Allowable Child Care Hours and Level of Care 400-28-80

 

Calculating a Caretaker's Allowable Child Care Hours 400-28-80-10

(Revised 5/31/2023)

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When calculating a household’s child care need, the hours allowed must be based on the individual caretaker’s allowable activity schedule compared to the schedule of the child, when applicable.

 

In two-caretaker households, the allowable child care hours must be the least amount of hours needed when the two schedules are compared.

 

Example:

Mom works 40 hours a week. Dad works 30 hours a week. The maximum allowable child care hours are 30 hours per week.

 

To calculate any type of activity hours, activity schedules from the following timeframes must be verified and documented at application or review:

 

• Activity hours from the month prior to the application or review month, and
• Activity hours from the month of application or review through the date the application or review is received by the Human Service Zone office.

If the activity schedules from the specified timeframes are NOT reflective of anticipated allowable hours for the eligibilty period, the household must verify their anticipated activity schedule for all activities.

Note: If an employer verifies a range of work hours, the average number of work hours verified will be used as the allowable activity hours for the caretaker.

Activity search and parental leave hours are not used when calculating the level of care as these are not considered allowable activities at the time of application or review.

 

To calculate allowable hours for Diversion, TANF or Transition, refer to 400-28-45, Eligibility for TANF Families.

 

Travel and Break Time

 

Travel and break time must be allowed for caretakers who are participating in work, education or training. For these activities, the calculated allowable activity hours must be multiplied by 25%. The additional time must be added to the allowable activity hours. Total allowable hours must be rounded up.

 

Example:

A caretaker has 17 allowable activity hours per week. 17 hours is multiplied by 25%, which equals an additional 4.25 hours per week. Total allowable hours are now 21.25 hours per week, which is rounded up to 22 hours per week.

 

In certain situations, the caretaker’s travel time may exceed the 25% calculation; additional time may be allowed. The reason and needed time for travel must be documented.

 

Night Shift Work

 

Caretakers who work night shifts must be allowed sleep time. Up to 6 hours of sleep time after each shift must be allowed.

 

Example:

Caretaker works night shifts Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. When determining the allowable child care hours, the caretaker must be allowed an additional 6 hours for each day of work. A total of 18 hours must be allowed per week.

 

Employment

 

Weekly work hours are determined by using verified paystubs, employer’s statements, etc.

 

To calculate the number of weekly work hours when paid biweekly, semimonthly, monthly or irregularly,add the total number of verified work hours for a month and divide by 4.

Example:

A household applies February 12th and verifies that they are paid biweekly. The household received a check on January 22nd with a total of 72 hours worked. Another check was received on February 5th with a total of 70 hours worked. Total monthly hours add up to 142, which is divided by 4 to average the total weekly hours. Average weekly hours are 35.5 before the allowance of travel and break time.

 

To calculate the number of weekly work hours when paid weekly add the total number of verified work hours and divide by the number of checks used to verify the hours.

 

Example:

A household applies February 12th and verifies that they are paid weekly. The household verifies that they received a check on January 8th, January 15th, January 22nd, January 29th, and February 5th. The total hours from all paystubs adds up to 176 hours, which is then divided by 5. Average weekly hours are 35.2 before the allowance of travel and break time.

 

For individuals who are self-employed, the individual must provide a schedule completed by the individual, listing the hours the individual will participate in their self-employment activity for the month of application and the month prior to the month of application. The total monthly hours are divided by 4 to determine the weekly hours.

 

Education and Training

 

Students enrolled in GED, high school or postsecondary education or training which is not based on credit hours must have their allowable activity hours determined by the time they attend their education or training activity.

Example:

Caretaker attends high school Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. based on the verified school schedule. Total allowable activity hours of 37.5, before travel and break time calculation, will be allowed.

Students enrolled in postsecondary education which is based on credit hours must have their allowable activity hours determined by multiplying the verified credit hours by 2.

Note: Students who are enrolled in accelerated degree programs must also have their allowable activity hours determined by the time they attend class, not by the number of credit hours.

 

Example: A student's class schedule verifies 12 credit hours. Multiplying each credit by 2 results in 24 hours per week as the student's allowable child care hours, before the travel and break time calculation.

If a student applies for CCAP during a break in school attendance, verification of the anticipated school schedule must be used to determine the allowable activity hours.