§ 3041.52. Prekindergarten program.

 (a)  A child who is 3 or 4 years of age and who is enrolled in a prekindergarten program operated by a school entity or a certified child day care center or licensed private academic school serving children 3 or 4 years of age operating under contract with a school entity, whose parent or caretaker needs extended hours or days of child care to work, is eligible for subsidized child care under this section, if the parent or caretaker meets the eligibility requirements for subsidized child care as specified in this section.

 (b)  The eligibility agency shall verify that the prekindergarten program is operated by a school entity or by a certified child day care center or licensed private academic school operating under contract with a school entity.

 (c)  If extended hours or days of care are provided beyond the prekindergarten program’s hours or days, the extended hours and days of care shall be provided by a facility that has a certificate of compliance or registration by the Department as a child day care facility.

 (d)  Upon program entry and continuation in the prekindergarten program, a parent or caretaker shall meet the following conditions:

   (1)  Verification, at the time of application, of a minimum of 20 hours of work per week as specified in §  3041.43 (relating to work, education and training).

   (2)  Verification, at the time of application, of income eligibility for subsidized child care as specified in §  3041.41 (relating to financial eligibility).

   (3)  Verification that extended hours and days of child care are needed to work as specified in subsection (c).

   (4)  Compliance with the waiting list conditions specified in §  3041.133 (relating to waiting list).

   (5)  Payment of the co-payment as specified in §  3041.101 (relating to general co-payment requirements).

   (6)  Report loss of work within 10 calendar days following the date work ended as specified in §  3041.127 (relating to parent and caretaker report of change).

   (7)  Report when a child is no longer enrolled in a prekindergarten program within 10 calendar days following the date the prekindergarten enrollment ended.

 (e)  A parent or caretaker whose child participates in a prekindergarten program shall meet the conditions specified in this chapter, except as specified in subsections (f), (g) and (h).

 (f)  Subsidy for a child receiving care under this section may be suspended during summer school breaks.

 (g)  A parent or caretaker whose child receives subsidized child care and is enrolled in a prekindergarten program is not required to report changes in circumstances during the period of the child’s prekindergarten enrollment, unless the parent or caretaker loses work. If the parent or caretaker involuntarily loses work, the family remains eligible for the prekindergarten program for up to 60 calendar days following the loss of work.

 (h)  The eligibility agency may not require a parent or caretaker whose child receives subsidized child care and is enrolled in a prekindergarten program to complete a partial redetermination or redetermination until the child’s prekindergarten program, the parent or caretaker or a reliable source confirmed by the eligibility agency reports to the eligibility agency that the child is no longer enrolled in the prekindergarten program.

 (i)  A school entity is a public school, school district, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school as defined in 22 Pa. Code §  49.1 (relating to definitions).