§ 50-33-02 — Child care assistance - Application for benefits - Applicant's duty to establish eligibility - Decisions - Rules

establish eligibility - Decisions - Rules.
1. An individual desiring child care assistance or an individual seeking assistance on
behalf of another individual may apply for child care assistance. An applicant shall
submit a request for child care assistance in writing to a human service zone on a form
prescribed by the department. The applicant shall complete, sign, and date the
application. Eligibility begins on the first day of the month in which a signed and dated
application is received by the human service zone. Eligibility may begin on the first day
of the month prior to the month in which a signed and dated application is received by
the human service zone, if the applicant requests child care assistance for that month
and demonstrates eligibility in that month.
2. The applicant shall provide information sufficient to establish the eligibility of each
individual for whom assistance is requested, including the age, verification of relative
relationship, citizenship or resident alien status of the children, verification of
participation in an allowable activity, and financial eligibility.
3. An eligibility decision must be made within thirty days on child care assistance
applications whenever possible. The human service zone shall notify the applicant
following a determination of eligibility or ineligibility.
4. The department shall establish rules for the administration of the child care assistance
program, including rules on income requirements, appeals of eligibility determinations
for child care assistance, closure of a child care assistance case, and a sliding scale
fee schedule for child care assistance benefits to be adjusted annually based on
information from a market study and a cost study, and to establish and enforce
standards against program fraud and abuse.