1997 Minnesota Statutes

     119B.02 Duties of commissioner. 

    The commissioner shall develop standards for county and 
 human services boards to provide child care services to enable 
 eligible families to participate in employment, training, or 
 education programs.  Within the limits of available 
 appropriations, the commissioner shall distribute money to 
 counties to reduce the costs of child care for eligible 
 families.  The commissioner shall adopt rules to govern the 
 program in accordance with this section.  The rules must 
 establish a sliding schedule of fees for parents receiving child 
 care services.  The rules shall provide that funds received as a 
 lump sum payment of child support arrearages shall not be 
 counted as income to a family in the month received but shall be 
 prorated over the 12 months following receipt and added to the 
 family income during those months.  In the rules adopted under 
 this section, county and human services boards shall be 
 authorized to establish policies for payment of child care 
 spaces for absent children, when the payment is required by the 
 child's regular provider.  The rules shall not set a maximum 
 number of days for which absence payments can be made, but 
 instead shall direct the county agency to set limits and pay for 
 absences according to the prevailing market practice in the 
 county.  County policies for payment of absences shall be 
 subject to the approval of the commissioner.  The commissioner 
 shall maximize the use of federal money in section 256.736 and 
 other programs that provide federal or state reimbursement for 
 child care services for low-income families who are in 
 education, training, job search, or other activities allowed 
 under those programs.  Money appropriated under this section 
 must be coordinated with the programs that provide federal 
 reimbursement for child care services to accomplish this 
 purpose.  Federal reimbursement obtained must be allocated to 
 the county that spent money for child care that is federally 
 reimbursable under programs that provide federal reimbursement 
 for child care services.  The counties shall use the federal 
 money to expand child care services.  The commissioner may adopt 
 rules under chapter 14 to implement and coordinate federal 
 program requirements. 

    HIST: 1Sp1985 c 14 art 9 s 72; 1987 c 403 art 2 s 146; art 3 s 
 60; 1989 c 282 art 2 s 141; 1990 c 432 s 1; 1991 c 292 art 5 s 
 52; 1995 c 207 art 4 s 24; 1995 c 257 art 1 s 17; 1997 c 162 art 
 4 s 9