Authorize no more than 120 hours per child every biweekly period.

Employment

Employment requirements for families with Employment Plans

If a MFIP or DWP family has an approved Employment Plan with an employment activity, authorize the number of hours needed for the employment activity or for support of the employment activity, as indicated by the job counselor. The number of hours authorized for each child should be the number of hours that care is needed to support the parental authorized activities, excluding the hours that the child does not need child care or the hours that the provider is unavailable. The child may not need child care due to the child being in school.

Employment requirements outside of an Employment Plan

BSF, TY, TYE and MFIP or DWP participants without an approved Employment Plan must meet minimum work requirements at application, redetermination and the end of job search outside of an Employment Plan to receive child care during employment hours. See Chapter 4.6 (CCAP Authorized Activities). When a participant has multiple employment activities, the hours worked at the different employment activities may be combined to meet the 20 hours per week at the applicable minimum wage requirement. See Chapter 4.6.6.15 (Applicable Minimum Wage).

Work with the participant to determine a length of time, not to exceed six months, over which the number of hours worked weekly can be averaged to determine if the participant meets the requirement to work an average of 20 hours per week at the applicable minimum wage at application, redetermination and the end of job search outside of an Employment Plan.

Note: A caregiver that receives an MFIP Child Only Grant and has a verified mental health diagnosis does not need to meet minimum work requirements at application, during the 12-month eligibility period, or at redetermination. See Chapter 9.1.17 (Authorizing Care – Mental Health Support for MFIP Child Only Families) for information on how to authorize care to support mental health and employment activities.

Determining employment hours to authorize

The number of hours authorized for each child should be the number of hours that care is needed to support the parental authorized activities, excluding the hours that the child does not need child care or the hours that the provider is unavailable.

When the participant works for an hourly wage, child care should be authorized for the number of hours scheduled to be worked, including break and mealtime during the employment, and up to two hours per day for travel time, taking into consideration child school schedule and provider availability.

When the participant does not work for an hourly wage, authorize child care (considering child school schedule and provider availability) for the LESSER of:

· The number of hours spent in the employment activity, plus meal/break time and up to two hours per day for travel time,

OR

· The number of hours determined by dividing the annual gross earned income from the employment activity by 52 weeks and then by the applicable minimum wage, plus up to one hour per eight hours worked for meals/breaks, and up to two hours per day for travel time.

Students and employment

Students are not required to work.

· If a full-time student who does NOT have an approved MFIP/DWP Employment Plan chooses to work and requests child care assistance during their employment time, they are required to work an average 10 hours per week at the applicable minimum wage at application, redetermination and the end of job search outside of an Employment Plan. Authorize care for employment if requirements are met.

· If a part-time student who does NOT have an approved MFIP/DWP Employment Plan chooses to work and requests child care assistance during their employment time, they are required to work an average 20 hours per week at the applicable minimum wage at application, redetermination and the end of job search outside of an Employment Plan. Authorize care for employment if requirements are met.

If a student is approved for child care assistance for education only and starts working during the 12-month eligibility period, the student does not need to meet the minimum work requirements until redetermination. Authorize care for employment once verification of the work schedule is submitted showing a need for more hours of care.

NOTE: Because schools have differing definitions of full-time and part-time students, rely on the terminology of the specific school for determination. If you have questions about a student’s status, contact the school or ask the student to do so for more information.

There is no minimum number of credits that a student must have to be considered part-time. A part-time student is anything less than full-time.

Work study must be counted as employment.

Child care in support of employment

For participants that do NOT have an approved MFIP/DWP Employment Plan, authorize child care assistance in support of employment, such as for sleep time, for non-work hours if necessary if the following conditions are met:

· The child care in support of employment or in combination with the employment activity does not exceed the amount of child care that would normally be granted for child care during employment.

· The family meets all eligibility requirements.

· The employed person cannot reasonably modify the non-work schedule to provide child care.

Legal authority

Minnesota Statutes 142E.12
Minnesota Rules 3400.0040, subps. 8, 9 and 11
Minnesota Rules 3400.0110, subp. 3