Sec.17b-749-19. Changes in eligibility or benefits

(a) Reporting and Processing Changes

(1) Parents shall report changes in household circumstances and child care arrangements to the CCAP administrator within ten days of the date of the change. Changes may be reported by phone, in writing, or electronically as authorized by the department.

(2) Program and payment eligibility shall continue in accordance with the requirements of this section. Families shall remain eligible until the parent withdraws from the program or until the family no longer meets the eligibility requirements of the CCAP program. Providers shall remain eligible as long as they meet the requirements of section 17b-749-12 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(3) Changes in eligibility or benefits shall be processed in accordance with the requirements of this section and sections 17b-749-02 to 17b-749-23 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, inclusive. Prompt action shall be taken to determine the effect of a change whenever the CCAP administrator becomes aware that a change has occurred. To be considered prompt, action shall be taken within ten days of the date of the CCAP administrator becomes aware of the change in circumstances.

(b) Termination of Program Eligibility

(1) Eligibility for the program shall end if the family no longer meets the CCAP eligibility requirements, if eligibility cannot be established because the parent did not provide requested information or if the parent did not comply with the eligibility or quality control processes. Eligibility for the program shall end on the last day of the month in which the change occurs, unless advance notice is required pursuant to subsection (c) of section 17b-749-07 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. If advance notice is required, program eligibility shall end on the last day of the month in which the notice of adverse action expires.

(2) Families who were granted assistance without an approved provider shall become ineligible for CCAP if they do not submit the information needed to determine payment eligibility for at least one child within thirty days pursuant to the requirements of subdivision (c)(4) of section 17b-749-09 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Eligibility shall end at the end of the month in which the thirtieth day falls.

(c) Determinations of Provider Ineligibility by the Department

(1) Eligibility for payment shall end if the department determines that the child care provider does not meet the requirements specified in section 17b-749-12 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Eligibility for payment shall terminate on the date the parent and provider are notified of the change. Any outstanding payments to the provider may be withheld pursuant to subdivision (c)(4) of section 17b-749-12 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(2) A provider shall be considered ineligible as of the date the provider did not meet the eligibility requirements established for providers. Payments issued during a period when the provider was ineligible shall be considered overpayments and shall be subject to recoupment pursuant to the requirements of section 17b-749-20 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(3) Parents shall be given thirty days from the date of notification to submit a child care agreement form for the new provider. Payment for the new provider may begin retroactive to the date the services started if the information needed to enroll the provider is submitted timely. If the information is not submitted timely, payment shall begin on the date the information is submitted or the date the services begin, whichever is later. Eligibility for the program shall end on the last day of the month in which the thirtieth day falls if the child care agreement form is not submitted by the end of that month and there are no other children in the family who are eligible for payment.

(d) Decreasing Benefits or Terminating Payments

(1) Changes that cause payments to be reduced or terminated shall take effect on the following dates, unless otherwise specified in this section:

(A) the date the action is taken if advance notice is not required; or

(B) the day after the notice of adverse action expires if advance notice is required; or

(C) within ten days of the date of an administrative hearing decision if action was delayed pending the hearing, and the department's decision is upheld.

(2) Increased fees shall take effective on the first day of the family's next redetermination period pursuant to subsection (f) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(3) If benefits are terminated because a child reaches the maximum age limit for the program, payments shall end on last day of the month in which the child turns age thirteen, or age nineteen for a child with special needs. Eligibility shall continue for the family unless there are no other eligible children in the home.

(e) Adding Children and Increasing Payments

(1) With the exception of benefit increases that are due to a reduction in the family fee, changes that result in increased payments or payment eligibility for a new child shall take effect on the date the change is reported if the change is verified timely. If the change is not verified timely, the change shall take effect on the date the change is verified unless good cause exists for not providing timely verification pursuant to subsection (e) of section 17b-749-06 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The parent shall not be eligible for a supplemental payment to replace any benefits that would otherwise have been paid if the parent had submitted the verification timely.

(2) Decreases in fees shall be implemented in accordance with the requirements of subsection (f) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(f) Changing Providers

(1) Parents may change providers at any time. The certificate of payment for the current provider shall expire on the date services ended or the date the CCAP administrator issues written notice to the provider if the change is reported after services ended. Payments for the new provider shall not begin prior to the date the current certificate of payment expires. To avoid a lapse in coverage, parents shall report changes in providers to the CCAP administrator at least ten days in advance of the date of the change.

(2) Parents who change providers shall be given fifteen days to submit a child care agreement form for the new provider. Eligibility shall terminate at the end of the month in which the fifteenth day falls if the child care agreement form is not submitted by the end of that month and there are no other children in the family who are eligible for payment. If the child care agreement form is submitted late but before eligibility is terminated, the change shall be effective on the date the form is submitted or the date services began, whichever is later. Good cause provisions shall not apply. If eligibility is terminated, the parent shall reapply for the program.

(g) Extended Program or Payment Eligibility

(1) Otherwise eligible families who timely report the loss or interruption of employment, an employment services activity or attendance in a high school program shall, upon request, be granted an extended period of program eligibility pursuant to the requirements of this subsection. To qualify, the parent shall report the change to the CCAP administrator within ten days of the date of the interruption without exception. Eligibility for payments during the extended eligibility period shall be determined separately in accordance with the requirements of subdivision (6) of this subsection.

(2) If employment is terminated or unpaid leave is taken due to pregnancy, an additional four months of program eligibility shall be granted if the parent intends to return to work by the end of the four month period.

(3) If employment is terminated or leave is taken due to an extended illness or other circumstances covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act, an additional three months of program eligibility shall be granted if the parent intends to return to work on a regular basis by the end of the three month period.

(4) If the activity is interrupted when school closes for the summer vacation, an extended period of program eligibility shall be granted to cover the period of time school is closed.

(5) In all other circumstances where a parent timely reports a temporary interruption in employment or an employment services activity, an additional month of program eligibility shall be granted under the following conditions:

(A) if the parent is expected to resume the activity by the end of the month following the month in which the interruption occurred; or

(B) if the parent terminated employment and is actively seeking a new job or has received a bona fide offer of employment that is scheduled to begin by the end of the month following the month in which the prior activity ended; or

(C) if the parent is expected to begin a new employment services activity by the end of the month following the month in which the current activity ended and the parent continues to receive TFA cash assistance during this period; and

(D) if the parent is capable of participating in the activity.

(6) Parents who meet the conditions specified in subdivision (5) of this subsection shall be eligible for payments during the period of extended eligibility if the parent verifies that payment is needed to prevent the loss of a slot in a school-based child care program or a licensed child care setting and the child continues to attend child care. Payments shall not be approved for families granted extended program eligibility pursuant to subdivisions (2) through (4) of this subsection, if the child does not attend care, or if care is given in a setting that is not school-based or licensed.

(7) Otherwise eligible families who timely report the loss of the need for care during the summer while their children attend temporary no cost alternative child care, such as a summer camp, shall remain eligible for the program for up to three calendar months if assistance will be needed by the end of the summer period.

(h) Changes during Extended School Vacations or Affecting the General Caseload

The department may establish special procedures for processing changes that occur as the result of school vacation periods or other changes that affect the general caseload, including specific reporting deadlines, timeframes for processing changes and issuing payments. The CCAP administrator shall provide adequate notice to parents and providers of any actions they are required to complete under this subsection.

(Adopted effective July 10, 2001)