SR 11-31 Dated 07/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

DFA SIGNATURE DATE:	July 7, 2011
DCYF SIGNATURE DATE:	July 6, 2011
FROM:	OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, DFA JSO for Terry R. Smith
FROM:	OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, DCYF Maggie Bishop
AT (OFFICE):	Division of Family Assistance Division for Children, Youth and Families
TO:	DFA Supervisors NHEP Teams
SUBJECT:	2011 Updates to the NH Child Care Scholarship Maximum Weekly Standard Rates
EFFECTIVE DATE:	July 4, 2011

SUMMARY

This SR releases the 2011 updates to the NH Child Care Scholarship Maximum Weekly Standard Rates paid to child care providers for authorized child care services provided.

BACKGROUND

The Department of Health and Human Services conducts a federally mandated survey of licensed NH child care centers and licensed child care homes every two years and bases the maximum payment rate for child care services on these rates.

POLICY

The maximum payment rates for NH Child Care Scholarship are updated every two years based on the most recent market rate survey (MRS) of licensed child care centers and licensed child care family homes. The changes noted below reflect the NH Early Care and Education Market Rate Survey conducted on November 4, 2009. Rates for licensed child care centers and licensed family homes are set at the 50th percentile of the most recent MRS for each age group. The rates for license-exempt family child care providers are set at the 70th percentile of the licensed family child care home standard rate for each age group. The rates for license-exempt centers are set at the 50th percentile of the licensed child care center standard rate.

2011 NH Child Care Scholarship Maximum Weekly Standard Rates

LICENSED CHILD CARE CENTER			LICENSED FAMILY CHILD CARE
Level of Service	Child Age in Months	NH Child Care Standard Rate	Level of Service	Child Age in Months	NH Child Care Standard Rate
Full-Time	Birth-17	$197.06	Full-Time	Birth-17	$153.53
Full-Time	18-35	$186.94	Full-Time	18-35	$150.00
Full-Time	36-78	$164.54	Full-Time	36-78	$146.49
Full-Time	79-155	$120.00	Full-Time	79-155	$78.53
Half-Time	Birth-17	$152.56	Half-Time	Birth-17	$118.86
Half-Time	18-35	$144.73	Half-Time	18-35	$116.13
Half-Time	36-78	$127.39	Half-Time	36-78	$113.41
Half-Time	79-155	$75.00	Half-Time	79-155	$60.00
Part-Time	Birth-17	$76.28	Part-Time	Birth-17	$59.43
Part-Time	18-35	$72.37	Part-Time	18-35	$58.06
Part-Time	36-78	$63.69	Part-Time	36-78	$56.71
Part-Time	79-155	$37.50	Part-Time	79-155	$30.11

LICENSE-EXEMPT CENTER			LICENSE-EXEMPT FAMILY
Level of Service	Child Age in Months	NH Child Care Standard Rate	Level of Service	Child Age in Months	NH Child Care Standard Rate
Full-Time	Birth-17		Full-Time	Birth-17	$107.47
Full-Time	18-35		Full-Time	18-35	$105.00
Full-Time	36-78		Full-Time	36-78	$102.54
Full-Time	79-155	$60.00	Full-Time	79-155	$54.97
Half-Time	Birth-17		Half-Time	Birth-17	$83.20
Half-Time	18-35		Half-Time	18-35	$81.29
Half-Time	36-78		Half-Time	36-78	$79.39
Half-Time	79-155	$37.50	Half-Time	79-155	$42.00
Part-Time	Birth-17		Part-Time	Birth-17	$41.60
Part-Time	18-35		Part-Time	18-35	$40.65
Part-Time	36-78		Part-Time	36-78	$39.69
Part-Time	79-155	$18.75	Part-Time	79-155	$21.08

NEW HEIGHTS SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION

New HEIGHTS will update the Maximum Weekly Standard Rate table TSRT with the revised weekly standard rates. Effective July 4, 2011, these updated figures will appear on the child care cost share worksheet screen.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics

PART 937 NH CHILD CARE STANDARD RATE

IMPLEMENTATION

Changes identified in this SR are effective July 4, 2011 for current cases, and will apply to any new cases processed on or after that date.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

Clients will be advised of the new NH Child Care Scholarship maximum weekly standard rates at applications or redeterminations on or after July 4, 2011. Child Care Resource and Referral programs will distribute the updated table to families, as appropriate. The NH Child Care Scholarship maximum weekly standard rates will be posted on the Child Care Scholarships page of the NH DHHS website. No other client notification is planned.

The Child Development Bureau will send the new NH Child Care Scholarship maximum weekly standard rates to any child care provider as needed or upon request. All new, re-enrolling or renewing providers will receive the information in the enrollment packet. The Child Care Resource & Referral agencies will distribute the updated table electronically to all of the providers in their e-mail database. The NH Child Care Scholarship maximum weekly standard rates will be posted on the Child Care Scholarships page of the NH DHHS website.

TRAINING

No special training is planned or needed due to the procedural nature of the SR.

DISPOSITION

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the On-line manuals.

DISTRIBUTION

This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for Division of Family Assistance policy releases. This SR, and revised On-Line Family Assistance Manual, will be available for agency staff in the On-Line Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at www.dhhs.nh.gov/DFA/publications.htm effective July 30, 2011. Additionally, this SR, and printed pages with posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all internal hard copy holders of Family Assistance Manual.

CDB/KB