(1) DCYF determines the amount of care consumers may receive at application or reapplication. Once the care is authorized, the amount will not be reduced during the eligibility period unless:

(a) Consumers request reductions;

(b) The care is for school-aged children;

(d) The care was authorized by child protective services (CPS) or child welfare services (CWS) and is part of children's case plans under WAC 110-15-4510; or

(e) Incorrect information was given at application or reapplication.

(2) For parents age 21 years or younger who are attending high school or working towards completing a high school equivalency certificate, DCYF will authorize care based only on their student activity schedules.

(3) To determine the amount of weekly hours of care needed, DCYF reviews the child care scheduled with providers, and:

(a) Consumers' participation in approved activities and the number of hours their children attend school, including home school, which will reduce the amount of care needed; or

(b) The days and times that approved activities overlap in a two parent or guardian household, and only authorize care during those overlapping times. Consumers are eligible for full-time care if overlapping care totals 110 hours in one month.

(c) Parents or guardians in two parent or guardian households who are not able to care for their children under WAC 110-15-0020 are considered by DCYF to be unavailable for care, regardless of their schedules.

(3) Licensed or certified center child care is authorized as follows:

(a) Full-time care is authorized when consumers participate in approved activities at least 110 hours per month.

(b) Twenty-three full-day units per month will be authorized when children are in care five or more hours per day.

(d) Forty-six half-day units per month will be authorized during the months of June, July, and August for school-aged children who are in care for five or more hours per day.

(4) Licensed family home child care is authorized as the following monthly units of care:

(a) Full-time monthly unit of care, equal to 22 full day units, is authorized when:

(i) WCCC or SCC consumers participate in approved activities at least 110 hours per month or full-time care is determined to be appropriate and included in a CPS or CWS case plan; and

(ii) Their children have scheduled care with a single provider at least 110 hours per month.

(b) Part-time monthly unit of care, equal to the actual anticipated full- and half-day units of care needed averaged over a 12-month period, is authorized when the care scheduled with providers is less than 110 hours per month.

(c) Full-time partial-day monthly unit is authorized when school-age children attend care in a licensed family home and meets the criteria in subsection (5) of this section.

(d) Part-time partial-day monthly unit is authorized when school-age children attend care in a licensed family home before and after school and do not meet the criteria for a full-time partial-day monthly unit.

(5) Additional monthly units of care may be authorized when:

(a) Consumers request an authorization for additional care;

(b) The need for care is verified;

(c) The care is needed to supplement an existing monthly unit for unexpected care needed for an approved activity limited to the time frame needed, not to exceed three months;

(d) For actual anticipated overtime when the overtime is included when determining eligibility for child care; or

(e) For sleep time.

(6) Full-time partial-day monthly unit. A single partial-day monthly unit equal to 17 partial days and five full days is authorized for school-age children attending a licensed family home child care when consumers have at least 110 hours of approved activity per month, and their children are:

(a) Authorized for care with only one provider;

(b) Scheduled for care of 110 hours or more in July and August;

(d) Need care before and after school.

(7) When determining part-time care for families using licensed providers when their activity or amount of care needed is less than 110 hours per month:

(a) A full-day unit is calculated for each day of care of at least five hours;

(b) A half-day unit will be calculated for each day of care that is less than five hours; and

(i) Their children are in care before and after school; and

(ii) The total care for the day is less than five hours.

(8) Full-time care for families using in-home/relative providers is authorized when consumers participate in approved activities at least 110 hours per month:

(a) Two hundred thirty hours of care are authorized when their children are in care five or more hours per day;

(b) One hundred fifteen hours of care is authorized when their children are in care less than five hours per day;

(c) One hundred fifteen hours of care is authorized during the school year for school-aged children who are in care less than five hours per day and their providers are authorized for contingency hours each month, up to a maximum of 230 hours;

(d) Two hundred thirty hours of care is authorized during the school year for school-aged children who are in care five or more hours in a day; and

(e) Supervisor approval is required for hours of care that exceed 230 hours per month.

(9) Care cannot exceed 16 hours per day, per child.

(10) When determining part-time care for families using in-home/relative providers:

(a) Under the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, DCYF authorizes the number of hours of care needed per month when the activity is less than 110 hours per month; and

(b) The total number of authorized hours and contingency hours claimed cannot exceed 230 hours per month.

(11) DCYF determines the allocation of hours or units for families with multiple providers based upon the information received from the parents or guardians.

(12) DCYF may authorize more than the state rate and up to the provider's private pay rate if:

(a) The parent or guardian is a WorkFirst participant; and

(b) Appropriate child care, at the state rate, is not available within a reasonable distance from the approved activity site. "Appropriate" means licensed or certified child care under WAC 110-15-0125, or an approved in-home/relative provider under WAC 110-16-0010. "Reasonable distance" is determined by comparing distances other local families must travel to access appropriate child care.

(13) Other fees DCYF may authorize to a provider are:

(a) Registration fees;

(b) Field trip fees;

(d) Overtime care to licensed providers when care is expected to exceed 10 hours in a day when consumers are eligible and authorized; and

(e) Special needs rates for a child.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.216.055 and 43.216.065. WSR 22-05-007, § 110-15-0190, filed 2/3/22, effective 3/6/22; WSR 20-08-077, § 110-15-0190, filed 3/26/20, effective 4/26/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.216.055, 43.216.065 and 42 U.S.C. 9858, et seq. WSR 19-08-020, § 110-15-0190, filed 3/26/19, effective 4/26/19. WSR 18-14-078, recodified as § 110-15-0190, filed 6/29/18, effective 7/1/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.215.060 and 43.215.070. WSR 17-23-057, § 170-290-0190, filed 11/9/17, effective 12/10/17; WSR 17-18-009, § 170-290-0190, filed 8/24/17, effective 9/24/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.215.070, chapter 43.215 RCW. WSR 16-19-107, § 170-290-0190, filed 9/21/16, effective 10/22/16. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.215.060, 43.215.070, and chapter 43.215 RCW. WSR 16-09-059, § 170-290-0190, filed 4/15/16, effective 5/16/16; WSR 13-22-040, § 170-290-0190, filed 10/31/13, effective 12/1/13. Statutory Authority: Chapter 43.215 RCW, RCW 43.215.060, 43.215.070, 2011 1st sp.s. c 42, 2011 1st sp.s. c 50, and 2006 c 265 § 501. WSR 11-18-001, § 170-290-0190, filed 8/24/11, effective 9/24/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.215.060, 43.215.070, 2006 c 265, and chapter 43.215 RCW. WSR 09-22-043, § 170-290-0190, filed 10/28/09, effective 12/1/09. WSR 08-08-047, recodified as § 170-290-0190, filed 3/27/08, effective 3/27/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.12.340. WSR 06-12-094, § 388-290-0190, filed 6/6/06, effective 7/7/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.12.340, 74.13.085, and 2005 c 518 § 207(3). WSR 05-20-051, § 388-290-0190, filed 9/30/05, effective 11/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.12.340, 74.13.085, and 2003 1st sp.s. c 25. WSR 04-08-021 and 04-08-134, § 388-290-0190, filed 3/29/04 and 4/7/04, effective 5/28/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.13.085. WSR 02-12-069, § 388-290-0190, filed 5/31/02, effective 7/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050 and C.F.R. Parts 98 and 99 (Child Care Development Fund Rules). WSR 02-01-135, § 388-290-0190, filed 12/19/01, effective 1/19/02.]

PDFWAC 110-15-0190

WCCC benefit calculations.