types of care that can be authorized are part time P , full day X , and day and a half T. All licensed and licensed exempt child care providers can receive up to five 5 absent days, depending on the number of days the child is authorized to attend.

Children in self arranged care and children authorized for seven 7 days do not receive absent days. Examples of when Change Authorizations occur are:. Change Authorizations always affect future events, meaning the change will affect future transactions i.

If there is not sufficient time, the change will not occur until the first day of the month following the next month. The adjusted income will increase the child care fee on the authorization, which is a negative change i. A neutral change, like a change in category, will generally take place the first day of the next month. However, some category changes, going from a Category 11 or 12 no fee to a Category 31 will cause a negative change.

Parent Y can no longer get Category 11 child care, but qualifies for Category Child care may also be provided in child abuse cases to help protect the child. If you are working, you may have to pay a portion of your child care expenses. Contact a DSS office to get more information on the program rules and fees. Child care services are available for children under the age of The Division of Social Services determines eligibility based on a family's income and need for service.

If your child is older than 13 and has a special need, you still may be eligible to receive child care. You may choose your child care provider from:.