Self-Sufficiency Update - November 2018

November 15, 2018

0 Comments

Key Highlights in this topic/WORKGROUP for the PREVIOUS month:

Economic Assistance and Employment Supports Division

The Economic Assistance and Employment Supports Division will release an extended deadline for responding to the RFP for integrating MFIP and public health home visiting for teen parents. Look for a formal announcement

Child Support:

Highlights/Hot Topics/Concerns

Through the end of November, division staff are gathering donated items like hats, coats, gloves, socks, and blankets for people inhabiting the Little Earth Encampment that runs along Highway 55 and the Little Earth community in south Minneapolis.
Division Help Desk staff will present on outreach and engagement efforts at Hennepin County’s monthly Client Information Session team meeting on November 15^th.
The division is now offering a professional development course entitled Effective Workplace Communication and will release its 2019 State Training Calendar in mid-November for county staff to register.
CSD staff met with county representatives to discuss declining incentives and start developing plans to address the issue.

Recently, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor spent several weeks looking at quarterly reports CSD prepares on accounts receivable and other financial measures. This effort resulted in one process improvement the division will use moving forward.
Division staff worked with the CFS director of recovery to respond to recent flooding in the DC1 building that interrupted payment processing and printing. During the response, electronic payment processing continued and the paper and cash-based payments process was up and running in three days. Staff have drafted an after-incident report and debriefed about the incident for lessons learned.
The next Child Support Task Force meeting is on November 28 in St. Paul.

The RFP for genetic testing just posted. The division is looking for lab services to provide testing for the next five years.
The division is drafting an RFP for its System Modernization feasibility study.

CSD Help Desk staff continue to build a close partnership with the FATHER’s project to assist parents through orientation to child support, identifying barriers, and providing resources.

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP):

DHS CCAP published revisions to the CCAP Policy Manual in October.
A New Copay Fee Schedule and adjusted SMI guidelines became effective October 8, 2018.

DHS hosted a stakeholder engagement session to gather feedback on revisions to MN Rules, Chapter 3400, Child Care Fund on October 30, 2018. For more information, visit https://mn.gov/dhs/partners-and-providers/news-initiatives-reports-workgroups/child-care-and-early-education/ccap-rule-rev.jsp. If you have questions or comments regarding rule revision, email CCAPrule@state.mn.us.

DHS CCAP published a memo regarding system changes to fully implement Limiting Payments that were installed in MEC² on Nov. 5.
The installed changes resulted in payment calculation issues. DHS notified local agencies to stop issuing CCAP payments on Nov. 6.

MN.IT installed a fix for this issue on Nov. 14.

DHS notified local agencies the issue is fixed on Nov.14 and they may begin approving CCAP payments again.
DHS will notify providers that we have instructed agencies to begin approving CCAP payments.
DHS issued 2 recent memos: (1) LNL mailing on Nov. 7, and (2) IOC – notice delays on Nov. 14.
DHS CCAP hosted three sessions at the MFWCCA Conference on October 25^th and October 26^th on: (1) 2017 Legislative Changes Follow-up, (2) new changes coming to CCAP, and (3) best practices in serving homeless families.
DHS is implementing Certification requirements for license exempt centers. Providers must be certified before they can register for CCAP. For more information, see Bulletin 18-68-13 Certification requirements for license exempt child care centers paid by the Child Care Assistance Program.
DHS CCAP is working with MFIP staff to implement a change in counting the income for new spouses that passed in the 2017 legislative session. This change will be effective December 1, 2018. A joint bulletin will be published mid-November.
DHS announced intentions to move forward with first quarter reallocation in 2019. There is a new CCAP Policy Manual Chapter with information about the process. See CCAP Manual 16.33 BSF First Quarter Reallocation.

Requested Actions needed from MACSSA in the next month:

APPARENT TRENDS IN THIS TOPIC AREA:

Issues/Concerns regarding this topic this month:

Legislative Impacts:

Bulletins, Publications, or supporting materials to be included with this update: (Please attach to the email sent with this report.)

Child Care Assistance Programs (CCAP):

See Bulletin #18-68-16 Child Care Assistance Program Asset limit for changes that took effect October 1, 2018.

CONTACTS:

Barb Dahl and Brad Thiel