7610 Duration of Child Care Plans -

 

  1. Unless eligibility is being prorated due to the initial eligibility determination, plans should begin on the first day of the month and shall be written for twelve months. See 10021.1 (7) for plan duration when Kansas Early Head Start is involved.
     

  2. Plans should end on the last day of the month.
     

  3. If a parent-guardian-caretaker wishes to change providers, that change is made the beginning of the next month.

 

7620 Determining Scheduled Hours - "See Policy Memo #04-03-02 re: "Child Care Plan Authorization - Sleep Time for Children".

 

EES staff shall establish a reasonable estimate of the hours needed for child care by determining with the parent(s) their average weekly work schedule. The weekly work schedule (including travel time) and the child’s school schedule (if applicable) will be entered into the electronic Child Care Plan Hours Worksheet form W-13 to obtain a reasonable estimate of the monthly hours to be authorized for benefits. The worksheet will calculate the hours of child care to be authorized for school months (September through May), and for summer months (June through August), adding extra hours each month to help cover days out of school (scheduled and unscheduled) for holidays, breaks, teacher in service, etc. The worksheet averages those extra hours for days out of school over the nine school months. For non school age children, hours will be the same for all months. The worksheet will be used to document how the average was determined, the school schedule of the child(ren), and any other factors used in determining the hours of child care needed. The completed worksheet(s) will be printed and placed in the case file. See 7600 regarding hours limit of 215 for Out-of-Home Relative care. If the agency has made a reasonable and fair estimate or has established an average this average continues for the duration of the child care plan even if hours fluctuate on a weekly or monthly basis. If it is necessary to increase or decrease the scheduled hours, the change is made for the month following the month the need is identified. The following may be considered when determining scheduled hours:
 

  1. The caretaker's schedule (employment including lunch time, work program activities, class, sleep time). If variable, documentation of the schedule may be requested on a weekly or monthly basis to determine a reasonable estimate. Sleep time may be approved for clients who work the majority of hours between 9 PM and 7 AM. It is recommended that 6 hours of sleep time be approved in these situations.
     

  2. Reasonable travel time between the child care facility and the parent's place of employment.
     

  3. The child's schedule (Head Start, pre-school or school). When there are multiple children in a family, if those children have the same school schedule, only one worksheet is necessary. If those children have different school schedules, a separate worksheet will be needed for each child with a different school schedule. The worksheet is designed to add additional hours of care for days out of school for breaks, holidays, teacher in service days, snow days, etc.
     

  4. The individual needs of the child. If the child's nap time or preschool activities would be interrupted, consideration should be given to providing child care for more hours than is required by the employment or school schedule. If the parent works a split shift or has a break of three hours or less between classes or work program activities, child care may be provided for the break if the child would be adversely affected by going home and coming back to the child care facility. Child care may be provided when a parent's work schedule is such that the child's normal sleep pattern is interrupted. See Policy Memo 04-03-02 for further guidance on sleep time for children.
     

  1. Study time for teen parents receiving child care with the ET reason code. Study time may be approved on a case-by-case basis when there is inadequate time to study between classes and the need is documented. One hour of study time per class hour per week may be used as a guideline, but should not be automatically added to the total authorized hours without discussing the need with the teen parents.
     

  2. The three-hour minimum. When a client requests child care services for less than three hours a day, a plan may be authorized for a minimum block of three hours if the facility is open at least three hours and the provider charges the private sector for a minimum of three hours.


  3. For Flinthills Job Corps, the number of hours needed for child care will be based on information obtained on the form ES-1611 or additional specific documentation obtained from the Job Corps Center. If the parent continues to participate, such information will be re-verified at subsequent reviews. No worksheet (form W-13) is necessary for Job Corps participants.

  4. For children who are participating in the Kansas Early Head Start/Child Care (KEHS/CC) Partnerships, all plans will be written for 40 hours per week unless the referral from KEHS that identifies the child as a participant indicates a need for a greater number of hours. The worksheet (form W-13) is not required for these children. The start date of these plans will be indicated on the referral form.

    Hours for children other than the KEHS child will be approved as follows:

    Additional hours may be approved for any of these children if justification for the additional need is provided. This information will be included on the referral form.