Child care may be approved for any activity that is included on a TANF client’s TW-2, TANF Work/Personal Responsibility Agreement.

When a TANF case closes for failure to participate in the TANF work activity (52A), the worker closes the child care benefit effective 90-calendar days from the date the client stops participating.

When TANF closes for a reason other than failure to participate in a TANF work activity (52A) and the client has child care, the worker must determine if the child care renewal is due.

When the child care renewal is due, the worker:

• evaluates if there is a continued need for child care since the client is no longer involved in TANF Work activities.  When there is not a continued need, the worker closes the child care benefit effective the last day of the renewal month.  When there is a continued need, the worker determines if changes in the number of units and unit type are needed;
• calculates the client’s income to determine if a family share copayment needs to be assessed.  When the client is responsible for paying a family share copayment, the worker informs the client of the copayment amount.  When the client expresses concern about his or her ability to pay this copayment, the worker refers the client for budgeting assistance;
• makes changes in the number of units, unit types, or copayment effective the next deadline date, per Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) Appendix B-2, Deadlines for Case Actions; and
• documents the changes in FACS Case Notes.

When the child care renewal is not due, the worker:

• does not assess a family share copayment until the renewal is due;
• informs the client that he or she may be responsible for paying a family share copayment, when the renewal is due;
• determines if the client has a need for additional days and hours of child care.  When there is a need for increased care, the worker updates the number of units and unit type in the Child Care tabs of the FACS Interview and Eligibility Notebooks; and
• documents changes in FACS Case Notes.

When TANF closes and subsidized child care benefits are needed but are not open, the worker completes a child care application with the client.  The worker must close the TANF benefit on the system prior to approving the child care application to ensure that a family share copayment is assessed based on the income threshold per family size, per the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) Appendix C-4, Child Care Eligibility/Copayment Chart.