as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
Engrossments | ||
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Introduction | Posted on 03/04/1999 |
1.1 A bill for an act 1.2 relating to child care; modifying assistance through 1.3 the at-home infant care program; appropriating money; 1.4 amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 119B.061. 1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 119B.061, is 1.7 amended to read: 1.8 119B.061 [AT-HOME INFANT CHILD CARE PROGRAM.] 1.9 Subdivision 1. [ESTABLISHMENT.]Beginning July 1, 1998,A 1.10 familyreceiving or eligible to receive assistance under the1.11basic sliding fee program is eligible forin which a parent 1.12 provides care for the family's infant child may receive a 1.13 subsidy in lieu of assistancefor a parent to provide short-term1.14child care for the family's infant child. An eligible family1.15must meet the eligibility factors under section 119B.09, the1.16income criteria under section 119B.12, andif the family has 1.17 income within the range established under section 119B.09, 1.18 subdivision 1, paragraph (a), as calculated under section 1.19 119B.09, subdivision 4, and meets the requirements of this 1.20 section. Subject to federal match and maintenance of effort 1.21 requirements for the child care and development fund, the 1.22 commissioner shall establish a pool of up to seven percent of 1.23 the annual appropriation for the basic sliding fee program to 1.24 provide assistance under the at-home infant child care program. 1.25 At the end ofthea fiscal year, the commissioner may carry 2.1 forward any unspent fundsmust be usedallocated for assistance 2.2 under this section to the next fiscal year for assistance under 2.3 the basic sliding fee program. 2.4 Subd. 2. [ELIGIBLE FAMILIES.] A family with an infant 2.5 under the age ofone yeartwo years is eligible for assistance 2.6 if: 2.7 (1) the family is not receiving MFIP-S, other cash 2.8 assistance, or other child care assistance; 2.9 (2) the family has not previously received the full 2.10 one-year exemption from the work requirement for infant care 2.11 under the MFIP-S program; and 2.12 (3) the family has not previously received a life-long 2.13 total of1224 months of assistance under this section; and2.14(4) the family is participating in the basic sliding fee2.15program or, for the first child in a family, provides2.16verification of employment at the time of application and meets2.17the program requirements. 2.18 Subd. 3. [ELIGIBLE PARENT.]OnlyA family is eligible for 2.19 assistance under this section if one parent, in a two-parent 2.20 family,is eligible for assistancecares for the family's infant 2.21 child. The eligible parent must: 2.22 (1) be over the age of 18; 2.23 (2)providecare for the infant full-timecare for the2.24childin thechild'sinfant's home; and 2.25 (3)provide childcare for any other children in the family 2.26thatwho are eligible for child care assistance under this 2.27 chapter. 2.28 For the purposes of this section "parent" means birth 2.29 parent, adopted parent, or stepparent. 2.30 Subd. 4. [ASSISTANCE.] (a) A family is limited to a 2.31 lifetime total of1224 months of assistance under this section. 2.32 The maximum rate of assistancemust be atis equal to 75 percent 2.33 of the rate established under section 119B.13 for care of 2.34 infants in licensed family day care in the applicant's county of 2.35 residence. Assistance must be calculated to reflect the 2.36 copay parent fee requirementandunder section 119B.12 for the 3.1 family's income level and family size. 3.2 (b) A participating family mustcontinue toreport income 3.3 and other family changes as specified in the county's plan under 3.4 section 119B.08, subdivision 3. The family must treat any 3.5 assistance received under this section as unearned income. 3.6 (c) Participation in the at-home infant child care program 3.7must beis not considered participation in the basic sliding fee 3.8 program for purposes of continuing eligibility under section 3.9 119B.03, subdivision 3. At the family's choice, the county must 3.10 place a family participating in the at-home infant care program 3.11 on the waiting list under section 119B.03, subdivision 2, for 3.12 basic sliding fee child care assistance. 3.13 (d) The time that a familythatreceives assistance under 3.14 this sectionis ineligible formust be deducted from the 3.15 one-year exemption from work requirements under the MFIP-S 3.16 program. 3.17 (e) Assistance under this section does not establish an 3.18 employer-employee relationship between any member of the 3.19 assisted family and the county or state. 3.20 Subd. 5. [IMPLEMENTATION.] (a) By July 1, 1998, the 3.21 commissioner shall implement the at-home infant child care 3.22 program under this section through counties that administer the 3.23 basic sliding fee program under section 119B.03. The 3.24 commissioner must develop and distribute consumer information on 3.25 the at-home infant care program to assist parents of infants or 3.26 expectant parents in making informed child care decisions. 3.27 (b) The commissioner shall evaluate this program and report 3.28 the impact to the legislature by January 1, 2000. The 3.29 evaluation must include data on the number of families 3.30 participating in the program; the number of families continuing 3.31 to pursue employment or education while participating in the 3.32 program; the average income of families prior to, during, and 3.33 after participation in the program; family size; and single 3.34 parent and two-parent status. 3.35 Sec. 2. [APPROPRIATION.] 3.36 $1,500,000 each year of the appropriation for the basic 4.1 sliding fee program under Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.03, 4.2 for the biennium ending June 30, 2001, is set aside according to 4.3 Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.061, subdivision 1, for 4.4 assistance under the at-home infant care program.