CCMTL 154 (Publicly Funded Child Care Change from Weekly to Monthly Eligibility)
Child Care Manual Transmittal Letter No. 154
January 19, 2021
TO: Kimberly Henderson, Director
FROM: Kimberly Henderson, Director
SUBJECT: Publicly Funded Child Care Change from Weekly to Monthly Eligibility

Background:

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has amended the following rules contained in Chapter 5101:2-16 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) to align monthly program end dates with Ohio Works First and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and to meet federal statutory requirements of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act.

These rules have been amended as ODJFS prepares to move child care eligibility determination into Ohio Benefits.  Beginning on December 12, 2020, new cases will be created with the updated eligibility period and beginning December 16, 2020, redeterminations will be created with the updated eligibility period.  Proposed terminations, including those for the thirteen-week activity gap, will now also be effective on the last day of the month.

New Policy:

The following rules and policy changes are effective January 24, 2021.

5101:2-16-01 "Definitions for Eligibility for Publicly Funded Child Care Benefits" has been amended with the following changes: 

  • Amend paragraph (J) to update the definition of "Eligibility period" to mean that the family’s eligibility period shall end on the last day of the twelfth month of eligibility.

5101:2-16-02 "Application and qualification process for receipt of publicly funded child care benefits" has been amended with the following changes: 

  • Amend paragraph (D) to clarify that after a loss of a qualifying activity, the child care eligibility will continue for at least thirteen weeks or until the end of the current eligibility period.
  • Paragraph (E) was added to clarify temporary leave from employment.
  • Removed form revision dates. The actual forms have not been updated.
  • Appendix A was updated to remove temporary leave as it was moved to paragraph (E) of this rule.

Implementation:

The child care information data system (CCIDS) has already been updated to implement this new policy.  Eligibility periods beginning on or after December 12, 2020 will end at the end of the twelfth month.  Any termination of eligibility proposed after December 12, 2020 will also now end on the last day of the month. Redeterminations beginning on or after December 16, 2020 will be created using the updated monthly eligibility period and will end at the end of the twelfth month.  Monthly eligibility will also apply to cases scheduled for redetermination where eligibility ends at the end of January 2021 prior to converting data for Ohio Benefits.

Questions:

Please contact the Child Care Policy Helpdesk at 1-877-302-2347, option 4, if you have any questions about the new policy.