The worker may approve homeless families for a maximum of 30 calendar days of protective/preventive child care when the family does not meet another need factor.

The definition of homeless includes families who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate night time residence and includes families who:

• Temporarily share housing with other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. Temporarily means the family applying for child care has not shared housing with another household for more than 90-calendar days prior to the application date.  Voluntarily sharing housing with another household for the purpose of reducing expenses does not meet the definition of homeless.
• Temporarily live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations. Temporarily means the family applying for child care has not lived in a hotel, motel, or camping ground for more than 90-calendar days prior to the application date.  Permanent residence in a mobile home park does not meet the definition of homeless.
• Live in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings not designed for or ordinarily used, as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

When protective/preventive child care for a homeless family is needed for more than 30 calendar days, the worker must request and receive approval for an extension from State Office before further care is approved.

Note: the worker must document which provision of the definition is met (from the bulleted list above) and record in FACS case notes.