Applicant general requirements

To receive child care assistance, the applicant must be a Parentally Responsible Individual of the child(ren) for whom assistance is requested.

The relationship of the child(ren) to the applicant must be verified.

Applicants who are eligible

Parentally Responsible Individuals include:

· Parents (biological and adoptive)

· Step-parents

· Legal spouses of Parentally Responsible Individuals

· Legal guardians

· Eligible relative caregivers

· Relative custodians who accepted a transfer of permanent legal and physical custody (TPLPC)

· Successor custodians or Successor guardians

· Foster parents

Legal guardians

Legal guardian means a person who has been appointed or accepted as guardian by a court of jurisdiction or Tribal law according to Minnesota Statutes section 260C.325, 524.5-201, 524.5-202, or 524.5-204.

Request verification from the family to confirm that they meet the specific legal guardian definition for the Child Care Assistance Program.

Eligible relative caregivers

Eligible relative caregiver means (1) an eligible caregiver of a child receiving a Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) child-only grant or (2) an eligible caregiver who is receiving an MFIP or DWP grant and is the MFIP or DWP eligible caregiver of a child. A person’s status as an eligible relative caregiver for child care assistance is determined by being determined an eligible caregiver for cash assistance.

· After an eligible relative caregiver begins receiving child care assistance, status as an eligible relative caregiver continues through all child care assistance sub-programs until there is a break in the eligible relative caregiver's eligibility for child care assistance. Eligibility for child care assistance continues even when eligible relative caregiver status ends with cash assistance.

· If there is a break in child care assistance eligibility and the caregiver reapplies for child care assistance, the caregiver must have eligible relative caregiver status with cash assistance or meet another definition of Parentally Responsible Individual at the time of reapplication in order to be eligible for child care assistance for a relative child.

· If a child’s parent moves into the household while an eligible relative caregiver is receiving child care assistance for the child, the eligible relative caregiver retains eligibility through the remainder of their 12-month eligibility period. The child’s parent is not included in the eligible relative caregiver’s CCAP case. At redetermination eligible relative caregiver status ends and eligibility for the child ends due to the parent being in the home. The parent can apply for child care assistance for the child while the eligible relative caregiver retains eligibility for the child. If the parent requests child care assistance for the child before eligibility of the eligible relative caregiver ends, the department recommends suspending the service authorization on the eligible relative caregiver’s case to ensure that duplicate payments are not made.

Examples of eligible relative caregivers include:

· Aunt who is the caregiver of a child receiving an MFIP child-only grant

· Uncle receiving MFIP who is the caregiver of a child who receives SSI (child is excluded from the MFIP grant due to receiving SSI)

· Person receiving MFIP for their children and their nephew

· Grandparent receiving MFIP who is the caregiver of a child who receives Kinship Assistance (child is excluded from the MFIP grant due to receiving Kinship Assistance).

Relative custodian

Relative custodian means a person(s) who accepted a transfer of permanent legal and physical custody under Minnesota Statutes section 260C.515, Subd. 4 or similar permanency disposition in Tribal code.

Note: The family is responsible to report that they are receiving CCAP to their Northstar Kinship Assistance worker. It is recommended to add the following comment on an Eligibility Notice or send a memo to the family if the family reports receiving income from this source: “You must report receiving child care assistance if you receive payments from Northstar Kinship Assistance. Email adoption.assistance@state.mn.us.”

Successor custodian or Successor guardian

Successor custodian or successor guardians mean a person(s) that is named to replace a relative custodian upon death and named in the Northstar Kinship Assistance benefit agreement under Minnesota Statutes section 256N.22, subd. 10.

Note: The family is responsible to report that they are receiving CCAP to their Northstar Kinship Assistance worker. It is recommended to add the following comment on an Eligibility Notice or send a memo to the family if the family reports receiving income from this source: “You must report receiving child care assistance if you receive payments from Northstar Kinship Assistance. Email adoption.assistance@state.mn.us.”

Foster parent

Foster parent means an individual licensed to provide foster care to a child placed in a family foster home under Minnesota Statutes section 260C.007, subd. 16b or an unlicensed individual that cares for a child placed in their care through an unlicensed emergency relative placement order under Minnesota Statutes section 142B.06.

Note: The family is responsible to report that they are receiving CCAP to their foster care maintenance worker. It is recommended to add the following comment on an Eligibility Notice or send a memo to the family if the family reports receiving income from this source: “You must report receiving child care assistance if you receive payments from foster care maintenance. Notify child’s Tribal or county case manager.”

Applicants who are not eligible

Applicants who are not Parentally Responsible Individuals for a child(ren) are not eligible to receive child care assistance for that child(ren).

Custody arrangements

Legal and physical custody of a child does not, in itself, meet the applicant requirements for child care assistance.

A person with legal and/or physical custody of a child may be eligible for the program if the person is a Parentally Responsible Individual to the child.

Other caregivers

A person with a notarized Delegation of Power by Parent does not meet the definition of legal guardian and cannot receive child care assistance for the child.

Legal authority

Minnesota Statutes 119B.011, subd. 13
Minnesota Statutes 119B.011, subd. 2
Minnesota Rule 3400.0020, subps. 20, 31b, and 34b