Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 606 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE › Title 606 CMR 10.00 - Child Care Financial Assistance › Section 10.02 - Definitions

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
Terms listed in
				606 CMR
				10.00 shall have the following meanings, unless the
				context requires otherwise.
Absence
. Any day that a child is
				authorized to attend an early education and care program, but is not in
				attendance.
Approved Break-in-car
. A written
				request, approved by EEC or a Family Access Administrator, to place a child
				care placement in inactive status for up to 90 consecutive days during the
				12-month authorization period.
Assets
. Items of value that may be
				converted into cash. Liquid assets include, but are not limited to, cash on
				hand, bank deposits, securities, lump sum payments, IRAs, and certain Keogh
				plans. The countable value of a liquid asset shall be its accessible cash
				value. Nonliquid assets are those that are not readily convertible to cash.
				These include land, buildings, and any real property. The countable value of a
				nonliquid asset shall be its equity value which is determined by fair market
				value less any encumbrances.
Authorization/Reauthorization
. An
				assessment/reassessment and provision of financial assistance benefits to a
				family in accordance with regulations and policies defined by EEC.
Caregiver
. A person who lives with,
				supervises, and cares for a child or children such as a foster parent, legal
				guardian (temporary or permanent), or designated caretaker.
Child
. A person younger than 13 years
				old, or younger than 16 years old if such person has a disability.
Child Care Educator/Provider
. A
				licensed or exempt center-based child care program, or a licensed, family-based
				child care program located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Child Care Resource and Referral Agency
				(CCRR)
. An agency that contracts with EEC to provide child care
				resource information, referral services, and/or financial assistance
				management.
Child Care Financial Assistance
.
				Financial assistance given to eligible parents for child care provided by a
				child care educator/provider pursuant to a contract or agreement with EEC,
				CCRR, or a contracted child care educator/provider.
Contracted Child Care
				Educator/Provider
. A licensed, or license exempt, child care
				program or family child care system that holds a contract with EEC for the
				provision of child care services supported by EEC financial assistance.
Days
. Calendar days, unless otherwise
				specified.
DCF
. Massachusetts Department of
				Children and Families.
Dependent Child
. A person younger than
				18 years old, or a person younger than 24 years old if they are a full-time
				student.
Dependent Relative
. A relative of the
				child receiving care who resides in the household with the child and is
				financially dependent on the child's parent(s), as certified in accordance with
				EEC policy.
DHCD
. Massachusetts Department of
				Housing and Community Development.
Disability
. One or both of the
				following:
(a) a physical or mental
			 impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
			 (including but not limited to caring for one's self, performing manual tasks,
			 walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working as defined
			 in M.G.L. c. 151B, § 1(20)) of a person, and/or
(b) a record of having such impairment. This
			 definition is intended to be inclusive of the term 'handicap' as defined in
			 M.G.L. c. 151B, § 1(17)(a) - (b).
Disability
is
			 not intended to exclude participation in a substance abuse treatment or
			 rehabilitation program as a possible qualification for purposes of eligibility,
			 nor other documented physical or mental impairments which may otherwise qualify
			 an individual for financial assistance at the discretion of EEC.
Domestic Violence
. Domestic violence
				is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one
				partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.
				Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological,
				or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive
				behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship.
				This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate,
				frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound
				someone.
DTA
.
Massachusetts
				Department of Transitional Assistance
.
EEC
. Massachusetts Department of Early
				Education and Care, the state education agency for the purposes of early
				education and care services as created and authorized pursuant to M.G.L. c.
				15D.
Eligible Family
. A family that
				qualifies for a child care financial assistance based on criteria determined by
				EEC in regulation and policy.
ESOL
. An English language training
				program for people whose primary language is not English.
Excessive Explained Absence
. More than
				45 non-attended days, including any unexplained absences, within a 12-month
				authorization period, or more than 15 non-attended days during an initial
				12-week provisional authorization period. Explained absences shall include, but
				not be limited to: absences due to child illness, death in the family,
				emergency circumstances, religious holidays, and vacation days.
Excessive Unexplained Absence
. A
				non-approved break in care that shall subject a family to possible termination
				of financial assistance in accordance with
				606
				CMR 10.10 and EEC policy.
Family
. One of the following:
(a) Parent(s) or caregivers and their
			 dependent child(ren) and any dependent relative(s) who reside in the same
			 household; or
(b) A young parent and
			 their child(ren) who reside in the same household.
Family Access Administrator
. A person
				or organization authorized or designated by EEC to conduct eligibility
				determinations for child care financial assistance, subject to EEC oversight
				and review.
Full Time Child Care
. Care for at
				least 25 hours but not more than 50 hours per week at any one placement, unless
				otherwise approved by EEC.
Full Time Service Need
. Participation
				in an approved activity for an average of 25 hours or more per week.
Guardian Child
. A child on whose
				behalf a caregiver has legal authority to make decisions and provide
				care.
Homeless Family
. A family meeting the
				requirements established under the McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C.
				11434 a) as certified in accordance with EEC
				policy.
Informal Child Care Provider
. An
				individual who meets informal child care provider standards and requirements
				established by EEC and is exempt from EEC licensure because the individual
				either provides care in the child's own home or is a relative of the
				child.
Intentional Program Violation (IPV)
. A
				parent's intentional non-adherence to EEC's financial assistance requirements,
				including: not reporting a non-temporary change to the family's income
				exceeding 85% SMI; an out of state change of address; a change in contact
				information; inaccurately reporting income at eligibility
				authorization/reauthorization; and non-payment of fees.
Non-approved Break in Care
. A child
				care placement that has been inactive (not used) for more than 30 consecutive
				days during a 12-month authorization, or more than 20 days during a 12-week
				provisional authorization, unless the family has requested and received an
				approved break in care. A non-approved break in care shall subject a family to
				possible termination of financial assistance in accordance with
				606
				CMR 10.10.
Non-temporary Change
. A change to a
				parent's circumstances, including: increases in total household income
				exceeding 85% SMI; changes in family contact information; changes in household
				composition for more than 30 total days in a 12-month authorization; changes in
				child custody arrangements; any out of state change in address; or any change
				or cessation of a parent's work, training, or education participation that
				lasts for more than 12 weeks.
Parent
. A biological or adoptive
				parent or stepparent who resides in the household with their dependent
				child(ren), or a caregiver.
Part Time Child Care
. Care up to 25
				hours per week.
Part Time Service Need
. Participation
				in an approved activity for an average of 20 hours, but less than 25 hours per
				week.
Protective Services
. Any parent
				authorized for child care financial assistance based on DTA referral or a
				clinical decision by DCF, including foster care; any parent who is unable to
				provide child care for any portion of a 24-hour day due to a situation of
				domestic violence or homelessness; a physical, mental, emotional, or medical
				condition; or participation in a substance abuse treatment or rehabilitation
				program.
Provisional Authorization
. An
				authorization for 12 weeks to support parents who are seeking an approved
				activity, certifying an activity or employment, enrolled in a non-approved
				training program, including parents who lose their approved activity during the
				last 30 days prior to reauthorization.
Referral
. A notice issued by DTA, DFC,
				or DHCD that a family is eligible for child care funding.
Relative
. Sibling, aunt, uncle, or
				grandparent, whether by birth, marriage, or adoption.
State Median Income (SMI)
. The dollar
				amount which represents the midpoint in a rank ordering of the incomes of all
				families of the same size in Massachusetts.
Substantiated Fraud
. Intentionally
				providing false or misleading information or documentation to EEC or Family
				Access Administrator for the purpose of establishing or maintaining eligibility
				or increasing the level of child care assistance that has been verified as
				false or misleading by EEC or Family Access Administrator; or the intentional
				concealing or withholding of information for the purpose of establishing or
				maintaining eligibility or increasing the level of child care assistance as
				determined by the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI).
TAFDC.
Transitional Aid to Families
				with Dependent Children.
Temporary Change
. A change to a
				parent's circumstances including: any time-limited absence from a parent's
				approved activity due to an illness or need to care for a family member; any
				interruption in work for a seasonal worker who is not working between regular
				industry work seasons; any reduction in work, training or education hours, as
				long as the parent is still working or attending training or education; any
				other cessation of a parent's approved activity that does not exceed 12 weeks;
				and any change in residency within the Commonwealth.
Vocational Training Program
. An
				approved program other than graduate school, which is intended to teach a
				specific skill leading to employment.
Voucher Child Care Educator/Provider
.
				A program or individual who provides child care services pursuant to an EEC
				voucher services agreement.
Young Parent
. A biological parent who
				is younger than 24 years old, and who resides in the household with their
				dependent child(ren). This shall include young parents who attain the age of 24
				years old during their third trimester of pregnancy.