PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Expand Child Care Options for Children Placed with Older Kinship Guardians
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §4062, sub-§5  is enacted to read:
 
5.  Child care expenses incurred by older kinship guardians.     The department shall reimburse 100% of the child care expenses incurred by an adult relative guardian of a minor for child care for the minor, including after-school care for a child attending kindergarten through 6th grade. The department may not require the guardian to be employed a minimum number of hours per week in order to receive reimbursement under this subsection. To be eligible for reimbursement under this subsection, an adult relative guardian of a minor must have an income of $50,000 or less a year. For the purposes of this subsection, "adult relative guardian of a minor" means a person who is 60 years of age or older and is a court-appointed guardian of a minor who is a relative of the person.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse 100% of the child care expenses incurred by an adult relative guardian of a minor if the guardian is 60 years of age or older and has an annual income of $50,000 or less. The bill also prohibits the department from requiring the guardian to be employed a minimum number of hours per week in order to receive the reimbursement.