441—170.3 (237A,239B) Application and determination of eligibility.
	 170.3(1) Application process.
	  a.   	 Application for child care assistance may be made at any local office of the department on:
	 (1) 	 Form 470-3624 or 470-3624(S), Child Care Assistance Application, or
	 (2) 	 Form 470-0462 or 470-0466, Health and Financial Support Application.
	  b.   	 The application may be filed by the applicant, by the applicant’s authorized representative or, when the applicant is incompetent or incapacitated, by a responsible person acting on behalf of the applicant.
	  c.   	 The date of application is the date a signed application form containing a legible name and address is received in the department office.
	  d.   	 Families who are determined eligible for child care assistance shall be approved for a certification period of no longer than six months. Families who fail to complete the review and redetermination process as described at subrule 170.3(5) will lose eligibility at the end of the certification period.
	 170.3(2) Exceptions to application requirement. Applications are not required for:
	  a.   	 A person who is participating in activities approved under the PROMISE JOBS program.
	  b.   	 Recipients of the family investment program or those whose earned income was taken into account in determining the needs of family investment program recipients.
	  c.   	 Families with protective service needs.
	  d.   	 Child care services provided under a court order.
	 170.3(3) Application processing. The department shall approve or deny an application as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days following the date the application was received.
	  a.   	 The department worker or PROMISE JOBS worker shall determine the number of units of service authorized for each eligible family and shall:
	 (1) 	 Inform the family through the notice of decision; and
	 (2) 	 Inform the family’s provider through the notice of decision or through Form 470-4444, Certificate of Enrollment.
	  b.   	 The department shall issue a written notice of decision to the applicant by the next working day following a determination of eligibility. Exception: When the court orders services, the court order provided by the court and the case plan provided by the department shall serve as written notification.
	 170.3(4) Waiting lists for child care services. When the department has determined that there may be insufficient funding, applications for child care assistance shall be taken only for the priority groups for which funds have been determined available according to subrule 170.2(3).
	  a.   	 The department shall maintain a log of families applying for child care services that meet the requirements within the priority groups for which funds may be available.
	 (1) 	 Each family shall be entered on the logs according to their eligibility priority group and in sequence of their date of application.
	 (2) 	 If more than one application is received on the same day for the same priority group, families shall be entered on the log based on the day of the month of the birthday of the oldest eligible child. The lowest numbered day shall be first on the log. Any subsequent tie shall be decided by the month of birth, January being month one and the lowest number.
	  b.   	 When the department determines that there is adequate funding, the department shall notify the public regarding the availability of funds.
	 170.3(5) Review and redetermination. The department shall redetermine a family’s financial and general eligibility for child care assistance at least every six months. Exception:  The department shall redetermine only general eligibility for recipients of the family investment program (FIP) and for those whose earned income was taken into account in determining the needs of FIP recipients, because these people are deemed financially eligible so long as the FIP eligibility continues.
	  a.   	 If FIP eligibility ends, the department shall redetermine financial and general eligibility for child care assistance according to the requirements in rule 441—170.2(237A,239B). The redetermination of eligibility shall be completed within 30 days.
	  b.   	 The department shall use information gathered on Form 470-4377 or 470-4377(S), Child Care Assistance Review, to redetermine eligibility. The department shall issue a notice of expiration for the child care assistance certification period in Form 470-4377 or 470-4377(S). If the family does not return the review form to the department by the end of the certification period, the family must reapply for benefits.