KANSAS DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES
Family Services
DCF Administration Building
555 S. Kansas Ave., 6th Floor
Topeka, KS 66603

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

A brief overview of the major changes is described below. Other clarifications and technical corrections are also included and described in the next section. Additional technical corrections not mentioned here are being incorporated into KEESM, as needed.

Food Assistance Employment & Training (E&T) – A KEES update went into effect in December 2024. Food Assistance Employment & Training activities were added to the system. E&T career navigators no longer need to repurpose TANF activities. The TANF activity names have been removed from the E&T activity descriptions. E&T activity descriptions have also been updated to include more detail about the activities.

DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE

1. All Programs
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      None
      
      
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. In-kind Income - KEESM 6410 #34 is being updated to add clarification on what constitutes in-kind income.
         
         
      2. How to Determine Resource Value of Nonexempt Vehicles - KEESM 5511 NOTE is being changed to update language regarding when Kelley Blue Book verification should be saved to the case file.
         
         
      3. Verifications - KEESM 9333 and 1322 is updated to clarify "KDOL UC" and "KDOL Wages" both need checked.
         
         
2. Child Care
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      None
      
      
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Review Periods for Child Care – KEESM 9374 is being modified to clarify that a formal review is not required for child care for children whose parent or caretaker is participating in the TANF work program.
         
         
      2. Additional Enrollment and Monitoring Procedures for In-Home Relative Child Care Providers – KEESM 10036 and subsections are being modified to update to the current language used and to clarify provider and client responsibilities.
         
         
      3. Voluntary Closure – KEESM 10114 is being modified to correct the policy regarding enrollment with DCF when a provider’s facility relocates. When this occurs, the agreement with the provider’s old location is terminated and the provider must enroll the new location as a new facility.
         
         
      4. TANF Child Care - KEESM 2831 is being modified to update terminology, changing "regulated" child care providers to "licensed" child care providers.
         
         
      5. Income Eligible (Non-TANF Child Care) - KEESM 2835 is also being modified to update terminology, changing "regulated" child care providers to "licensed" child care providers.
         
         
      6. Types of Providers - KEESM 10020 is being modified to update terminology, changing "regulated" child care providers to "licensed" child care providers.
         
         
      7. Licensed Providers – KEESM 10021 is being modified to reflect changes made by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Child Care Licensing to the types of licensed child care providers. The two provider types Family Child Care Home and Group Child Care Home are being grouped together, titled Family Child Care Homes.
         
         
      8. Licensed and Unregulated Legally Exempt Providers - KEESM 10031 is being modified to update terminology, changing "regulated" child care providers to "licensed" child care providers.
         
         
      9. Requirements to Approve Licensed Providers – KEESM 10032 is being modified to incorporate updated terminology to correspond with KDHE’s licensed child care provider types.
         
         
      10. Provider Responsibilities - KEESM 10034 is being modified to update terminology, changing "regulated" child care providers to "licensed" child care providers and "parents" to "families". Clarification was also added regarding the requirement for providers to develop and use contracts with families and the requirement to report suspected abuse.
          
          
      11. On-Site Licensing Visit - KEESM 10111 is being modified to update terminology referring to "regulated" facilities to "licensed" facilities.
          
          
3. Food Assistance
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Receipt of LIEAP and the SUA – KEESM 7226.3 (2) is being modified to align with current federal regulations regarding receipt of LIEAP and applying SUA.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      None
      
      
4. Food Assistance Employment & Training (E&T)
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      None
      
      
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Job Skills Training/Education Directly Related to Employment/Attendance at Secondary School Authorization Guidelines - 3300.3 is being updated to note that E&T can support a client taking college courses as long as they enroll after meeting with their career navigator and it is part of their self-sufficiency agreement.
         
         
      2. Food Assistance Mandatory Employment and Training (E&T) Activities – 3340 is being updated to reflect the new USDA E&T activity names that have been added to KEES. Additional details have been added to the activities. Activities that are no longer in use have been removed. Some previous activities have been split into two activities.
         
         
5. Summer EBT
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      None
      
      
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Verification - KEESM 12310 reference to BARI/BASI is being modified to "KDOL UC" and "KDOL Wages".
         

Appendix

All Programs

P-4, Kelley Blue Book User Instructions - Page 6, step 13 has been updated.

X-6, Definitions of Common Terms - In-kind income definition has been added.

Child Care

C-10, Child Care Provider Handbook and C-10S, Child Care Provider Handbook (Spanish). These handbooks have been updated using current child care license types.

C-11, The Family - Provider Partnership Handbook and C-11S, The Family – Provider Partnership Handbook (Spanish). These handbooks have been updated using current child care license types. In addition, the terms "parent" or "parents" were changed to "family" or "families" in numerous locations to more accurately reflect the population served.

Forms

All Programs

ES-1512, Change Report Form has been updated to be used for all programs. A Spanish translation is also available.

LIEAP

ES-3500, ES-3500S were updated.

TANF

ES-4416A has been added to the Forms page. This form is an accessible version of the ES-4416 SH/DV/SA or Stalking Referral Form.

EFFECTIVE DATE

All policies in this revision are effective February 1, 2025.

Effect on Local Staff

COORDINATION EFFORTS

The material in this letter and manual revision has been coordinated with staff in Economic and Employment Services, Executive leadership, the EES Program Administrators, and the Implementation Planning Team.

Sincerely,
Carla Whiteside-Hicks, PhD
Economic and Employment Services Director
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