| EES POLICY NO. 05-11-04 | RE: Child Care Family Share Deduction | |
|---|---|---|
| POLICY MEMO | Contact Person: Sally Hargis and Pam Jacob | |
| Where Posted on Web: http://content.srs.ks.gov/EES/KEESM/Policy_Memo/policy_memo_list_10-10.htm | ||
| FROM: Bobbi Mariani, Director, EES | ||
| DATE: November 22, 2005 -Revised November 28, 2006 | KEESM Reference: 7541 | |
| Primary SRS Areas Affected: Child Care and Food Stamps | Other Manual Reference: KEESM Appendix C-10 Child Care Provider Handbook |
This memo provides clarification around the Family Share Deduction and how it is applied under EBT Child Care. Most families determined eligible for child care assistance are assessed a Family Share deduction amount based on household size and income. The role of the agency is to determine accurate child care benefits for the family. This includes items such as correctly budgeting income, determining household composition, assigning the Family Share deduction, and obtaining a reasonable estimate of child care plan hour needs.
Once the benefits are issued they are available to be used by the family regardless of the Family Share deduction assignment or status. Staff are reminded that the agency no longer enforces payment of this Family Share deduction by the family to the provider. This Family Share deduction is similar to a co-payment or deductible. Benefits on the EBT Vision card are available for the family to use toward the purchase of child care services. The agency has deducted any Family Share deduction amount (assigned this obligation) prior to issuing the benefits. Because of this obligation, the benefits on the card are not expected to cover all child care costs but, at times, may cover the entire cost of the child care expense for the month. When the subsidy does cover the entire cost of child care for a month there is no need for the family to actually pay that family share deduction amount.
EXAMPLE: A household is determined eligible to receive $500.00 per month in child care subsidy with a family share deduction amount of $100.00. In January, the actual cost of child care assistance to the family is only $500.00. The family could use the entire $500.00 subsidy on the EBT card and, as a result, not end up paying any of the $100.00 family share deduction amount.
For food stamp purposes, the family share deduction assigned on KsCares is to be used as the food stamp dependent care deduction . If the family has costs above and beyond this assigned family share deduction then the family is responsible for verifying the additional amount to the worker for food stamp purposes.
EXAMPLE: A household is determined eligible to receive $500 per month in child care subsidy with a family share deduction amount of $100. The actual cost of child care is $650. The family uses the $500 subsidy and is obligated for an additional $150 (family share deduction and the additional $50) for child care each month. For food stamps, the allowable dependent care deduction (with verification) is $150.