​Rights and Responsibilities

Review the applicant’s rights and responsibilities during the interview. Here is a suggested script for this information.

Rights

• The applicant has the right to a Child Care approval, when meeting eligibility criteria, effective the date when the interview is complete and the household provides all required verification. You approve Child Care for the request date only when you interview and receive all required verification on the request date.

• The applicant has the right to have his or her eligibility determined timely. You must reach an eligibility determination within two business days of completing the interview and receiving all required verification.

• The applicant receives the approved amount of care from a provider at the DHS contracted rate. The household is responsible for its assigned copayment, and the provider may not charge more for the approved amount of care as long as the client swipes correctly. 

• The applicant or authorized representative has the right to ask for a fair hearing when the client disagrees with an action taken on his or her case. Child Care Subsidy requires a written hearing request.

Responsibilities

• The applicant, when required, must pay a DHS assigned copayment directly to the child care provider.

• The applicant must pay any special fees the child care provider charges for services beyond the contracted care. The provider must post these fees and charge the fees equally to both families receiving and not receiving subsidy payments. Enrollment and transportation fees are examples of special fees.

• The applicant must pay for hours used in excess of the DHS approved plan. This responsibility does not apply when the provider requires all children to begin care by a certain time of day. In this instance, the applicant or authorized representative swipes attendance based on the approved plan hours.

• The applicant must choose an eligible child care provider.

• The household must timely report any required changes.

• The household must cooperate with the Office of Inspector General audit or investigation of the client or provider.

Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Responsibilities

• Each applicant or authorized representative must watch the EBT training video.

• An applicant or authorized representative must correctly swipe the child’s attendance (days and times) with the EBT card within 10 calendar days (the current day and the previous 9 calendar days).

• An applicant or authorized representative must check the POS message after each swipe to see if care is “approved,” “denied,” or “pending.”

• An applicant or authorized representative must report any “pending” or “denied” error message to us.

• The household must pay for any days DHS refuses to pay when an applicant or authorized representative did not swipe the correct days and times, did not resolve a “denied” message within 10 calendar days, or causes the provider to lose an absent day payment.

• An applicant or authorized representative must not swipe attendance when the child does not attend.

• An applicant or authorized representative must not give the EBT card or personal identification number to anyone else, especially to the child care provider.