M E M O R A N D U M

TO: EES Program Administrators, All Asst. Regional Directors, EES Staff

FROM: Sandra Kimmons

DATE: February 14, 2020

SUBJECT: Implementation Instructions for Poverty Level Changes Effective April 1, 2020

Child Care

1. Poverty Level Changes - This year the monthly gross income amounts will be updated on the Child Care Family Income and Share Schedule to reflect changes in the federal poverty guidelines and the state median income levels effective April 1, 2020. The tables were updated with the February KEES release on February 16th, and the changes are effective April 1, 2020. Prior to 2018, this poverty level change was dependent on staff taking action within our legacy systems. This year for the third time, KEES will look at all active Child Care programs, recalculate their Family Plans with a Type of ‘FP’ and Change Reason of ‘Other Change Reason’, and run EDBC for the Come-Up Month. These actions mimic that of a caseworker–NOAs and Family Plans will go out based on EDBC results.
   
   Programs that have an overridden EDBC will not be processed by the batch process. The overridden family plans will be updated manually by staff in the FC-CC unit and/or the CC Provider Enrollment unit.
   
   Timeline of Events:
   
   
   • 2/16: KEES has been updated with the table changes effective 4/1/2020. Note: The changes will not affect Family Shares already attached to existing Family Plans. This will occur with the federal poverty guideline batch process. New plans written after this date will reflect the new amounts.
     
     
   • 2/18: Come-up Month becomes available. Any cases processed for April benefits will have the table changes applied.
     
     
   • 2/29: Family Plan Income Limits – Active family plans, recalculate family plan, EDBC and send appropriate notices.
     
     
   • Overridden Family Plans will be skipped for each month that is overridden. EDBC will run and a NOA will be sent.
     
     
   • 3/17: Regular Child Care EDBC – Run any Child Care program that has not yet had April EDBC ran.
     
     
2. Provider rate adjustments - This year there will also be an adjustment to the maximum child care provider rates for infant and toddler age groups effective April 1, 2020. For relatives who care for the children in the relative’s home and for licensed home providers, the changes will affect benefits paid for children age 18 months and younger. For child care centers, it will affect the age groups 12 months and less, 13 months through 18 months, and 19 months through 30 months. In home relative provider rates remain unchanged. Rates for the affected age groups will be adjusted to the 85th percentile of the most current market analysis that was completed in April of 2018. Benefits for families with children in these age groups will be affected if the provider they’re using has reported to the provider enrollment unit that they charge a rate higher than the maximum DCF rate for months prior to April of 2020.
   
   The timeline of events shown above for the poverty level changes will also apply to the rate adjustments. The new rates for April 2020 will be available in KEES as of 2/18/20 when the come-up month of April is available. As with the poverty level update, programs that have an overridden EDBC will not be processed by the batch process. The overridden family plans will be updated manually by staff in the FC-CC unit and/or the CC Provider Enrollment unit. This process is expected to begin on 2/18/20, after the tables are updated in KEES.