STATE DEPARTMENT FOR CHILDREN                4/21/14
AND FAMILIES                                             
Family Services
Docking State Office Building
Room 581 - West
Topeka, Kansas 66612

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 in KEESM as needed.

Child Care – New poverty level guidelines have been published by the Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines affect the eligibility standards in the Child Care program.

Child Care assistance planning policy is changing to require the parents of the child for whom child care is requested to be included in the case in most situations where another adult is the caretaker of their child but the parent also lives with them, unless the other adult has legal guardianship or custody.

Food Assistance – Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for certain members of the Armed Forces is being added to this revision. It is considered earned income.

References to KDADS are being included where appropriate.

Also, where appropriate, the term “prosecutor” is being added regarding fraud related issues.

DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE

1. Child Care
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Included Individuals – KEESM 4410 is being revised to require that the parent of a child for whom child care is requested be included in the assistance plan if residing in the home with the child, except in those cases involving legal guardianship or custody, regardless of who claims to be the caretaker of the child. The parent will be excluded if it is verified by a qualified professional that the parent is not physically or mentally capable of caring for the child, or if the parent is legally prohibited from caring for the child.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      None
      
      
2. Food Assistance
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) – The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is a monthly payment made by the military to certain members of the Armed Forces replacing the Variable Housing Allowance (VHA) and Basic Allowance for Quarters (BAQ). BAH (BAQ or VHA) is countable earned income.
         
         KEESM Section 6321 is being created with this information.
         
         
      2. Fraud Unit Referrals – KEESM section 11231 is being revised to require that a disqualification consent agreement be obtained by the prosecutor when individuals enter into diversion agreements, the prosecutor will be responsible to obtain the consent agreement.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Interview – The requirement of providing a two-hour window-of-time for a telephone interview is being added to 9332. That verbiage was added to 1412.4 when the policy was implemented but was not included in 9332.
         
         
      2. Alcohol and Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers And Group Homes- KEESM sections 2541 and 2542 are being revised to state that KDADS Behavioral Health Services Licenses all substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation programs and Group Homes in Kansas.

FORMS

None

APPENDIX

1. Child Care
   
   F-1, Monthly Family Income and Family Share Deduction Schedule: This is being updated based on May 2014 poverty level amounts.
   
   
2. Food Assistance
   
   
   1. B-1, Food Assistance Disqualification Consent Agreement
      
      
   2. X-6, Definitions of Common Terms: This item is being modified to indicate that individuals considered 1619b are also considered disabled for food assistance purposes but are not considered categorically eligible for food assistance

MISCELLANEOUS FORMS

None

EFFECTIVE DATE

Polices for this revision are effective May 1, 2014.

EFFECT ON LOCAL STAFF

The medical changes contained in this revision will likely result in a slight increase in staff effort to incorporate the new poverty level changes.

MATERIALS OBSOLETED BY THIS REVISION

None

COORDINATION EFFORTS

This change was coordinated with staff in Economic and Employment Services, Executive Leadership, and the EES Program Administrators.

Sincerely,
Jaime Rogers, EES Director
Economic and Employment Services
JR:am