To receive child care assistance, participants must:

· Turn in an application and provide required verifications. For more information, See Child Care Assistance Manual 7.3 (Verification - Initial Application).

· Be in an authorized activity. See 16.12 (MFIP Child Care Assistance).

· Meet income limits and pay a copay, if a copay is assigned

· Use a legal child care provider who is registered with the county or tribe. See list of types of legal providers, 16.24 (Types of Child Care Settings).

· Cooperate with child support enforcement for all children in the family at application and redetermination.

The age of children who are covered by child care assistance:

· Infants through 12 years old.

· 13 and 14 year olds with a disability.

The factors that determine how much child care is authorized:

· A maximum limit of 120 hours of child care can be authorized in a two-week period per child.

· The activity schedule of the parent or guardian.

· The school schedule of the children.

· The child care provider’s availability.

Each child can use up to 2 providers who can be paid by child care assistance: 1 primary provider and 1 secondary provider.

· Payments and the amount of care is limited for the secondary provider.

· The participant designates which provider is the primary provider.

· Legal non-licensed providers do not count toward the 2 provider limit and their authorization and payment is not limited.

For more information, see: Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual 9.1.9 (Authorizing Care-Multiple Providers).

Limitations on providing child care assistance to child care providers and to people working in child care:

1. The following people cannot receive child care assistance during the hours they are providing child care, but can receive child care assistance when they are in other activities:

· Licensed family child care providers and their employees.

· Legal non-licensed providers and their employees.

· Anyone providing care in a setting other than a child care center.

2. No more than 25 children or dependents of child care center employees can be authorized for child care assistance at a child care center. For more information, see the Child Care Assistance Program Manual 9.15.21 (Children of Child Care Providers).