Family eligibility is based on a variety of needs determined by state and federal regulations and local priorities. Eligible families are low income, are also working, seeking employment, enrolled in education or job training programs, homeless or medically incapacitated. Child Protective Services may also refer children.
Eligible families who are certified for the Alternative Payment Program (APP) may choose Child Care of their choice with a licensed Child Care center or Family Child Care home, or with an unlicensed adult such as a relative, friend or neighbor who will care for the parent’s children only. Or, eligible families may be enrolled by a specific Child Care center.
In APP all Child Care providers must complete an approval process with the appropriate Alternative Payment Program (APP) agency and receive a provider agreement before they can receive reimbursement for children in their care. Children in the same family can have different Child Care providers. Parents can change Child Care arrangements with prior approval by the Case Worker. Depending on the parents’ needs, children can receive services full-time or part-time, as well as in the evening, overnight or on weekends. This program does NOT reimburse private school tuition for children attending kindergarten or elementary school. Only before-and-after school childcare, as well as full-time during off-track, summer or holiday periods can be reimbursed.
In a Head Start or center-based program, your child will be enrolled in a specific center; in some cases the child must be three or four years old. When your name is next on the Children's Resouce & Referral Eligibility Waiting List, the agency will explain which of these programs you are being enrolled in.
"We cannot tell you how long you’ll have to wait on the Children's Resouce & Referral Eligibility Waiting List. When a person applies his/her name gets placed on a computerized waiting list. New families are enrolled when funding becomes available. This happens when families leave the program or when the agency receives new funds to expand the program. When we have openings (funding/money) available, the funding source requires us to enroll families starting with those with the lowest income.
Each applicant is responsible for keeping his or her application current. Failure to update will cause the family to be dropped from the Children's Resouce & Referral Eligibility Waiting List. You may call to update your information or to request an application whenever there’s a change in any of the following: Name, Address, Phone Number, Income, Marital Status, Family Size, Employment/Education.
You will be notified by phone or mail when funding becomes available. At that time your income, family size, and other information will be verified to assure that your family falls within the income rank we are currently enrolling. You will be asked to provide written documentation of your income; employment, school enrollment, and other information needed to determine eligibility for Child Care services. If we determine that your actual rank income puts your family higher than the ranks we are presently enrolling, your application will be returned to the Children's Resouce & Referral Eligibility Waiting List. You must have documented need for Child Care because you are working, seeking work, or attending school or training for all of the programs except for Head Start and State Preschool. If you do not have a valid need for Child Care at the time you are notified of enrollment, your application will be returned to the Children's Resouce & Referral Eligibility Waiting List unless you are being contacted by Head Start.
