10- 144 C.M.R. ch. 610, § 6
Funds from this program are limited. Every effort will be made to provide payments for all eligible persons who apply. Anticipate costs will be monitored, however, and, once funds are encumbered, future eligible applicants will be place on waiting lists. As funds become available, individuals will be served from the waiting list based on date of application. Persons already being served in the program will continue to receive services until they become ineligible as long as funds for the program are available. In situations in which funding is limited, individuals will be offered time limited vouchers or slots.
Applications for the MARCC Program are available at Voucher Management Agencies. Al applications will be processed for eligibility by a MARCC worker located in Augusta. This will be done electronically. It will not be necessary for MARCC program applicants or participants to appear at a DHS office for application or review.
Eligibility will be determined for up to a six-month period. At the end of the six-month period, continued eligibility will be reviewed. Eligibility will be determined from the date that all eligibility factors are met, and there is a provider agreement in force.
Factors that would shorten the six month eligibility period include anticipated changes in income, the age of the child covered under the MARCC Program, working hours, or an inability to project income with any confidence (due to the length of time employed or other factors), or changes in family composition.
If a formerly employed family member becomes employed, the family may continue to participate in the MARCC Program for a maximum of eight weeks at twenty hours per week as long as the family member is actively looking for work. A family member not already on the MARCC program, who is hired and accepts employment, may receive MARCC benefits for two weeks prior to the date of hire. Only part time vouchers or slots will be issued to persons either between jobs or accepting jobs.
All family income as well as questionable information must be verified. (An example of "questionable information" would be an instance where two parties (or families) are applying for the same child.) It is the responsibility of the applicant or individual to verify all requested information. It is the responsibility of the MARCC to assist the family to obtain any necessary information.
Any change of income by $10.00 (ten dollars) per week or more must be reported to the MARCC within ten days of its occurrence. For reporting purposes, the date of occurrence is the date the changed income is received. The MARCC must redetermine eligibility.
In cases where the intended action is to discontinue or reduce assistance, timely and adequate notice shall be given to the family.
"Timely" means that the notice shall be mailed 12 days before the intended change would be effective.
"Adequate" means a written notice which includes a statement of:
the action the Department intends to take, the reason for the intended action, the regulations supporting such action, an explanation of the rights to request a Fair Hearing, and a statement explaining that if a hearing is requested within the 10 day notice period, the intended action will not become effective until after a hearing decision is rendered but that if the agency decision is upheld, the individual is liable for repayment of overpayment.The only instances when the timely notice guarantee is dispensed with are as follows:
Factual information is received confirming the death of the applicant, child or child care provider. A written statement signed by the individual that assistance is no longer needed is received and filed in the case record. The child is not longer in the home. The individual's whereabouts are unknown and mail from the Department or Resource Development Centers mail directed to the individual has been returned indicating "no known forwarding address".10- 144 C.M.R. ch. 610, § 6