Transitional Child Care
© 1997-8 by Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
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What is Transitional Child Care?

Low income parents who leave welfare for work often have problems paying for day care. Former welfare recipients can get help with the cost of paying for child care for the first year that they are off welfare if child care is necessary to enable the parent or caretaker to engage in work. This is called Transitional Child Care (TCC).

To be eligible for TCC, you must:

(1) have been discontinued from family assistance because you were working more hours or were earning too much money, or you were receiving more child support payments, or your family voluntarily ended assistance, and

(2) have a child under the age of 13 in your home, and

(3) have received assistance for three out of the six months immediately before you lost public assistance;

(4) have an income up to 200% of the state income standard..

You can get TCC for one year, beginning with the first month you stop getting family assistance. You will not get TCC unless you apply. Once you get accepted, you will be reimbursed for the day care expenses you have paid since you got off public assistance.

TCC is available for children under age 13. DSS is supposed to recognize the need for consistent child care and cannot move a child from an existing provider unless you say the move is okay.

To get TCC, you have to fill out an application form. Social Services will give you the application form if you call 858-8953. The application can be done by mail, saving you a trip downtown.

TCC is provided on a sliding fee basis based on your income. Your fee can be as low as $1 per week. DSS will tell you how much you must pay. There may be a fee for each child.

If you do not pay the fee, you will lose TCC, but you can get it back by paying what you owe or making arrangements to pay it back.

Transitional child care benefits are available for almost any type of care you choose: licensed center-based care, family day care, or a friend or relative. For a friend or relative to get paid, they do not have to be licensed or have their building inspected, but they should be over 18 and not live with you. The child's other parent cannot be paid by TCC. If you have a baby-sitter come to your home, you have to pay minimum wage.

If you use a friend or relative, DSS will have them fill out a form every six months to get approved.

Yes. DSS cannot reduce or stop your TCC or make you change your child care arrangements without a 10-day notice. If you request a hearing before the effective date of the notice, you will continue receiving your TCC until after your hearing. You can ask for a hearing by calling 852-4868.

When your TCC ends or if you have a child over 12, you may be able to get help under another day care program. You should call 858-8953 to ask for help.

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