DEPARTMENT OF

EARLY LEARNING

Wait List for Child Care Programs

(1) If the applicant or reapplicant meets one of the qualifiers of the priority list and otherwise meets all eligibility requirements of Part II or III of this chapter, the applicant or reapplicant will not be placed on the wait list and will be eligible to receive WCCC subsidies. The priority list includes:

(a) Families applying for or receiving TANF;

(b) Families receiving TANF and working to cure a sanction;

(c) Reapplicants who received subsidies within the last thirty days and:

(i) Have reapplied for subsidies; and

(ii) Have household income of two hundred percent federal poverty level or below.

(d) Families that include a child with special needs;

(e) Teen parents (under age twenty-two) who are not living with a parent/guardian, and are attending high school full-time with an on-site child care center;

(f) Families that are homeless according to the McKinney-Vento Act definition; and

(g) Families that include a child enrolled in Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership slots.

(2) As provided in WAC 170-290-0001, WCCC is administered to the extent of available funds. If available funds are insufficient to allow all priority groups to not be placed on the wait list and be eligible to receive WCCC subsidies, only the highest ranked groups that can be served within available funds will be prioritized. The priority groups are ranked in the order listed in subsection (1) of this section, highest to lowest.

(3) If funds are not available, an applicant or reapplicant not belonging to a group on the priority list will have their name placed on the wait list upon approval of eligibility. The name will be placed on the wait list based on the date of the application or reapplication and served as funds become available.

(4) If the applicant or reapplicant remains on the wait list for twelve months or longer, a new eligibility determination will be required when subsidy child care becomes available.

(1) DSHS notifies the consumer that subsidy child care is available by sending written notice.

(2) If otherwise eligible, the consumer's twelve-month eligibility period begins on the date the consumer is removed from the wait list.

(1) The consumer will be withdrawn from the wait list when the consumer does not return the requested income verification of new employment by the sixtieth day per WAC 170-290-0012.

(2) The consumer must reapply for eligibility per WAC 170-290-2210, if the required information is received after the end of the advance notice period.

(3) If the consumer is withdrawn from the wait list for not returning information and the consumer provides the requested information during the ten-day advance notice period and remains eligible for child care:

(a) DSHS may reinstate the consumer to the wait list; and

(b) DSHS may reinstate the consumer on the wait list using the same application date prior to the withdrawal from the wait list.

(1) The consumer chooses an eligible provider under WAC 170-290-0125 and the provider cares for the children during an eligibility period.

(2) Provider payment begin date is:

(a) The date the family comes off the wait list when an eligible provider is already providing care;

(b) The date an eligible provider begins to provide care after the family comes off the wait list; or

(c) The date a provider becomes an eligible provider, when providing care before the provider is eligible and the family comes off the wait list.

(3) DSHS will send an authorization letter to the consumer and provider stating the payment begin date.

The wait list for seasonal child care is determined as provided in WAC 170-290-2210 through 170-290-2240.