119B.011 Definitions.
Subdivision 1. Scope. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the meanings given.
Subd. 2. Applicant. "Child care fund applicants" means all parents, stepparents, legal guardians, or eligible relative caregivers who are members of the family and reside in the household that applies for child care assistance under the child care fund.
Subd. 3. Application. "Application" means the submission to a county agency, by or on behalf of a family, of a completed, signed, and dated child care assistance universal application form that indicates the family's desire to receive assistance.
Subd. 4. Child. "Child" means a person 12 years old or younger, or a person age 13 or 14 who is handicapped, as defined in section 125A.02.
Subd. 5. Child care. "Child care" means the care of a child by someone other than a parent or legal guardian in or outside the child's own home for gain or otherwise, on a regular basis, for any part of a 24-hour day.
Subd. 6. Child care fund. "Child care fund" means a program under this chapter providing:
(1) financial assistance for child care to parents engaged in employment, job search, or education and training leading to employment, or an at-home infant care subsidy; and
(2) grants to develop, expand, and improve the access and availability of child care services statewide.
Subd. 7. Child care services. "Child care services" means child care provided in family day care homes, group day care homes, nursery schools, day nurseries, child day care centers, head start, and extended day school age child care programs in or out of the child's home.
Subd. 8. Commissioner. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of children, families, and learning.
Subd. 9. County board. "County board" means the board of county commissioners in each county.
Subd. 10. Department. "Department" means the department of children, families, and learning.
Subd. 11. Education program. "Education program" means remedial or basic education or English as a second language instruction, a program leading to a general equivalency or high school diploma, post-secondary programs excluding postbaccalaureate programs, and other education and training needs as documented in an employment plan, as defined in subdivision 12. The employment plan must outline education and training needs of a recipient, meet state requirements for employment plans, meet the requirements of this chapter, and Minnesota Rules, parts 3400.0010 to 3400.0230, and meet the requirements of programs that provide federal reimbursement for child care services.
Subd. 12. Employment plan. "Employment plan" means employment of recipients financially eligible for child care assistance, or other work activities defined under section 256J.49, approved in an employability development, job search support plan, or employment plan that is developed by the county agency, if it is acting as an employment and training service provider, or by an employment and training service provider certified by the commissioner of economic security or an individual designated by the county to provide employment and training services. The plans and designation of a service provider must meet the requirements of this chapter and chapter 256J or chapter 256K, Minnesota Rules, parts 3400.0010 to 3400.0230, and other programs that provide federal reimbursement for child care services.
Subd. 13. Family. "Family" means parents, stepparents, guardians and their spouses, or other eligible relative caregivers and their spouses, and their blood related dependent children and adoptive siblings under the age of 18 years living in the same home including children temporarily absent from the household in settings such as schools, foster care, and residential treatment facilities or parents, stepparents, guardians and their spouses, or other relative caregivers and their spouses temporarily absent from the household in settings such as schools, military service, or rehabilitation programs. When a minor parent or parents and his, her, or their child or children are living with other relatives, and the minor parent or parents apply for a child care subsidy, "family" means only the minor parent or parents and their child or children. An adult age 18 or older who meets this definition of family and is a full-time high school or post-secondary student may be considered a dependent member of the family unit if 50 percent or more of the adult's support is provided by the parents, stepparents, guardians, and their spouses or eligible relative caregivers and their spouses residing in the same household.
Subd. 14. Human services board. "Human services board" means a board established under section 402.02, Laws 1974, chapter 293, or Laws 1976, chapter 340.
Subd. 15. Income. "Income" means earned or unearned income received by all family members, including public assistance cash benefits and at-home infant care subsidy payments, unless specifically excluded and child support and maintenance distributed to the family under section 256.741, subdivision 15. The following are excluded from income: funds used to pay for health insurance premiums for family members, Supplemental Security Income, scholarships, work-study income, and grants that cover costs or reimbursement for tuition, fees, books, and educational supplies; student loans for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and living expenses; state and federal earned income tax credits; in-kind income such as food stamps, energy assistance, foster care assistance, medical assistance, child care assistance, and housing subsidies; earned income of full-time or part-time students up to the age of 19, who have not earned a high school diploma or GED high school equivalency diploma including earnings from summer employment; grant awards under the family subsidy program; nonrecurring lump sum income only to the extent that it is earmarked and used for the purpose for which it is paid; and any income assigned to the public authority according to section 256.741.
Subd. 16. Legal nonlicensed child care provider. "Legal nonlicensed child care provider" means a child care provider who is excluded from licensing requirements under section 245A.03, subdivision 2.
Subd. 17. MFIP. "MFIP" means the Minnesota family investment program, the state's TANF program under Public Law Number 104-193, Title I, and includes the MFIP program under chapter 256J, the work first program under chapter 256K, and tribal contracts under section 119B.02, subdivision 2, or 256.01, subdivision 2.
Subd. 18. Post-secondary educational systems. "Post-secondary educational systems" means the University of Minnesota board of regents and the board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and universities.
Subd. 19. Provider. "Provider" means an individual or child care center or facility, either licensed or unlicensed, providing legal child care services as defined under section 245A.03. A legally unlicensed registered family child care provider must be at least 18 years of age, and not a member of the MFIP assistance unit or a member of the family receiving child care assistance under this chapter.
Subd. 20. Transition year families. "Transition year families" means families who have received MFIP assistance, or who were eligible to receive MFIP assistance after choosing to discontinue receipt of the cash portion of MFIP assistance under section 256J.31, subdivision 12, for at least three of the last six months before losing eligibility for MFIP or families participating in work first under chapter 256K who meet the requirements of section 256K.07. Transition year child care may be used to support employment or job search. Transition year child care is not available to families who have been disqualified from MFIP due to fraud.
Subd. 21. Recoupment of overpayments. "Recoupment of overpayments" means the reduction of child care assistance payments to an eligible family in order to correct an overpayment to the family even when the overpayment is due to agency error or other circumstances outside the responsibility or control of the family.
HIST: 1Sp1985 c 14 art 9 s 72; 1987 c 403 art 3 s 59; 1988 c 689 art 2 s 223; 1989 c 282 art 2 s 135-140; 1990 c 375 s 3; 1990 c 568 art 4 s 34-38; 1992 c 513 art 8 s 26,27; 1994 c 483 s 1; 1995 c 207 art 4 s 22,23; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1996 c 395 s 18; 1997 c 162 art 4 s 1-8; 1998 c 397 art 11 s 3; 1998 c 407 art 6 s 1; 1999 c 159 s 7-12,154; 1999 c 205 art 1 s 3-10,69; art 5 s 1,2,21; 2000 c 260 s 19,89; 2000 c 488 art 10 s 1; 2000 c 489 art 1 s 2-4; 1Sp2001 c 3 art 1 s 1,2
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes