50-33-02. Child care assistance - Application for benefits - Applicant's duty to establish eligibility - Decisions - Rules

50-33-02. Child care assistance - Application for benefits - Applicant's duty to establish eligibility - Decisions - Rules. 1. An individual desiring child care assistance or an individual seeking assistance on behalf of another individual may apply for child care assistance. An applicant shall submit a request for child care assistance in writing to a human service zone on a form prescribed by the department. The applicant shall complete, sign, and date the application. Eligibility begins on the first day of the month in which a signed and dated application is received by the human service zone. Eligibility may begin on the first day of the month prior to the month in which a signed and dated application is received by the human service zone, if the applicant requests child care assistance for that month and demonstrates eligibility in that month. 2. The applicant shall provide information sufficient to establish the eligibility of each individual for whom assistance is requested, including the age, verification of relative relationship, citizenship or resident alien status of the children, verification of participation in an allowable activity, and financial eligibility. 3. An eligibility decision must be made within thirty days on child care assistance applications whenever possible. The human service zone shall notify the applicant following a determination of eligibility or ineligibility. 4. The department shall establish rules for the administration of the child care assistance program, including rules on income requirements, appeals of eligibility determinations for child care assistance, closure of a child care assistance case, and a sliding scale fee schedule for child care assistance benefits to be adjusted annually based on information from a market study and a cost study, and to establish and enforce standards against program fraud and abuse.