Rule 18-17-3.2 - Eligibility Guidelines by Priority GroupThe Eligibility Guidelines for Priority Group are:
A. TANF and TCC clients:1) Not required to complete a Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) application form.2) Eligibility for CCPP is determined by the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) full or part-time care.3) Must meet TANF/TCC eligibility requirements.4) Receive a certificate based on the referral date entered by the MDHS TANF/TCC Case Manager5) Parent is required to comply with all of the requirements for the TANF/TCC program in order to remain eligible for child care assistance beyond the 12-month eligibility period.B. Homeless clients:1) Not required to complete a CCPP application form. These clients may apply or be referred by an approved agency serving homeless families.2) Eligibility for CCPP shall be determined by MDHS and/or an approved agency serving homeless families.3) Must meet the definition of homeless as defined by McKinney Vento Act.4) Homeless clients shall receive a certificate based on the referral date entered by the referring agent/case manager, or the application approval date as appropriate.5) Homeless children who receive child care payment assistance shall be granted a 24hour grace period from the date of admission into a child care payment-approved program to obtain the necessary immunization records. Payment for these children during the grace period shall not be considered an error or an improper payment. The timeframe for immunizations is established by the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH).C. Children meeting the definition of Protective Services 1) Not required to complete a CCPP application form.2) Eligible for child care services without regard to income of the guardian.3) Children in custody or supervision of MDCPS shall receive funding based on the referral date entered by the case manager.4) Children may qualify under this definition due to declared emergency conditions and shall receive funding based on the application approval date.5) Children in foster care who receive child care payment assistance shall be granted a 24-hour grace period from the date of admission into a child care payment-approved program to obtain the necessary immunization records. Payment for these children during the grace period shall not be considered an error or an improper payment. The timeframe for immunizations is established by the MSDH for the enforcement of health, safety, and welfare.D. Teen parent1) Must complete a CCPP application. The teen parent must make the application in his/her own name as a family unit separate from his/her parent.2) Must be enrolled full-time in high school or attending a full-time educational program.3) If the teen parent is living with his/her parent(s), the parent(s) of the teen must meet the work requirement or be enrolled full-time in an educational/training program; however, income of the parent(s) of the teen parent should not be counted.4) If the parent of the teen meets the special needs requirement (as described in Chapter 5: Parent Eligibility Requirements), the work requirement is waived.5) If the teen parent has been legally emancipated from his/her parent(s), the teen parent must meet the work requirement or be enrolled full-time in an educational/training program.E. Special Needs Populations:1) Parent(s) with a documented disabilitya. Must complete a CCPP application form.b. Must meet the SSI definition of disability by being unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.c. Spouse must meet the twenty-five (25) hour per week work requirement.d. Current documentation of SSI benefits is necessary to determine priority eligibility for child care.2) Children with documented special needs a. Must complete a CCPP application form.b. The parent(s) must be working at least twenty-five (25) hours per week or be enrolled full-time in an educational program or engaged in an approved job training program; or a combination of both.c. Must be at or below 85% of the SMI.F. Children of parents who are deployed by a branch of the United States Armed Services1) Must complete a CCPP application form.2) Must meet the twenty-five (25) hours per week work requirement, unless they are 65 years of age or provide proof that they have retired from full-time employment.3) If the child(ren) is/are transferred to a different household during deployment, the temporary responsible guardian's income shall not be counted. 4) Must be at or below the 85% of the SMI. G. Very Low-Income1) Must complete a CCPP application form.2) The parent(s) must be working at least twenty-five (25) hours per week or be enrolled full-time in an educational program or engaged in an approved job training program; or a combination of both.3) Must be at or below50% of the SMI. H. Low-Income * Must complete a CCPP application form.
* The parent(s) must be working at least twenty-five (25) hours per week or be enrolled full-time in an educational program or engaged in an approved job training program; or a combination of both.
* Income must be above 50% or below 85% of the SMI.
45 CFR 98.46; Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-2(4); Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-4 Revised: May 2023