You (applicant/co-applicant) must work and/or attend school/job training for a minimum of 30 hours per week to be eligible for child care assistance. Original, electronic, or copies of proof can be mailed, emailed or dropped-off in person to your
CCR&R.
Verifying Work Hours
You must submit proof of at least four (4) weeks of employment at a minimum of 30-hours per week. The four (4) weeks of paystubs can occur anywhere in the six (6) weeks prior to the date you submit your application or in the six (6) weeks after your application is received. In the event that additional information is required to reasonably calculate hours, you may submit additional current paystubs.
In the following situations, you may submit a CC-188 Verification of Employment form completed by your employer or a letter on the employer’s letterhead which substantially includes the same information requested in the CC-188 Verification of Employment form:
- Paystubs do not reflect work hours
- Paystubs do not have all the required information to accurately determine gross income
- New Employment and Applicant/Co-Applicant has not received paystubs yet
To continue to remain eligible for child care assistance, original, electronic, or copies of the aforementioned required number of paystubs must be submitted within 60 days of the
CCR&R certification date.
Verifying School or Job Training Hours
If you (applicant/co-applicant) are attending a school or job training program to meet the work/school/job training hours requirement, your hours can be verified by submitting an original, electronic, or a copy of a school registration document, schedule, or letter from the job training program. In the event that this documentation cannot be provided, you may submit a CC-189 Verification of School or Training form completed by a representative of the school or job training program.
To meet eligibility requirements, if you are in school, you must attend a college or university as part of a two-year Associate Degree program or four-year Baccalaureate Degree program with the goal to achieve a degree or credentials to gain employment (economic independence). Online courses are allowed in the following circumstances:
- Online classes are required as part of achieving related two or four year Degree; and
- Limited to two online classes for full-time and one online class for part-time per semester (NOTE: Under the authority of New Jersey’s Statewide Emergency, Disaster and Recovery Plan, DFD continues to allow full-remote learning to establish/maintain eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program).
NOTE: Even if your attendance at school/job training alone satisfies the hours requirement, your
CCR&R is still required to inquire about your potential earned income and compare that income to the
2022-2023 maximum allowable income limits for Child Care Assistance Program eligibility.
Verifying Self-Employment Hours/Income
Self-employment income is earned income, received directly from one’s own business, trade, or profession, instead of receiving a specified wage from an employer.
Self-employed individuals must submit their current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Income Tax Return Transcript and IRS Schedule C (Form 1040) “Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship)” or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040) “Net Profit from Business (Sole Proprietorship)” to determine if the self-employment activity is acceptable. If you cannot produce a tax transcript, you will be found ineligible. To assess the merit of the purported employment, it is expected that the profit, when evaluated, be equal to or greater than the Federal minimum wage.
This means that income from a new business that has yet to file taxes cannot form the basis of eligibility for Child Care Assistance Program entry.
Because of extreme variations between the gross and net income for different business structures and types of services provided, the IRS Schedule C (Form 1040) or Schedule C-EZ (Form 1040) will be the only forms accepted for eligibility consideration.
Verification of Unearned Income
Sources of unearned income include but are not limited to Unemployment Benefits, Child Support, Alimony, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), Pensions, Retirement Benefits, Worker’s Compensation, and Work First New Jersey Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (cash assistance).