N.M. Admin. Code § 8.9.3.11

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 17, September 10, 2024

Section 8.9.3.11 - ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Clients are eligible for child care assistance benefits upon meeting the requirements for eligibility as determined by the department and federal regulation.

A. Child care staff will initiate communication at the initial determination of their eligibility period to provide outreach and consumer education with a case management approach and coordination of services to support families.

B. Eligibility period: Based upon the client meeting all eligibility requirements, a 12-month certification period will be granted.

(1) Eligibility may be granted for less than 12 months at the parent or legal guardian's request. The parent or legal guardian will, however, remain eligible for the approved 12-month eligibility period.

(2) At-risk child care may be granted for less than 12 months as determined by the department.

(3) Eligibility may be granted for up to three months for seeking employment. The eligibility may be closed if the client fails to obtain a qualifying activity within three months. The department has the discretion to extend the job search period.

(4) The client will remain eligible if a temporary change of activity occurs.

(5) If a client experiences a non-temporary change in activity, the child care placement agreement may close; however, the client will remain eligible for the approved 12-month eligibility period.

C. Income eligibility determination:

(1) The household: The household includes biological parents, stepparents, legal guardians of the child(ren) for whom child care assistance is sought, and any legal dependents of the aforementioned, living in the household, thereby constituting an economic unit. Grandparents who are not legal guardians living in the household are counted as members of the household, but their earned and unearned income is excluded from the eligibility calculations. Periods of absences: A household member may be absent from the home and will be considered as living in the home and be counted in the household composition as long as the absent household member plans to return to the home. Any parent or legal guardian who remains in the home must be working, attending school, or participating in a job training or educational program. Temporary absence may include, but are not limited to, attending school, working, training, medical or other treatment, or military service.

(2) Legal guardians who are not the parents of the child(ren) for whom child care assistance is sought, are required to qualify for child care assistance as per Paragraph (3) below and, upon qualification, have the required copayment waived.

(3) Household income: The household's gross monthly or annual average countable earned and unearned income, taking into account any fluctuation(s) of earnings, and will always be calculated in favor of eligibility as paragraphs (7) and (8) of Subsection C of 8.9.3.11 NMAC. Household income does not include any earned and unearned income received by grandparents who are not legal guardians, and any legal dependents of the biological parents, stepparents, or legal guardians of the child(ren) for whom child care assistance is sought, living in the household.

(4) Family assets: A family's assets may not exceed one million dollars.

(5) Countable earned and unearned income: The following sources of income are counted when computing a family's eligibility for assistance and for determining the copayment (if applicable): income from employment by working for others or from self-employment; alimony payments; veterans administration (VA) payments except VA payments that are specifically exempted in Paragraph (6) of Subsection C of 8.9.3.11 NMAC; workman's compensation; railroad retirement benefits; pensions; royalties; income from rental property; social security benefits except social security payments that are specifically exempted in Paragraph (6) of Subsection C of 8.9.3.11 NMAC; overtime shall be counted at ECECD's discretion if ECECD determines that the applicant is paid overtime on a regular basis.

(6) Exempt income: The types of income not counted when computing eligibility or copayments include but are not limited to: earnings of household dependents; earnings of household grandparents who are not the legal guardians of the child(ren) for whom child care assistance is sought; SNAP; TANF benefits, including diversion payments; supplemental security income (SSI); social security disability insurance (SSDI); social security benefits received by household children; any VA payments made on behalf of the child(ren); VA benefits for educational purposes or for disability; unemployment benefits; work study income; child support payments; military food and housing allowances; an increase in military salary or allowances due to "temporary national emergency status beginning September 11, 2001"; third party payments; energy assistance benefits; foster care payments; adoption subsidies; loans; child or adult nutrition programs; income tax refunds; payments for educational purposes including graduate and other educational stipends; compensation under the Domestic Volunteer Services Act and the volunteers in service to America (VISTA) program or Ameri Corps; Work Investment Act (WIA) payments made to dependent children; relocation payments; department of vocational rehabilitation (DVR) training payments; in-kind gifts; cash gifts; employer reimbursements; overtime, unless ECECD determines that the applicant is paid overtime on a regular basis; payments from special funds such as the agent orange settlement fund or radiation exposure compensation settlement fund; lump sum payments such as those resulting from insurance settlements and court judgments; Tribal per capita payments; or other resources such as savings, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), vehicles, certificates of deposits (CDs) or checking accounts. In the case of an emergency, or under extenuating circumstances, the department secretary may disregard certain temporary income, such as federal stimulus payments or hazard pay.

(7) Verification of household countable earned and unearned income: Clients applying for child care assistance benefits are required to verify household countable earned and unearned income by providing current documentation of income for biological parents, stepparents, and legal guardians of the child(ren) for whom child care assistance is sought, living in the household, who receive such income. A self-employed individual who does not show a profit that is equal to federal minimum wage times the amount of hours needed per week within 24 months from the start date of receiving child care assistance will be evaluated by the child care assistance supervisor, at which point services may be reduced or discontinued.

(8)Calculating income:

(a) Current income provided to determine eligibility shall be used as an indicator of the income that is and shall be available to the household during the certification period. Fluctuation(s) of earnings may be taken into account as specified in Paragraph (3) of Subsection C of 8.9.3.11 NMAC.

(b)Conversion factors: When income is received on a weekly, biweekly, or semimonthly basis, the income shall be converted to monthly amount as follows:

(i) Income received on a weekly basis is averaged and multiplied by four and three-tenths. Weekly income is defined as income received once per week.

(ii) Income received on a biweekly basis is averaged and multiplied by two and fifteen one-hundredths. Biweekly income is defined as income received once every two weeks. Income is received on the same day of the week each pay period, therefore receiving 26 payments per year.

(iii) Income received on a semimonthly basis is averaged and multiplied by two. Semimonthly income is defined as income received twice per month every month of the year. Income is received on specific dates of the month, therefore receiving 24 payments per year.

(iv) Income received on a monthly basis is averaged and multiplied by one. Monthly income is defined as income received once per month.

D. Residency requirement: An applicant of child care assistance and a child care provider must be a resident of the state of New Mexico. Proof of residency is required.

E. Citizenship and eligible immigration status: Any child receiving child care assistance must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States; or a qualified immigrant as defined by the United States department of health and human services, administration for children and families, office of child care.

F. Age requirement: Child care benefits are paid for children between the ages of six weeks up to the day in which the child turns 13 years old. Eligibility determinations made prior to a child turning 13 years old may be granted a 12-month eligibility period or a lesser period of time as determined by the department for at-risk child care.

G. Special supervision: Children between the ages of 13 and 18 who are under the supervision of a court of law, or who are determined by a medical or treatment professional to require supervision.

H. Work/education requirement: Child care benefits are paid only for families who are working, attending school or participating in a job training or educational program and who demonstrate a need for care during one or more of these activities. Clients who are receiving TANF are required to submit verification of the TANF approved activity unless they are exempt by TANF. The department may, in its discretion, exempt a client or applicant from the work/education requirement upon submission of a demonstration of incapacity.

I. Calculating Need for Care: The department determines the number of hours of care needed in consultation with the parent or legal guardian at the time of certification and approved hours are reflected in the child care placement agreement covering the certification period. The department determines the number of hours of care needed based on the qualifying activity of the parent or legal guardian and physical custody of the child, as applicable. Clients and caseworkers shall negotiate a reasonable amount of study and travel time, which is an individualized determination based on each client's specific needs, during the application process and special attention shall be paid to the child's specific needs. The department determines the number of hours of care needed based on a maximum weekly need and approved based on the units of service set forth below in Subsection E and F of 8.9.3.17 NMAC.

J. Children enrolled in head start, kindergarten, school or other programs: Child care benefits are not paid during the hours that children are attending head start, kindergarten, New Mexico pre-k, school or other programs, such as online or home-schooling. Child care benefits are paid during the hours that children are attending a dedicated Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships Program funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care.

N.M. Admin. Code § 8.9.3.11

Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIII, Issue 20, October 25, 2022, eff. 11/1/2022, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIV, Issue 13, July 18, 2023, eff. 8/1/2023