A parent participating in job search outside of an Employment Plan has eligibility for child care assistance at application or redetermination when all other eligibility requirements are met. Job search outside of an Employment Plan is an authorized activity only at application and redetermination. Job search is considered an authorized activity for families requesting retroactive eligibility at application. See Chapter 4.18 (Date of Eligibility).

Job search limits at application or redetermination

There is no minimum activity requirement to be eligible for job search outside of an Employment Plan at application or redetermination. Authorization for job search outside of an Employment Plan is limited to 240 hours per calendar year, and no more than 40 hours of job search can be authorized in a biweekly period. Use the application or redetermination date as the begin date for job search outside of an Employment Plan activity on the Support Activity window in MEC². Families must receive at least 12 weeks of eligibility at application or redetermination. If the family starts care after the application or redetermination date for job search reconcile the job search tracking window to ensure the family received at least 12 weeks of eligibility. See Chapter 9.1.4 (Authorizing Care – Job Search). When a parent on job search outside of an Employment Plan does not need child care to support the job search activities, suspend the case. See Chapter 8.9 (Suspending).

Job search outside of an Employment Plan CANNOT be authorized in combination with any other authorized activity outside an Employment Plan or authorized activities within an Employment Plan. See Chapter 4.6.6.12 (Combinations of Activities Examples).

Job search limits and new calendar years

Authorization for job search outside of an Employment Plan is limited to 240 hours per calendar year (not to exceed 40 hours in a biweekly period). If a parent on job search has hours available through the end of the current calendar year, they may receive up to the available 240 hours (not to exceed 40 hours in a biweekly period) in the current calendar year and continue to receive job search for another 240 hours in the next calendar year. These families will not exceed the 240 per calendar year limit in either year but will receive more than 12 weeks of eligibility. This is appropriate.

Example:

On October 1, a parent requested job search outside of an Employment Plan at redetermination for 15 hours per week. At the end of December, the parent has used less than the allowed 240 hours of job search for the current calendar year and is eligible to receive up to 240 hours in the next calendar year. The parent will continue to be eligible for continuous job search from the current calendar year into the next calendar year until 240 hours of job search are used in the next calendar year or until parent starts an eligible activity, whichever occurs first.

Requirements at the end of job search

Job search at reapplication

If a parent used job search outside of an Employment Plan and reapplies for child care assistance in the same calendar year, the family may only use job search at reapplication if all 240 hours of job search were not used with the previous application/redetermination. If fewer than 240 hours of job search remain in the calendar year, the remaining job search hours must be spread over 12 weeks. Care must be authorized at less than the standard 20 hours per week. Divide the remaining number of available job search hours by 12. The result, rounded down to the nearest whole number, is the number of hours per week that can be authorized. Explain to the family that this amount of care can be authorized

Example:

In January, an application is approved for job search. Job search set up for 20 hours per week for 12 weeks. Parent finds a job meeting minimum employment hours after using 60 hours of job search. The parent has 180 hours of job search remaining for the year. The parent ends the job three weeks later and is put on Extended Eligibility. The parent has not found a new job by the end of the Extended Eligibility period. Case closes.

In August, the parent reapplies with a new application requesting job search. The parent has 180 hours of job search left this calendar year. The application gets approved because job search is an eligible activity at application. However, the Service Authorization cannot end earlier than 12 weeks. There are not enough job search hours available to authorize job search at the standard 20 hours per week. The authorized hours for job search the parent would be eligible for at the re-application would be 180 hours/12 weeks = 15 hours per week. The Service Authorization could be approved for 30 hours biweekly. If the parent requests fewer than 30 hours biweekly, the requested amount would be approved.

Legal authority

Minnesota Statutes 142E.12, subd. 1
Minnesota Rules 3400.0040, subp. 15a
Minnesota Rules 3400.0183, subp. 2