1.  (a) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a means tested program administered by the Social Security Administration.

(b) If a child is not receiving at least one dollar of SSI, he or she is not considered predetermined eligible with a zero co-payment.

(c) When the child is predetermined eligible, he or she meets income eligibility requirements.  The child must also meet all other conditions of eligibility defined in this Subchapter before subsidized child care is approved.

(d) Refer to OAC 340:10-22-1 for Supported Permanency Program information, OAC 340:15 for State Supplemental Payment information, and OAC 340:60 for Refugee Resettlement Program information.

(e) Enter information regarding eligibility in the Family Assistance/Client Services (FACS) Interview Notebook under the Household and Income tabs.

(f) A child continues to be considered a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipient and predetermined eligible with a zero co-payment when the parent or caretaker is participating in the Subsidized Employment Program (SEP).  Once the SEP participation period ends and the TANF benefit closes, the participant's earnings are considered income, and family share co-payments are computed per OKDHS Appendix C-4, Child Care Eligibility/Co-payment Chart.

2.  (a) The worker informs the client of the right to choose child care either as a TANF deduction or as a child care benefit.

(1) The worker explains to the client if he or she chooses to change from receiving subsidized child care to child care as an earned income exemption, the client must actually pay out‑of‑pocket for one month for the child care expense.

(2) If the choice is to terminate subsidized child care and begin child care as an earned income exemption, the closure of subsidized care must meet notification requirements listed in OAC 340:40-9.

(b) A TANF recipient is never approved for Child Care and Development Fund subsidized child care and have child care considered as an earned income exemption during the same month.  When a recipient is discovered to have received both kinds of child care during the same month for the same child, overpayment procedures in OAC 340:40-15 are followed.

3.  If someone other than the parent or guardian is receiving the TANF benefit for the child or is the payee for the child's SSI payment requests child care for the child, as is the case in some joint custody households, the child is not predetermined eligible for a zero co-payment in that household.  The child's eligibility for the child care benefit is based on the countable income in the other household.

4.  (a) For example, household income can be $2,425 if the client is approved for two children in care.  Household income for one child in care is $1,950.  If the client has one child receiving SSI and one child who is not and the household income is $2,400, it is better for the client to be approved for both children in the same case with a family share co-payment than to receive a zero co‑payment for the child receiving SSI and not be eligible for the other child. If this situation occurs and the family has more than one child receiving SSI, all children must be included on the same case.  The family cannot choose to put one of the children on the case with the co-payment and the others on their own cases with zero co-payments.

(b) When two cases must be set up:

(1) the predetermined eligible child is shown as added to "social services" in the "benefit" field F24 and "added to benefit section" in the "status" field F25 in the Household tab of the FACS Interview Notebook of the predetermined eligible case.  Other household members or income is not shown on this case unless needed for another program.  If it is needed for another program, the additional income is diverted in the "total diverted income" field in the Child Care tab of the FACS Eligibility Notebook; and

(2) the income eligible child is shown as added to "social services" in the "benefit" field F24 and "added to benefit section" in the "status" field F25 in the Household tab of the FACS Interview Notebook of the income eligible case.  All other household members' income is shown in the Income tab, including the SSI or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) income, and these household members are added to "social services" in the "benefit" field F24 and "income/resources are considered in benefit computation – individual not included" in the "status" field F25 of the Household tab.  Only the child approved for subsidized child care benefits in the income eligible case is shown in the "number of children in child care" field E52 of the Child Care tab of the FACS Eligibility Notebook.

5.  Refer to Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) Appendix C-4, Child Care Eligibility/Co-payment Chart, for income eligibility guidelines and OAC 340:40-7-11 for types of income considered.  Document income eligibility in the FACS Interview Notebook under the Household and Income tabs.

6.  A former TANF recipient must meet the income guidelines listed on OKDHS Appendix C-4 to receive a child care benefit.  The TANF worker is required to advise the client of his or her potential eligibility for a child care benefit and to document the offer in the case narrative or in FACS Case Notes.  When it is determined the client does not meet the eligibility guidelines for subsidized child care, the worker provides resources and referral information.  If child care is not needed, the narrative also reflects what alternative to subsidized child care is utilized.  The worker provides all families who receive earned income information about the Earned Income Credit and the Child Tax Credit and how to apply for them.

7.  If there is a tribal child care program in the county for which the client might qualify, the worker asks the client if he or she is receiving subsidized child care from this program.  If the client chooses to receive OKDHS subsidized child care, the same rules governing other clients apply to this client as well.