Ky.gov
Effective: 12/21/2018

30.19.2 Protective Child Care Assistance

Legal Authority

Introduction

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Practice Guidance

  • ​​P & P staff are strongly encouraged to request attendance reports and information regarding any concerns the provider may have about a child(ren). 
  • An open child protective services (CPS) case is no longer a requirement for eligibility for relative or fictive kin caregivers. 
  • Child care assistance for relative or fictive kin caregivers can be reauthorized at each 12-month redetermination period for as long as the family needs child care (within the age limits that apply to all children and families) 
  • ​​​​​​​​​​Kinship/relative or fictive kin caregivers are not required to pay a copay for child care, regardless of income.

Procedure

​​The SSW:
  1. Requests FSOS approval for protective child care assistance when: 
    1. Child care is an appropriate service to meet the needs of the child(ren); and 
    2. A child protective service case is opened due to a substantiation of abuse, neglect and/or dependency; 
  2. Requests FSOS approval for protective child care assistance by providing the FSOS a detailed statement in the “Justification” section of the DCC-85 Approval for Child Care Assistance that child care is needed based on an assessed need specifying in detail how child care services will prevent further child abuse, neglect and/or dependency (i.e. how child care will assist in addressing any immediate safety issues); 
  3. Refer relative or fictive kin caregivers to the kinship support hotline at (877) 565-5608 or DCBSChildProtection@ky.gov for child care services; 
  4. Files the request in the family’s case record; 
  5. May request child care assistance for other children in the family, not just the alleged victim of abuse, neglect or dependency; 
  6. Documents in TWIST all children in the family receiving child care assistance; 
  7. Completes the DCC-85-Approval for Child Care Assistance (form instructions) in its entirety and submits it for FSOS signature once the FSOS verbally approves the request; 
  8. Must check “Protective” as the reason for authorization and list start date; 
  9. May specify the type of care (licensed center, certified provider, registered provider) and waive the parental co-pay upon approval by the FSOS, when necessary; 
  10. Along with the FSOS, uses the Daily Co-Payment Chart to determine the appropriate co-pay, listing the co-pay amount on the DCC-85 below the “Waive Parental Co-pay: Y/N No;” 
    1. Relative or fictive kin caregivers are not required to pay a co-pay for child care, regardless of income; 
  11. Uses the “Justification” section of the DCC-85 to record any additional extenuating circumstances such as: 
    1. Required notification of absences (if requested by the Protection and Permanency (P&P) worker);
    2. Required use of child care if specified on a case plan; 
    3. Restrictions on choice of the child care provider; 
    4. Schedules that may require the use of multiple child care providers; 
    5. Special needs of the child etc.; 
  12. Sends a copy of the DCC-85 to the Division of Child Care agency for processing; 
  13. Provides the family with the DCC-112 Selecting Quality Child Care for My Child; 
  14. Advises the family that the child care assistance is time limited, subject to redetermination based on the case circumstances and is documented in service recordings; 
  15. Files a copy of the DCC-85 in the family’s case record; 
  16. Documents in the case plan the need for child care services to prevent abuse, neglect and/or dependency; 
  17. Reports child care changes to the Division of Child Care by sending an email to DCC85@ky.gov;
  18. Notifies DCC that the case is closed/closing and that protective child care assistance is to remain intact until the end date as specified on the DCC-85, when a CPS case is closed prior to the termination date of the approved protective child care assistance; 
  19. Completes the following tasks when protective child care assistance is terminated: 
    1. Notifies the family in writing that protective child care assistance is terminated using the DPP-154A Notice of Intended Action; 
    2. Provides the family a copy of the DPP-154 Protection and Permanency Service Appeal; and 
  20. Informs the family of their right to make a service appeal following procedures outlined in SOP 30.1 Service Appeals if child care assistance is denied initially or during redetermination.​

The FSOS:
  1. States in the “Justification” section of the DCC-85 reasons for the decision to “Waive Parental Co-Pay (and enrollment fees) Y/N Yes” when this has been approved, Co-payments should NOT be automatically waived.

Documents

Revisions