7630 Changing Providers Mid-Month - When a parent changes providers mid-month, EES staff shall update the provider information on the system effective the following month.

7640 Termination of Child Care Plans - Termination of a child care plan will establish the last month for which DCF will authorize benefits for a particular child with a particular provider. The child care plan may be terminated at the request of the family, provider or DCF. When the action is initiated by DCF, timely and adequate notice to the client is required for all negative actions. See 1431 and 7610.

Terminating a child care plan and closing a child care case are two separate actions that may or may not occur at the same time or date.

Child care cases must remain open for 12 months except:

1. Non-Temporary Loss of Employment or Education/Training:
   
   
   1. When a parent/caretaker experiences a non-temporary loss of employment, or they stop attending (and are not enrolled in) an approved education or training program and they indicate that they intend to look for work or to enroll in an approved job training or education program, assistance will be continued for up to 3 months following the month the change occurs, unless that three-month period would extend beyond the current review period. If less than three months remain in the review period, the extension would be until the end of the review period. If the parent/caretaker regains an eligible activity during that continuation of care, eligibility shall continue through the remainder of the 12-month eligibility period, even if minimum hours or earnings as required for initial eligibility are not met (unless one of the other circumstances listed in this section should occur). This eligibility factor would be reevaluated at the next eligibility review.
      
      
   2. When a parent/caretaker loses employment or they stop attending an approved education or training program and they indicate that they do not intend to look for employment  or resume attendance in an approved job training or education program. These cases will be closed allowing for timely and adequate notice.
      
      

   NOTE: A change in a parent's eligible activity is considered temporary if the parent remains employed or enrolled in their activity and is expected to resume the activity (as verified with the employer or other entity). The temporary change could potentially last through the end of the 12-month eligibility period.
   
   A temporary change may include time limited absences due to the need to care for a family member; student holidays and breaks; a reduction in work, training or education hours, as long as the parent is still working or attending a training or educational program; changes in residency within the state; any other cessation of work or attendance at a training or educational program if it is verified that the parent remains employed or enrolled and is expected to resume the activity at some point.

   
   
2.  When a recipient moves out of state. These cases will be closed allowing for timely and adequate notice.
   
   
3.  When a recipient requests verbally or in writing that their case be closed or a plan for a particular child be terminated. These cases or plans will be closed allowing for adequate notice only.
   
   
4.  When a recipient is admitted to an institution. These cases will be closed allowing for adequate notice only.
   
   
5.  When a recipient’s whereabouts are unknown and agency mail directed to them have been returned by the post office indicating no known forwarding address or an out of state address. These cases will be closed allowing for adequate notice only.
   
   
6.  When the agency has factual information confirming the death of a client. These cases or plans will be closed allowing for adequate notice only.
   
   
7.  When a recipient has accepted assistance in another jurisdiction and that fact has been established by the jurisdiction previously providing assistance. These cases will be closed allowing for adequate notice only.
   
   

8. When a recipient reports that they are no longer using their DCF approved child care provider, they must be allowed 10 days to choose a new approved provider. If there is no response, these cases or plans will be closed allowing for timely and adequate notice.  If a recipient receiving Child Care Assistance stops making payments to their DCF enrolled child care provider listed on their child care family plan for two full consecutive months (and those months had calculated benefits) and does not report a change, the system will send a notice to the household and the provider. This notice gives the recipient a chance to:

   • Make a payment to the current provider.

   • Confirm they are still using the same provider.

   • Report that they have switched to a different provider.
     

If no payments are made to the listed child care provider or a new provider has not been reported to the agency during four consecutive months, the system will send a second notice. If the recipient does not respond, the child care plans will be closed.   

9. When a family for whom verification was delayed at initial eligibility subsequently fails to provide the required verification. These cases or plans will be closed allowing for timely and adequate notice.
   
   

10. When a household reports an income change that results in countable income that exceeds 85% of the State Median Income (SMI) for that household size. These cases will be closed allowing for timely and adequate notice. See Level XII on the Monthly Family Income and Family Share Deduction Schedule (KEESM Appendix item F-1). These cases will be closed allowing for timely and adequate notice.
    
    

11.  When federal and state funds are no longer available.
    
    
12. When a child for whom child care assistance is received leaves a “Safe Families for Children” placement or a foster care placement and there are no remaining children receiving child care benefits on the child care case.

Termination of the child care plan and/or case-closure may occur when:

1. Children have been determined to be "at risk" if care continues in that facility.
    

2. The provider is no longer eligible to accept payment.
   
   NOTE: If a provider goes out of business or closes due to a suspended or revoked license, the plan must end. If the client has made pre-payment for services after the closure date, the provider is expected to refund benefits for any services that will not be provided.
    

3. The provider requests termination.
   
   

If plans are terminated for these reasons, the household must be advised to choose another DCF approved provider, and eligibility for child care assistance must continue unless the household fails to do so.

If child care plans are terminated prior to the end of an established guaranteed eligibility period and an adult on the case requests child care again prior to the end of that eligibility period, child care must be reinstated for the remainder of that previously established eligibility period without requiring a new application if the child care plan was terminated for an reason other than the following:

• The family moved out of state;
• The case head passed away; or
• The household's income increased so that the countable income exceeded 85% of the state median income (SMI).
  

The household’s countable income at reinstatement must not exceed 85% of the state median income at the time of reinstatement. Income eligibility at that time must be documented. The client’s statement regarding countable income will be sufficient, unless it can be documented that their statement is questionable.  If reinstated, the child care plan hours will be no less than and the family share deduction will be no higher than at the time the case plan was closed. The household must be using a DCF enrolled provider at reinstatement.