School Readiness Updates for Parents/Guardians
July 20, 2020


Dear Parent/Guardian,

The OEL has provided us with updated guidance as it relates to copayment waivers. Below you will see that copayments are now waived through August 31, 2020 and will resume September 1, 2020.

Our commitment to serving you is at the forefront of everything we do, and given the rapidly changing guidance we are receiving about COVID-19 from the Office of Early Learning, we want to make sure that we are regularly communicating updates to you as we receive them.

Below are the updates provided to us as they relate to your School Readiness (SR) services:

Effectively immediately:
  • Copayment waivers will end on August 31. Copayments will resume September 1, 2020
  • Suspension of all terminations of SR families’ eligibility will end on August 15, 2020
  • Timelines required for redetermination of SR eligibility have been extended an additional 45 days. Examples:

Examples:
Current Redetermination Date


July 16, 2020
July 31, 2020
NEW Redetermination Date
(45 additional days from current redetermination date)
August 30, 2020
September 14, 2020

  • Searching for a job can be used as a valid purpose for care to establish eligibility for the School Readiness program through August 15, 2020.
  • Searching for a job can be used as a valid purpose to establish eligibility for families applying to the waitlist through August 15, 2020.
 
Because of this temporary rule change, any applicant who would like to have their eligibility re-determined during this period, who has lost his/her job during this pandemic can use searching for a job as a valid purpose to have their eligibility for School Readiness subsidies approved. We encourage parents to consider this when deciding whether to redetermine their eligibility now, or to wait until their new redetermination deadline.
 
No one will lose their eligibility FOR services during this time

While we are adjusting to the current circumstances that all of us are facing, please remember that we are still here to serve you. If you are experiencing challenges with finding a child care provider due to the increase in facilities closing, please call us at 954-377-2188 and a Customer Service Specialist will be able to assist you.