3.2 - Day Care

Day Care Assistance may be considered for parents/legal guardians, who require child care for the following reasons:

• job search activities,
• employment,
• education/training,
• social special needs, including Early Childhood Initiatives (ECI), or
• undergoing medical treatment,

There are two components of the child care subsidy program. Services must be accessed in a licensed child care facility approved by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. However if a parent cannot access a licensed facility, they may be eligible for subsidy under the Alternative Child Care Program.

• The maximum payable days for subsidy are 23 days per month per child. This includes if subsidy is combination of licensed and alternative child care services.

Day Care may be provided for children up to the age of 13 in a licensed child day care facility. For example, if the child turns 13 years old on July 15th, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will pay up until July 31^st  However if the child requires overnight care and is benefitting from the Alternative Child Care Program, payment may be paid until the child turns 14 years old.

Parents must be in receipt of social assistance, have completed an EA, have an active case plan approved by their Social Development case manager and be in Work Services seeking employment program. During the seeking employment period they will receive the maximum daily rate available through the Day Care Assistance Program. This benefit can only be approved once. Parents may request part time or full time child care during this time. If the parent does not require the full six months of subsidy, the remainder of the six months cannot be saved nor used at another time.

Once the parent becomes employed, their income will be used to determine their ongoing eligibility within the Day Care Assistance Program. The benefit for "seeking employment" will then cease. Their subsidy may continue, but the benefit will need to be calculated and reflect the client's change in eligibility. For example, they will request child care benefits under "employment full time".

Required Documentation:

The client must submit a detailed list (every one to two weeks) of their job search activities including the employers contacted, when, how and any documentation from the prospective employer to support the search activities.

In order to qualify for the high school student subsidy rate, parents must meet the eligibility criteria based on the following: 

• must be 16 years old or older
• attending high school or in training equivalent to which is recognized by the department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
• The goal must be that once their training is completed they will have successfully obtained their high school diploma.
• The parent may also be working while in training

The High School Daycare Benefit rate will continue during the summer months if the parent is returning to school in the fall. Or once they have earned their high school diploma, these benefits will be approved for another 3months after completion while the parent pursues employment and/or furthers their education.

Cannot be eligible if accessing the Alternative Child Care Program

Rates will be the same for all ages as per the High School Student Day Care subsidy policy. Rates are not income based but their income needs to be documented in NB Case.

• Full time rate for  $27.00
• Part time rate or after school $13.50  

When calculating income for all post secondary students accessing a student loan, the following calculation is used:

• total amount of student loan minus actual tuition, books, student fees transportation and other required costs such as lab fees.
• Plus added: net amount of income from working, child support etc. Net income from working is calculated by using the net income adding involuntary deductions.

The amounts calculated are to be prorated on a monthly basis for the number of months the loan covers to arrive at a monthly income.

To determine if a client is considered a seasonal employee screeners, needs assessors and/or case managers will use the following definition as per Statistics Canada.

Seasonal employment: a job with a predetermined end date attributable to seasonal factors. (Stats Canada, December 1999).

The client must also meet the financial need criteria based on the family's net income.

Staff will use the parent’s previous income tax reporting year to determine the family's yearly net income for parents who are considered seasonal employee.

This income amount (using line 236) will establish an approved subsidy rate as opposed to using the family's monthly net income.

As per policy, these parents must also be working or in training during the approval period, unless their request is under the Early Childhood Initiatives program or for medical reasons.

Screeners, Needs Assessors or Case Managers may be required to consult with the Provincial Program Consultant with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to determine if the parent meets the seasonal employment requirements.

A day of absence is defined as a day in which the child does not attend the facility for any part of the day. The Day Care facility is required to note any absent days per child on their invoice. The Department will pay for days due to illness or unforeseen circumstances. However, any child who misses more than 3 consecutive days must be brought to the attention of the SD case manager for further discussion with the parent. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development can pay to hold the child's spot in the facility depending on the circumstances. The SD case manager may discuss the situation with the Provincial Program Consultant with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development if further clarification is required.

For parents accessing the Alternative Child Care Program the department only pays for days which services were rendered, therefore absent days are not covered.

Statutory Holidays are not considered absent days. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will pay the regular rate for statutory holidays, except for Easter Monday.

The Day Care Assistance Program may provide subsidy for:

• infants (0-23 months)
• preschoolers (2 yrs-school entry) and:
• school aged children 5 years to 12 years old, with payment payable up to and including the month of their 13th birthday and;
• school aged children, with payment payable up to and including the month of their 14th birthday for those requiring overnight care

Parents must demonstrate that they do not have reasonable access to a licensed day care facility within a 5 km radius of the home, workplace or training institution. Reasonable access means that a licensed day care has available spaces during the hours they are required and for the appropriate age of the child

Alternative Child Care can be provided to a parent who is not in receipt of social assistance with the exception of a parents enrolled in the Work Services Program with the Department of Social Development who are seeking employment.

An Alternative Child Care provider must be at least 19 years of age and not have more than four pre-school children, or five children if at least one is of school age or two infants under two years of age, or only eight after school children in their care, otherwise they must be licensed through the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. As with babysitting, immediate family members cannot be considered as service providers. This includes parents or grandparents or someone residing in the household.

In order to be approved as an Alternative Child Care Provider, the parent and child care provider must fill out the Alternative Child Care Request Form

This benefit will be especially beneficial to people who work shifts or weekends. Alternative Child Care is not to be confused with regular baby-sitting or child care.

The following applicants do not qualify for the Alternative Child Care benefit:

• Parents receiving social assistance
• child protection cases where the child is in the care of the Minister
• children referred to child care services under the Early Childhood Initiatives (ECI)

Clients of social assistance

Because they are already active clients, we must assume that the financial criteria have already been met through the regular processes.

Non social assistance Clients

Must meet the financial need criteria based on the number of people in the family, and the family's net income. Net income is determined per Income procedures. The Child Tax Credit and the Universal Child Care benefit are not considered income in establishing eligibility for the Day Care Assistance Program.

A household will include a non-biological parent who is benefiting from sharing responsibilities of the household and who is benefiting economically from sharing food, shelter and facilities by living in the same household.

The monthly net income of the non-biological parent will be included when determining eligibility for the Day Care Assistance Program and the Alternative Child Care Program.

Approval period

Day Care Assistance can be approved:

• monthly
• up to one year,
• for the actual time period of educational or training course, or
• for the period recommended by Social Assessment

Employment

Day Care Assistance is approved according to the number of days and hours per week the parent(s) is working. Assistance cannot be approved for parents working on a volunteer basis.

Education/Training

Day Care Assistance is approved according to the number of days and hours per week the parent(s) is enrolled. If individuals require additional Day Care for study time, labs, reports etc.; upon verification of the program, it may be considered. Assistance will not be approved for time spent in (for example) fitness or leisure programs.

Undergoing Medical Treatment

Day Care is approved according to the recommendation of physician, which must include: the diagnosis, number of days per week, and total length of time the parent(s) is(are) unable to care for the child(ren).

Seeking Employment Benefit

Clients who are social assistance recipients may have access to the Day Care Assistance Program up to a maximum of 6 months while they are seeking employment they must be enrolled in the Work Services Program with the Department of Social Development

Social Special Needs

Day Care Assistance is recommended for reasons such as child protection, emergency care services, or special developmental needs. 

Parents accessing the Day Care Assistance Program or the Alternative Child Care Program will be approved a daily rate based on their monthly net income. The intent of the program is not to fully cover the cost of their child care; therefore their parental contribution will depend on their licensed child care facility or alternative child care provider's daily rate. They are responsible to cover any cost which is above their approved daily rate.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will only pay the rates established under the Day Care Assistance Program, determined for each case based on the Day Care Contribution Schedule. Parent(s) are responsible to pay any difference between this rate and the amount charged by the Day Care facility.  Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will not cover charges prior to the approval date. Enrollment fees charged by Day Care facilities are the parent's responsibility.

A child's rate will decrease when the child turns two years old. This change is effective the following month after their 2nd birthday. For example, if a child turns two years old on September 12th, the decrease in rate will be effective October 1st.

School aged children are approved an after school rate while attending school. If for reasons of school closures, holidays or other reasons a child requires child care for a full day, they may be approved for a full time rate. The department will pay for a child who turns 13 years old. For example, if the child turns 13 years old on July 15th, the department will pay up until July 31st.

Rates will be the same for all ages as per the High School Day Care subsidy policy. Rates are the only rates that are not income based but the family’s income needs to be documented in NB Case.

Withdrawal

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will pay up to two weeks to the Day Care facility if a child's attendance is cancelled without notice by the parent(s).

These rates are only effective October 1, 2014

These rates are only for licensed child care. They do not apply to the Alternative Child Care Program.