Minnesota Minnesota

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Policy Manual

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Policy Manual


1 CCAP Manual Table of Contents

ISSUE DATE: 03/2026

Table of Contents

Updates and Archives

CCAP Guides and Tip Sheets

1 Table of Contents

2 Glossary

3 Applications

3.3 Assistance Requests

3.6 Accepting Applications

3.7 Processing Applications

3.7.1 Processing Applications from Families Experiencing Homelessness

3.7.4 Changes During the Application Processing Period

3.7.7 Authorized Activity at Application

3.9 Combined Application Child Care Addendum

4 Eligibility Requirements

4.1 Applicant Requirements

4.3 CCAP Subprograms

4.3.3 MFIP

4.3.3.3 MFIP Overview

4.3.3.5 Mental Health Support for MFIP Child Only Families

4.3.3.6 MFIP Special Circumstances

4.3.3.9 MFIP Sanctions

4.3.6 Transition Year (TY)

4.3.9 Transition Year Extension (TYE)

4.3.12 Basic Sliding Fee (BSF)

4.3.12.9 BSF Priorities

4.3.12.12 BSF Waiting List Management

4.3.12.15 BSF Portability Pool

4.3.15 MFIP Child Care for Student Parents

4.3.15.6 MFIP Child Care for Student Parents-Subprogram Changes

4.6 CCAP Authorized Activities

4.6.1 Activity Requirements Based on Family Composition

4.6.3 Authorized Activities Within an Employment Plan

4.6.6 Authorized Activities Outside an Employment Plan

4.6.6.3 Job Search at Application or Redetermination

4.6.6.6 Employment Outside of an Employment Plan

4.6.6.9 Education Outside of an Employment Plan

4.6.6.12 Combination of Activities Examples

4.6.6.15 Applicable Minimum Wage

4.6.9 Authorized Activities for Families Experiencing Homelessness

4.9 Cooperation with Child Support

4.9.3 Communication with Child Support

4.9.6 Child Support Good Cause Claim

4.9.9 Child Support Cooperation at Application

4.9.12 Child Support Cooperation at Redetermination

4.9.15 Child Support Cooperation for Families Experiencing Homelessness

4.12 Asset Limit

4.12.3 Evaluating Assets

4.12.6 Calculating Countable Assets

4.15 Child’s Citizenship and Immigration Status

4.18 Date of Eligibility

4.21 Expedited Child Care for Families Experiencing Homelessness

4.21.3 Assisting Families Experiencing Homelessness

4.24 Moving Between Counties

4.24.1 Excluded Time Facilities

5 CCAP Family Composition

5.3 Determining the CCAP Family

5.6 CCAP Family Temporary Absence

5.9 CCAP Family Composition Examples

6 Income Eligibility

6.3 Income Limits

6.6 Earned/Unearned Income

6.6.1 Individuals with Exempt Earned Income

6.6.3 New Spouse Income policy

6.6.5 Self-Employment income

6.15 Annualizing Income

6.15.3 Annualizing MFIP Income

6.15.6 Annualizing Self-Employment Income

6.15.9 Annualizing Rental Property Income

6.15.12 Annualizing Farm Income

6.15.15 Annualizing Counted Nonrecurring Income

6.15.18 Annualizing Seasonal and Temporary Income

6.15.21 Annualizing Work Bonuses and Overtime Pay

6.15.24 Annualizing RSDI

6.18 Income Deductions

6.21 Family Copayment

7 Verification

7.1 Verification Due Dates

7.3 Verification Initial Application

7.3.1 Verification of Families Experiencing Homelessness

7.4 Verification – 12-Month Eligibility Period

7.4.1 Changes Not Requiring Verification

7.4.3 Inconsistent Information

7.6 Verification Eligibility Redetermination

7.9 Income Verification

7.12 Verifying Citizenship and Immigration Status

7.21 Verification Safe At Home Program

7.24 Verification - State Systems

7.27 Schedule Verification Employment and Education

7.30 Schedule Information Child's School Schedule

7.32 Parenting Time/Custody Schedule Information

8 12-Month Eligibility Period

8.1 Changes in Circumstances

8.1.3 Changes in Household Composition

8.1.6 Changes in Family Status

8.1.9 Changes in Activity

8.1.12 Changes in Income or Expenses

8.1.15 Changes in Residence

8.1.18 Changes in Subprogram

8.1.21 Other Changes

8.3 Reporting Requirements

8.3.3 Agency Responsibilities for Family Reporting

8.6 Temporary Ineligibility

8.9 Suspending

8.15 Termination

9 Authorizing Care and Payments

9.1 Child Care Authorization

9.1.1 Authorizing Care Employment

9.1.1.1 Authorizing Care Self-Employment

9.1.2 Authorizing Care Students

9.1.3 Authorizing Care-School Release Days

9.1.4 Authorizing Care Job Search

9.1.5 Authorizing Care – Employment plans

9.1.5.3 Authorizing Care – Sanctions

9.1.6 Authorizing Care Flexible Schedules

9.1.7 Authorizing care Combinations of Activities

9.1.9 Authorizing CareMultiple Providers

9.1.10 Authorizing Care – Switching Providers and Back-up Providers

9.1.12 Weekly Authorization to High Quality Providers

9.1.15 Authorizing Care – Expedited Child Care

9.1.17 Authorizing Care Mental Health Support for MFIP Child Only Families

9.1.18 Authorizing Care with a Legal Nonlicensed Provider

9.3 Payments to Providers

9.3.6 Registration Fees

9.6 Payments to Families

9.9 Determination of Payment Amounts

9.9.3 Child Care Expenses Paid by Other Sources

9.9.6 Provider Charges and Discounts

9.12 Authorization Changes During the 12-Month Eligibility Period

9.15 Care and Payments for Special Circumstances

9.15.3 Care During Temporary Breaks from Authorized Activities

9.15.4 Unable to Provide Care

9.15.6 Extended Eligibility

9.15.9 Care During Child Absences

9.15.12 Holidays

9.15.15 Special Needs

9.15.16 Higher Rates for Providers Serving Certain Populations

9.15.18 Caring for Sick Children

9.15.21 Children of Child Care Providers

9.15.24 Head Start Full Day Integrated Child Care Programs

9.24 Provider Rates

9.24.3 Child Care Rates, Registration Fees, Copayments

9.24.6 Age Category Exceptions

9.24.9 Higher Rates for QualityAccreditation/Credential

9.24.12 Higher Rates for Quality Parent Aware Rated Providers

9.57 Correcting Underpayments

10 Redetermination of Eligibility

10.3 When to Re-determine Eligibility

10.6 Redetermination Process

10.6.3 Redetermination Processing - Standards

10.6.6 Approving Eligibility at Redetermination

10.6.10 Redetermination Processing - Reinstatement

11 Providers

11.3 Licensed Child Care Providers

11.3.3 Licensed Child Care Provider – License Closes

11.6 Certified License Exempt Centers

11.6.3 Short-Term Alternative Locations

11.9 Legal Nonlicensed (LNL) Providers

11.9.15 Legal Nonlicensed Providers – Emergency Plans

11.9.18 Legal Nonlicensed Providers – Annual Monitoring

11.12 Provider Registration

11.15 Provider Record Keeping

11.18 Provider Reporting

11.27 In-Home Child Care Requests and Provider Information

11.30 Information Sharing

12 Notices

12.1 15-Day Notice Requirements

12.3 Notices to Families

12.3.3 Approval Notices Family

12.3.6 Denial Notices Family

12.3.9 Adverse Action Notices Family

12.3.12 Termination Notices Family

12.6 Notices to Providers

12.6.3 Approval Notices Provider

12.6.6 Adverse Action Notices Provider

12.6.9 Termination Notices Provider

12.6.10 Correction Order Notices – Provider

12.6.12 Payment Deduction Required By Law Notices

12.6.15 Re-Determination Due Provider Notice

12.9 Notice of Overpayment

13 Fraud Disqualifications

  13.3 Fraud Referrals

  13.6 Disqualification for Wrongfully Obtaining Assistance – Families

  13.6.3 Administrative Disqualification – Families

  13.6.6 Entering Disqualification in MEC2 – Families

  13.9 Disqualification for Wrongfully Obtaining Child Care Assistance – Providers

  13.9.3 Administrative Disqualification – Providers

  13.9.6 Entering Disqualifications in MEC2 - Providers

14 Overpayments

14.1 Assessing Overpayments

14.3 Responsibility for Overpayment

14.6 Amount of Overpayment

14.9 Recovery Methods

14.9.3 Voluntary Repayment Agreement

14.9.6 Recoupment Families

14.9.9 Recoupment Providers

14.9.12 Civil Recovery Families

14.9.15 Civil Recovery Providers

14.9.18 Claim Compromise

14.9.21 Uncollectible Debts

15 Appeals

15.3 Appealable Issues

15.6 Family and Provider Appeal Rights

15.9 Appeal Requests

15.12 Fair Hearing Process

15.15 Continuation of Benefits

15.18 Effect of Appeal Decision

16 Appendix

16.3 CCAP Case Examples

16.6 Disaster Waiver

16.15 Authorized Activities Comparison Sheet

16.18 Case Reviews

16.21 Recording Document Received Dates

16.24 Override Reporting

16.27 Exempt Earned Income Comparison Chart

16.30 At-Home Infant Child Care

16.33 BSF First Quarter Reallocation

16.36 BSF Waiting List Considerations

16.39 BSF Waiting List Reporting

16.44 Accuracy Review Reporting

16.46 Information About MNbenefits

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