Rule 5180:6-1-06 | Authorizations for publicly funded child care services.
(A) What is a family's level of service?
(1) The family's level of service indicates how many weekly hours have been approved for the child to receive care.
(2) The child care authorization identifies the program that the family has chosen to provide care. The chosen program is to have a provider agreement with the department of children and youth (DCY) to provide publicly funded child care (PFCC) services.
(3) The child care authorization allows DCY to make weekly payments to the authorized program for child care services for the child.
(B) How does the county determine the level of service?
The level of service is based upon the approved hours of care.
(1) Approved hours of care are to be related to the hours that the caretaker participates in qualifying activities, pursuant to rule 5180:6-1-02 of the Administrative Code.
(2) If there is more than one caretaker in the household, the hours of care are to be related to the hours in which neither caretaker is available to care for the child because of participation in qualifying activities.
(3) The level of service, determined at the time the county agency determines eligibility, is to be maintained for the entire eligibility period unless verification is submitted supporting an increase. If applicable, the category of authorization may be increased to match the new level of service.
(C) Can child care be approved for hours in addition to the hours the caretaker is participating in an approved activity?
Additional hours of care can be approved for the following circumstances:
(1) Travel time, not to exceed four hours round trip, is to be allowed.
(2) Sleep time is to be allowed on a case by case basis, not to exceed eight hours, for a caretaker who participates in an activity where at least four hours occur between midnight and six a.m.
(3) Child care may exceed twenty-four consecutive hours when the caretaker's hours of employment, training or education indicate such a need. Child care is not to exceed forty-eight consecutive hours.
(D) What is a category of authorization?
(1) The category of authorization is assigned based on the determined level of service a family needs as described in paragraph (A) of this rule. The categories of authorization are as follows:
(a) An hourly authorization is for hours of care totaling fewer than ten hours per week.
(b) A part-time authorization is for hours of care totaling ten hours to fewer than thirty-three hours per week.
(c) A full-time authorization is for hours of care totaling thirty-three hours or more per week.
(d) A week is defined as the seven-day period from twelve a.m. Sunday to fifty-nine minutes after eleven p.m. Saturday.
(2) Authorizations for care are not to exceed the level of service that a caretaker is approved to receive.
(3) Authorizations for approved initial applications are to begin on the date the county received the valid application pursuant to rule 5180:6-1-02 of the Administrative Code.
(E) How many weekly authorizations may a county grant for one child?
(1) A child is to have one authorization for one program in a week; unless an exemption is met as set forth in paragraph (E)(2) of this rule.
(2) The county agency may grant an additional part-time or hourly authorization in a week if the family provides documentation showing it meets one of the following exemption criteria:
(a) The child needs care during non-traditional hours as defined in rule 5180:6-1-10 of the Administrative Code.
(b) The child needs to change programs in the middle of the week and the hours of care provided by the programs do not overlap.
(c) The child's program is closed on scheduled school days off or on calamity days and the child needs care for those days.
(F) Can an authorization be created if the PFCC application is denied?
A full-time authorization may be created for child care services provided for the period of time between the date the county agency receives the valid application as defined in rule 5180:6-1-02 of the Administrative Code and the date of denial plus five days, if all of the following occur:
(1) A complete application, as defined in rule 5180:6-1-02 of the Administrative Code, was submitted.
(2) The child in care is age eligible, as defined in rule 5180:6-1-02 of the Administrative Code.
(3) The program had a valid provider agreement pursuant to rule 5180:2-16-09 of the Administrative Code for all or part of the time the child received care. The authorization is to fall within the period of time the program had a valid provider agreement.
(4) The caretaker was not previously approved for paid PFCC services after denial in the previous twelve months.
(G) Are there any PFCC programs that caretakers may not choose to provide care for their children?
(1) A caretaker is not to receive PFCC services from a type A or type B program located in the same household as the child and the caretaker.
(2) If the caretaker is the owner or an owner's representative of a licensed child care center or type A home, the caretaker's children are not to be authorized to that center or type A home.
(3) If the caretaker is the employee of a licensed type A home or licensed type B home, the caretaker's children are not to be authorized to that licensed type A or type B home.
Last updated November 3, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Supplemental Information