900 NH CHILD CARE SCHOLARSHIP SR 20-23 Dated 08/20

The NH Child Care Scholarship *program establishes the eligibility criteria for 12-month employment related Child Care Scholarship which enables eligible parents to work, look for work, or participate in education or training preparatory to work, a recipient of the New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) or Family Assistance Program (FAP) and participating in a mental health or substance misuse treatment program, or   who are in an approved NHEP *activity and supports healthy child development for families who meet and continue to meet program requirements. The NH Child Care Scholarship Program is administered by the Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration. 

The NH Child Care Scholarship program has two-tiered eligibility. Tier 1 is for initial eligibility and Tier 2 is for Graduated Phase Out (GPO).,

Families who require NH Child Care Scholarship and who are either receiving financial assistance from DHHS under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program or whose income is at or below 220% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) will enter the NH Child Care Scholarship program in Tier 1. Initial eligibility can only be determined in Tier 1.

  Graduated Phase Out (GPO), Tier 2, applies to families at redetermination when income is greater than 220% but less than or equal to 250% of FPG. At redetermination, if a   parent’s income is greater than 250% of FPG, child care is terminated.

 The child care application date or the child care provider link date, whichever is later, is used to determine the 12-month eligibility certification period and effective date of payment for child care.

The scholarship payments shall be contingent upon the availability of sufficient funds. 

Throughout this policy, the term "Parent(s)" includes anyone who has a birth, adoptive, or step-parent relationship to the child(ren) or is the child's specified relative, a caretaker relative or legal guardian and their spouse.

References: He-C 6910.07(e), He-C 6910.03(a) and (e), RSA 167:83, II(c) and (o), RSA 161:2, XII; RSA 167:58, IV; RSA 167:83, I(b); RSA 167:83, II(o), 45 CFR 98.20