Rule 5101:2-16-04 | Caretaker responsibilities to maintain eligibility in the publicly funded child care program.
(A) What are the caretaker responsibilities for tracking a child's attendance in the publicly funded child care program?
(1) The caretaker and/or the caretaker's designee(s)/sponsor(s) shall use the automated child care system upon entry to and exit from the child care provider's location.
(a) Use of the automated system will track attendance for each child at each authorized provider.
(b) An eligible caretaker or the caretaker's designee(s)/sponsor(s) are the only people permitted by the Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS) to use the automated child care system to record a child's attendance.
(c) The caretaker and/or the caretaker's designee(s)/sponsor(s) shall create and use personal identification information to access the automated system. Personal identification information shall not be shared with the provider.
(d) The caretaker's personal identification information shall serve as an electronic signature.
(e) Misuse of the automated child care system pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-07 of the Administrative Code may result in termination of a caretaker's eligibility.
(2) The caretaker shall review any changes made by a provider to their child's attendance in the automated child care system, and approve all appropriate changes. A caretaker's designee(s)/sponsor(s) is not permitted to review and approve changes to a child's attendance. The caretaker's designee(s)/sponsor(s) will not be alerted when changes are made by providers and will not have access to case information.
(B) What are the caretaker financial responsibilities in the publicly funded child care program?
(1) The caretaker shall make all copayments assigned pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-05 of the Administrative Code to the provider.
(2) The caretaker shall abide by an agreed upon payment arrangement with the provider if delinquent copayments are owed pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-05 of the Administrative Code.
(3) The caretaker shall abide by a payment agreement with the county agency if money is owed for an overpayment pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-07 of the Administrative Code.
(C) What information shall a caretaker report to the county agency?
(1) A caretaker receiving publicly funded child care benefits shall report to the county agency any changes which affect the caretaker's eligibility for the publicly funded child care program, including:
(a) Changes in family income.
(b) Changes in caretaker participation in a qualifying activity pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-02 of the Administrative Code.
(c) Changes in household composition.
(d) Address changes, including relocation to another county.
(e) When a preschool child becomes a school-age child and begins attending elementary school.
(f) When a school-age child changes schools.
(2) The caretaker shall report changes within ten calendar days of the date the change occurs.
(3) If the caretaker fails to comply with the ten calendar day reporting requirement, the county agency will pursue a determination of and recovery of any overpayment, pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-07 of the Administrative Code.
(4) The caretaker shall notify the county agency regarding any change that impacts their child's current authorization for care prior to or within the service week that the new authorization is needed. A service week starts at twelve a.m. on Sunday and ends at eleven fifty-nine p.m. on Saturday. Changes that impact a child's authorization for care include the following:
(a) When a child stops attending a child care program that is authorized to provide publicly funded child care services for the child.
(b) When a caretaker wants to switch to a different provider of publicly funded child care services.
(c) When a caretaker needs to change the category of authorization for the child. Verification of qualifying activity shall be required to increase a child's category of authorization.
(D) What are the caretaker responsibilities regarding program integrity review requests by ODJFS or any approved entity?
(1) Caretakers in the publicly funded child care program shall cooperate and participate in program integrity review requests by ODJFS or any approved entity pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-12 of the Administrative Code.
(2) If a caretaker fails to comply with a program integrity review request, the county agency may propose termination of child care benefits pursuant to rule 5101:2-16-08 of the Administrative Code.
Supplemental Information
Amplifies: 5104.01, 5104.38, 5104.34, 5104.32
Five Year Review Date: 4/18/2025
Prior Effective Dates: 7/29/1991, 11/1/1991 (Emer.), 1/20/1992, 1/1/1994, 1/2/1996 (Emer.), 3/1/1996, 10/1/1997 (Emer.), 12/30/1997, 1/1/1999, 2/14/2002, 4/1/2003, 7/1/2005 (Emer.), 9/16/2005, 2/1/2007, 2/1/2008, 7/1/2009, 3/28/2010, 5/1/2011, 8/28/2011, 5/4/2014, 9/4/2014, 2/22/2015, 9/28/2015, 6/26/2016, 10/1/2017, 12/16/2018