ALL FAMILY SUPPORT AND CHILDREN'S DIVISION REGIONAL, COUNTY AND CIRCUIT OFFICES

FREDRIC M. SIMMENS, DIRECTOR
CHILDREN'S DIVISION
JANEL LUCK, INTERIM DIRECTOR
FAMILY SUPPORT DIVISION

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, evacuees of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama have relocated to Missouri. In an effort to respond to those in need, Child Care Assistance policies will be followed as defined in this memorandum.

CHILD CARE APPLICATIONS:

Families displaced by Katrina may file an application for Child Care Assistance through the Family Support Division or the Children's Division (for Protective Services Child Care). All eligibility factors for Child Care Assistance are to be followed, including need for care, with the exception that staff is instructed to use flexibility when asking for verification of residency, relationship, and income. Although the timeframe for processing applications will not be changed, staff should make applications for assistance to families affected by Hurricane Katrina a priority.

Federal instructions require states to track applicants for child care assistance from affected areas. Use living arrangement code ND (Natural Disaster) on the FAMIS Supercase Clearance Screen (FM0E) to identify these households. These cases may be certified for the normal certification period based on the need for care. Allow the ND code to remain as the living arrangement for affected households for child care tracking purposes during the length of the household's certification. Do not assign the ND code to any new Child Care Assistance applications filed after October 31, 2005.

Individuals applying for Child Care Assistance must indicate that they previously resided in an affected area. Enter the applicant's previous address into CD1P to determine the county/parish in which they previously resided. An updated list of counties/parishes affected is available in Memorandum IM-106 dated September 9, 2005. Determine if the applicant received Child Care Assistance from their home state. Record that information, including the state in which they previously received, in the comment section of the EU Member Role Screen (FM3Z).

Refer to Memorandum IM-109 dated September 9, 2005 for further instructions on the use of this code.

RESIDENCY:

Section 1210.010.00 of the Child Care Assistance policy manual requires applicants of Child Care Assistance be Missouri residents or declare an intent to remain in Missouri. Katrina victims may receive Child Care Assistance as residents of Missouri, as long as there is an indication that they intend to remain in Missouri. The applicant's statement is acceptable verification of residency unless it is questionable.

RELATIONSHIP:

Relationship may be difficult to establish because of the loss of personal documents. If a family can not provide the appropriate verification of relationship, it must be established through collateral contacts. The family must provide the name and contact information of an individual who has knowledge of the family and can verify relationship.

INCOME:

Household income is verified through normal verification processes. If the income being verified is from a previous employment or source, and hard copy verification can not be obtained, staff may accept the client's statement. If the income is from a new source or employment since arriving in Missouri, appropriate verification of the new income must be provided.

HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START:

The Head Start Bureau has issued policy instructions notifying state Head Start grantees of allowable variances to their enrollment policies. Any family that self-declares as a Hurricane Katrina evacuee may be deemed income eligible for Head Start. In addition, the Bureau is allowing class room sizes to exceed current Head Start regulations, as long as the classroom maintains the appropriate staff to child ratios. If you encounter families with age appropriate children, contact your local Head Start/Early Head Start agency to see what arrangements have been made in your area.

CHILD CARE RESOURCE AND REFERRAL:

The Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network (MOCCRRN) is a network of agencies that provide referral services to families seeking child care arrangements. They have prepared to assist displaced families by updating referral lists and contacting providers to ensure that there are child care openings.

Because families displaced by Katrina will not be familiar with the different categories of legal care in Missouri, it is important that staff refer interested families to the MOCCRRN agency in their area. The eight MOCCRRN agencies may be located on the internet at www.moccrrn.org or by telephone at 1-800-200-9017.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES CHILD CARE:

Tracking mechanisms are in development for protective services children accessing child care through CSIPS. Instructions on the process for tracking these children will be forthcoming in a subsequent memorandum.

• Review this memorandum with all staff;

• Follow the processes defined in this memorandum when requesting verification of residency, relationship and income;

• Route questions through normal supervisory channels.

FMS/JRL/BLH