Section He-C 6910.10 - Eligibility Determination and Length of Time(a) When an application has been made in accordance with He-C 6910.04 and all required verification has been submitted as described in He-C 6910.09, the District Office staff shall make a determination of eligibility for child care scholarship.(b) If at the time of the initial application interview all required verifications have not been submitted, the district office staff shall give the applicant notification of all outstanding verification(s).(c) The notification in (b) above shall state that the applicant shall submit the required verification(s) to the district office staff within 10 calendar days of the date of the notification, or the application shall be denied.(d) An eligibility determination for child care scholarship shall be made: (1) Within 30 calendar days of the date of application; or(2) Within 7 calendar days of the date of application for expedited child care as set forth in He-C 6910.05.(e) Eligibility for an expedited child care scholarship shall terminate 30 days after the date of application. If the applicant is determined eligible for child care scholarship, the expedited period of time shall be applied toward the 12-month period of eligibility.(f) The application date or the child care provider link date, whichever is later, shall be used to determine the: (1) Twelve- month eligibility certification period; and(2) Effective date of payment for child care.(g) Non-financial eligibility for child care scholarship shall be determined as follows: (1) Determine the composition of the assistance group which shall include all of the following individuals residing in the same dwelling: a. All children under 18 years of age who have a biological, foster, step, or adoptive relationship; b. All children up to the age of 20 who have a biological, foster, step, or adoptive relationship if they are attending primary or secondary school or equivalent pursuant to RSA 167:80, IV(b); andc. Any adult who has a biological, foster, step, adoptive, caretaker relative, or legal guardianship relationship to any child in a. above;(2) Determine if the applicant is either: a. Engaged in one of the activities listed in He-C 6910. 07(f); orb. Meets the criteria for a parent with a disability as described in He-C 6910.09(k); (3) Determine that both parents are engaged in at least one of the activities described in He-C 6910.07(f), if living together and are in the same assistance group; and (4) Determine, if the applicant if a NHEP participant, that he or she is eligible under He-C 6910.08.(h) Financial eligibility for child care scholarship shall be determined by the district office pursuant to He-C 6910.06(a) as follows: (1) Determine the family size, which shall be the same number as members in the assistance group; (2) Calculate the monthly gross income of the assistance group by adding together all assistance group members' monthly gross earned and unearned income, except for: a. Income specifically excluded in He-C 6910.06(c); andb. Self-employment income, which shall be added as net income as described in He-C 6910.06(d); and (3) Compare the result obtained in (2) above, using the appropriate family size as determined in (1) above, to the monthly gross income amount described in He-C 6910.06(b) as follows: a. If the assistance group's total monthly gross income does not exceed the monthly gross income amount described in He-C 6910.06(b), then the family shall be determined financially eligible for child care scholarship; orb. If the assistance group's total monthly gross income does exceed the monthly gross income amount described in He-C 6910.06(b) for the appropriate family size, the family shall be determined not financially eligible for child care scholarship and the application shall be denied.(i) If the assistance group meets the non-financial and financial requirements described in (g) and (h) above and He-C 6910.06 and He-C 6910.07, then the application shall be approved and the family shall be eligible for child care scholarship.(j) Notification shall be mailed to the applicant as described in He-C 6910.12 as soon as an eligibility child care determination is made, but no later than 30 days from the date of the application.(k) The eligibility period for child care scholarship shall begin as described in (f) above and was received at the district office in paper form, via telephone, e-mail, or through NH Easy-Gateway to Services, NH's online benefit application and management system at https://nheasy.nh.gov/#/, if the family was determined eligible;(l) Notification shall be mailed to the applicant as described in He-C 6910.12 as soon as an expedited child care eligibility determination is made, but no later than 7 days from the date of the application.(m) The eligibility period for child care scholarship shall not exceed 12-months. (n) A parent shall receive up to 92 calendar days of job search when a parent is job searching due to a permanent job loss, cessation of training program, or educational program or stops participating in a mental health or substance misuse treatment program. If the parent does not engage in one of the activities in He-C 6910.07(f)(1), (3), (4),(5), or (6) child care shall close at the end of 92 calendar days.(o) A parent shall be considered employed, in a training or educational program, or participating in a mental health or substance misuse treatment program during the current 12- month eligibility period as long as the parent(s) is: (1) On a medical leave due to his or her own health or caring for the other parent of the common child living in the household or another child living in the household;(2) Experiencing a seasonal break in employment according to regular industry work seasons;(3) On a student holiday or break from a training or educational activity; or(4) Experiencing any other reduction in work, training or education hours as long as the parent(s) is still working or attending a training or educational program.(p) For expedited child care, the eligibility period shall: (1) Continue if verification is provided within 30 calendar days and eligibility is determined; or(2) Terminate on day 30 if verification is not provided within 30 calendar days.(q) A child shall be excluded from the payment for child care scholarship if he or she does not meet any one of the following: (1) The citizenship criteria of He-C 6910.09(c);(2) The age criteria of He-C 6910.07(b)(3)(c);(3) A child experiencing a verified disability or significant special need criteria of He-C 6910.07(e); or(4) No payment was made on the child's behalf for child care services rendered in the previous 60 days. (r) The family shall have 30 days from the date in (j) above to arrange for child care with an enrolled provider and complete and return a Form1863, titled "Child Care Provider Verification," (April 2020) pursuant to He-C 6914.(s) If the family fails to comply with (r) above, child care eligibility shall be terminated except when DHHS has authorized one 30-day extension for one of the following circumstances: (1) The family is unable to find child care within 30 days with assistance from a child care resource and referral agency(2) The parent or child has an in-patient hospital stay during the 30-day period; (3) The information or data contained in Form 1863 was incorrect or no data has been entered by DHHS establishing a child care link;(4) There was an error made in determining child care eligibility; or(5) The family's chosen child care provider has completed the enrollment requirements in accordance with He-C 6914.04 within 30 days, but the provider enrollment determination has not been made according to He-C 6914.04.(t) Prior to the end of the eligibility period, the family shall request a redetermination of eligibility in accordance with He-C 6910.15 in order to continue to receive child care scholarship.(u) If the parent is no longer participating in any combination of He-C 6910.07(f)(1)-(6), the parent shall be granted continued assistance for up to 92 calendar days. Child care shall terminate if the parent does not reengage in He-C 6910.07(f)(1)-(6).(v) Continued assistance shall be granted only when employment, training, educational program, or mental health or substance misuse treatment program is terminated. N.H. Code Admin. R. He-C 6910.10
#7357, eff 9-1-00; ss by #7723, eff 7-1-02; (See Revision Note at part heading for He-C 6910) #9474, eff 6-29-09; amd by #9770-A, eff 8-25-10; ss by #10120, eff 5-7-12
Amended by Volume XXXVII Number 28, Filed July 13, 2017, Proposed by #12221, Effective 7/10/2017, 7/10/2027.Amended by Volume XL Number 27, Filed July 9, 2020, Proposed by #13063, Effective 7/1/2020, Expires 7/1/2030