Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this part shall have the following meanings unless the context indicates otherwise:

"Administrative disqualification hearing" or "ADH" means an impartial review by a state hearing officer of a recipient's actions involving an alleged intentional program violation for the purpose of determining if the individual did or did not commit an intentional program violation.

"Applicant" means a person who has applied for child care services and the disposition of the application has not yet been determined.

"Assets" means resources owned by a person or company regarded as having value and available to meet debts and commitments.

"Background checks" means the checks for barrier crimes and offenses required under Article 5 (§ 22.1-289.034 et seq.) of Chapter 14.1 of Title 22.1 of the Code of Virginia, including the sworn statement or affirmation as is required by Article 5; the criminal history record check; and the Child Protective Services Central Registry check.

"Child care subsidy and services" or "Child Care Subsidy Program" means the department program that assists eligible low-income families with the cost of child care and those activities that assist eligible families in the arrangement for or purchase of child care for children for care that is less than a 24-hour day. It also includes activities that promote parental choice, consumer education to help parents make informed choices about child care, activities to enhance health and safety standards established by the state, and activities that increase and enhance child care and early childhood development resources in the community.

"Child experiencing homelessness" means a child who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes:

1. A child who is living in a car, park, public space, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or similar settings;

2. A child who is sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as "doubled-up");

3. A child who is living in a motel, hotel, trailer park, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;

4. A child who is living in congregate, temporary, emergency, or transitional shelters;

5. A child who is abandoned in a hospital;

6. A child who is living in a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; and

7. A child who is a migratory child as defined in § 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, P.L. No. 89-10 (20 USC § 6399) who qualifies as homeless because he is living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii) of 42 U.S.C. § 11432a(2)(8)..

"Child protective services" means the identification, receipt, and immediate response to complaints and reports of alleged child abuse or neglect for children under 18 years of age. It also includes assessment and arranging for and providing necessary protective and rehabilitative services for a child and his family when the child has been found to have been abused or neglected or is at risk of being abused or neglected.

"Child with special needs or disability" means (i) a child with a disability as defined in § 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 USC § 1401); (ii) a child who is eligible for early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 USC § 1431 et seq.); (iii) a child who is younger than 13 years of age and who is eligible for services under § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC § 794); and (iv) a child with a documented developmental disability, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, sensory or motor impairment, or significant chronic illness who requires special health surveillance or specialized programs, interventions, technologies, or facilities.

"Conditional eligibility" means that eligibility has been approved for a period not to exceed 90 days to allow families with a child experiencing homelessness additional time to obtain required documentation needed to complete a final eligibility determination.

"Copayment" means the amount paid to the provider by the parent to contribute toward the cost of child care. Such amount shall be established by the department in accordance with the current Child Care and Development Fund Plan for Virginia, approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Copayments do not include charges above the maximum reimbursable rate, or charges for registration, activities, or transportation.

"Department" means the Virginia Department of Education.

"Exit eligibility limit" means the maximum gross countable income amount that a family can receive to be considered income eligible at redetermination. Such amount shall be established by the department in the current Child Care and Development Plan for Virginia approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Family" means any adult or emancipated minor and children related by blood, marriage, adoption, or an expression of kinship who function as a family unit.

"Federal poverty guidelines" means the income levels by family size, determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, used as guidelines in determining at what level families in the country are living in poverty.

"Fee" means a charge for a service and may include copayments, charges above the maximum reimbursable rate, or charges for registration, activities, or transportation.

"Fee Program" means a category in the child care subsidy program that assists low income, non-TANF families with child care services.

"Fiscal year" means the local department financial calendar that begins in June of each calendar year and runs through May of the following calendar year.

"Graduated phase out" means the period of time for child care subsidy and services to continue as determined by the local department at redetermination for recipients whose income exceeds the initial eligibility limit but is below the exit eligibility limit.

"Head Start" means the comprehensive federal child development programs that serve children from birth through age five years, pregnant women, and their families (as established by the Head Start Act (42 USC § 9801)).

"Income eligible" means that eligibility for assistance under the Child Care Subsidy Program is based on income and family size.

"In-home" means child care provided in the home in which all of the children in care reside and in which the provider does not reside.

"Initial eligibility limit" means the maximum gross countable income amount that a family can receive to be considered income eligible. Such amount shall be established by the department in the current Child Care and Development Plan for Virginia approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Intentional program violation" or "IPV" means any action by an individual for the purpose of establishing or maintaining the family's eligibility for assistance under the Child Care Subsidy Program or for increasing or preventing a reduction in the amount of the assistance by (i) intentionally giving a false or misleading statement or misrepresenting, concealing, or withholding facts or (ii) any act intended to mislead, to misrepresent, conceal, or withhold facts, or to propound a falsity.

"Level one provider" means a child care provider that is not licensed by the department or is not approved (i) by a licensed family day system, (ii) under a local ordinance in accordance with §§ 15.2-741 and 15.2-914 of the Code of Virginia, or (iii) by the federal government.

"Level two provider" means a child care provider that is licensed by the department or is approved (i) by a licensed family day system, (ii) under local ordinance in accordance with §§ 15.2-741 and 15.2-914 of the Code of Virginia, or (iii) by the federal government.

"Local department" means the local department of social services of any county or city in this Commonwealth.

"Maximum reimbursable rate" means the maximum rate paid for child care services through the subsidy program that is established by the department and set out in the current Child Care and Development Fund Plan for Virginia filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Need for child care" means the parents meet the income eligibility and employment or education requirements set forth in this chapter and require child care services for part of the day.

"Nonfraud overpayment" means an overpayment that is the result of a local department error or an inadvertent household or provider error.

"Parent" means the adult or emancipated minor, as defined in § 16.1-334 of the Code of Virginia, who acts as the primary caretaker or guardian of a child, including an individual acting in loco parentis. A parent may be by blood, marriage, or adoption and also means a legal guardian, person cohabiting with the natural or adoptive parent of a minor child, or other person standing in loco parentis.

"Provider" or "child care provider" means a person, entity, or organization providing child care services.

"Resource and referral" means services that provide information to parents to assist them in choosing a child care provider and may include assessment of the family's child care needs, collection and maintenance of information about child care needs in the community, and efforts to improve the quality and increase the supply of child care.

"Service plan" means the written, mutually agreed upon activities and responsibilities between the local department and the parent in the provision of assistance for child care services under the Child Care Subsidy Program.

"Superintendent" means Superintendent of Public Instruction or his designee.

"Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program" or "SNAP" means the program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reduce hunger and increase food security.

"Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training" or "SNAPET" means the program that provides job search, job search training, education, training, and work experience to nonpublic assistance SNAP recipients.

"TANF assistance unit" means a household composed of an individual or individuals who meet all categorical requirements and conditions of eligibility for TANF.

"TANF capped child" means a child who the TANF worker has determined ineligible for inclusion in the TANF assistance unit because the child was born more than 10 full months after the mother's initial TANF payment was issued.

"Temporary Assistance for Needy Families" or "TANF" means the program authorized in § 406 of the Social Security Act (42 USC § 606) and administered by the department through which a relative can receive monthly cash assistance for the support of his eligible children.

"Transitional child care" means the program that provides child care subsidy assistance to eligible former TANF recipients after the TANF case closes.

"Vendor" means a legally operating child care provider who is approved by the department to participate in the Child Care Subsidy Program. Multiple facilities or sites operated by the same person, entity, or organization are considered separate vendors.

"Vendor agreement" means the agreement between the department and a child care vendor that must be entered into and signed before child care payments under the Child Care Subsidy Program can be authorized.

"Virginia Initiative for Education and Work" or "VIEW" means the program of employment opportunities to assist individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in attaining the goal of self-sufficiency as implemented in the Commonwealth of Virginia.