Section 218-RICR-20-00-13.4 - Applying for Child Care Assistance for Child Care Educators and Staff Pilot13.4.1ApplicationA. The application for the CCAP for Child Care Educators and Staff pilot consists of the required application which is separate and apart from other DHS programs, verification of certain eligibility criteria, and the need for services. Families seeking eligibility for the CCAP shall apply to the DHS in accordance with the following: 1. Point of Application b. Applications will be accepted through the last day of the pilot program, as specified in R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-5.2-20 (k).2. Application Packeta. The completed application form signed by the applicant (in a two (2) parent home both parents must sign the application), along with the documentation required to verify eligibility and the need for services must be submitted to the DHS to initiate a child care application.(1) Any applications that are incomplete or have incorrect information will be immediately denied. (AA) If an application is denied, the applicant is responsible for payment to the provider for any child care services provided.B. If parent who meets the requirements for the CCAP for Child Care Educators and Staff pilot is already eligible and receiving CCAP benefits, they must apply for this pilot to receive the waiver of copayment.1. Participation in this pilot has no other impact to the existing CCAP case.C. If more than one parent works for a child care program, the family can only apply for this pilot once.13.4.2Application ProcessingA. The date a signed application is date stamped as received by the DHS office, or the date an application is submitted online, is the application date.B. The application period is the period when eligibility for the CCAP is determined by the DHS staff. 1. The application period can take up to thirty (30) days.13.4.3Reporting RequirementsA. Applicant and recipient parents shall report to the DHS any changes in the information or documentation included in, or submitted in conjunction with, the CCAP for Child Care Educators and Staff pilot application related to the requirements in § 13.3 of this Part within ten (10) days from the date the change occurs. 1. The duty to report begins on the application date and remains in effect during the certification period.2. Failure to report changes in a timely manner may be grounds for denying eligibility to an applicant or discontinuing authorized services for the CCAP beneficiaries.B. Families are required to report the following: 1. Changes to income that exceed three hundred percent (300%) of the Federal Poverty Level.2. A cessation of employment as a child care educator or child care staff.3. A decrease in work hours if the average weekly hours in a four (4) week span are less than twenty (20) hours for the parent who is employed as a child care educator or staff.5. The child(ren) no longer resides in the household.6. Changes in the household composition.C. Child Care Employers are required to report to DHS any time an employee participating in the CCAP for Child Care Educators and Staff pilot ends employment at their program.13.4.4Notice Requirements: Notice of Approval, Notice of Denial, Right to Appeal and HearingA. Applicants for the CCAP for Child Care Educators and Staff pilot shall receive timely and adequate notice of the DHS eligibility determinations and the right to appeal (see § 10-00-1.7 of this Title, Complaints and Appeals Process).B. The DHS shall also provide timely and adequate notice of any adverse decisions terminating or reducing benefits. 1. All correspondence for the pilot program will be through email.a. Providers and applicants must have a valid email.C. The notice of approval can be used to enroll the eligible child with an approved CCAP provider or, if already enrolled with an approved CCAP Provider, to provide proof of pilot participation.218 R.I. Code R. 218-RICR-20-00-13.4
Adopted effective 9/26/2023
Amended effective 11/28/2023
Amended effective 8/31/2024