Add Vermont Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

[hua7450]

Summary

Implements the Vermont Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP) in PolicyEngine, covering eligibility determination, income testing, rate lookups, family share calculation, and benefit computation.

Closes #7768

Regulatory Authority

• CCFAP Regulations (Feb 9, 2009) -- full program rules (18 pages)
• Income Guidelines (eff. Oct 6, 2024) -- sliding fee scale at 175-575% FPL
• State Rates (eff. Jun 30, 2024) -- weekly rates by provider/age/schedule
• Capped State Rates (eff. Jul 13, 2025) -- updated weekly rates
• Understanding Payments Guide (rev. Feb 7, 2025) -- benefit formula
• Act 76 FAQs (rev. Jun 10, 2024) -- expansion timeline
• 33 V.S.A. sections 3512-3514 -- statutory authority
• 45 CFR Parts 98-99 -- federal CCDF regulations

Income Eligibility Tests

1. Gross income <= 575% FPL (adjusted for family size) -- CCFAP Regulations Section II B 2; Income Guidelines
   • Pre-April 2024: previous limits
   • April 2024: expanded to 400% FPL (Act 76 FAQs)
   • October 2024: expanded to 575% FPL
2. Asset limit < $1 million -- reuses federal is_ccdf_asset_eligible (dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/ccfap)
3. Child age: 6 weeks to < 13 years (< 19 for special needs) -- CCFAP Regulations Section I B
4. Citizenship/immigration: U.S. citizen or qualified noncitizen -- reuses is_ccdf_immigration_eligible_child (CCFAP Regulations Section II A; 45 CFR 98.20)
5. Categorical exemptions (bypass income test): Reach Up/Reach First recipients, protective services children, foster children -- CCFAP Regulations Section II B 2a

Income Deductions & Exemptions

16 income exclusion categories per CCFAP Regulations Section II B 2:

1. Proceeds from sale of property (unless business income)
2. Bank withdrawals
3. Money borrowed
4. Tax refunds (including Renters Rebate and EITC)
5. Public assistance (SNAP, Medicaid, Fuel Assistance, Reach Up, Reach First)
6. USDA donated foods / home produce
7. Wages of person under 18 (not primary caretaker)
8. Education loans, grants, scholarships, work-study
9. Incentive payments for training/education programs
10. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
11. Child support paid to another household
12. Adoption assistance payments
13. Foster care payments from DCF
14. Self-employment business expenses (except depreciation/Section 179)
15. Federal/state program stipends
16. Military pay for deployed household members

Implementation uses an inclusion-list approach (income/sources.yaml) listing 12 counted income sources. Excluded income types are implicitly omitted.

Income Standards

Using 2025 Federal Poverty Guidelines at 575% FPL (maximum eligibility threshold):

Family Size	Annual FPG (2025)	575% FPL Annual	575% FPL Monthly
1	$15,650	$89,988	$7,499
2	$21,150	$121,613	$10,134
3	$26,650	$153,238	$12,770
4	$32,150	$184,863	$15,405
5	$37,650	$216,488	$18,041
6	$43,150	$248,113	$20,676

No-copay threshold: 175% FPL. Sliding scale from $0/week (<=175% FPL) to $425/week (575% FPL) in $25 increments per 25% FPL step.

Benefit Calculation

Formula (Understanding Payments Guide):

Weekly Benefit = max(sum(State Rate per eligible child) - Weekly Family Share, $0)
Annual Benefit = Weekly Benefit x 52

State Rate depends on three dimensions (State Rates; Capped Rates):

• Provider type: Licensed Center or Registered Family Child Care Home
• Age group: Infant (<24mo), Toddler (24-35mo), Preschool (36-59mo), School Age (60mo-12yr)
• Care schedule: Part Time (1-25 hrs/wk), Full Time (26-50 hrs/wk), Extended Care (>50 hrs/wk)

Family Share (Income Guidelines):

• Per-family flat weekly amount (not per-child)
• $0 for categorically exempt families (Reach Up, protective services, foster)
• Sliding scale: $0 at <=175% FPL, $50 at 200% FPL, ..., $425 at 575% FPL

Rate Tables (2024-06-30):

Licensed Center (weekly):

Age	Part Time	Full Time	Extended
Infant	$258	$471	$640
Toddler	$243	$443	$602
Preschool	$240	$439	$597
School Age	$204	$371	$505

Registered Home (weekly):

Age	Part Time	Full Time	Extended
Infant	$212	$387	$527
Toddler	$200	$364	$494
Preschool	$198	$361	$491
School Age	$176	$321	$436

Requirements Coverage

REQ	Description	Param	Variable	Test
REQ-001	VT residency	defined_for = StateCode.VT	All variables	All tests use state_code: VT
REQ-002	Citizen/qualified noncitizen	(federal)	is_ccdf_immigration_eligible_child (reused)	vt_ccfap_eligible_child.yaml
REQ-003	Child age 6wk-13yr (19 special needs)	age_threshold/base.yaml, age_threshold/special_needs.yaml	vt_ccfap_eligible_child	vt_ccfap_eligible_child.yaml (10 cases)
REQ-005	Asset limit < $1M	(federal)	is_ccdf_asset_eligible (reused)	vt_ccfap_eligible.yaml Case 7
REQ-006	Gross income <= 575% FPL	income/fpl_limit.yaml	vt_ccfap_income_eligible	vt_ccfap_income_eligible.yaml (9 cases)
REQ-007	Gross income definition	income/sources.yaml (12 sources)	vt_ccfap_countable_income	vt_ccfap_income_eligible.yaml, integration.yaml
REQ-008	16 income exclusions	income/sources.yaml (inclusion list)	vt_ccfap_countable_income	Implicit via inclusion list
REQ-009	Age categories (infant/toddler/preschool/school-age)	age_group/*.yaml	vt_ccfap_age_group	vt_ccfap_age_group.yaml (7 cases)
REQ-010	Care schedule PT/FT/Extended	care_schedule/*.yaml	vt_ccfap_care_schedule	vt_ccfap_care_schedule.yaml (11 cases)
REQ-011	Provider types (licensed center vs registered home)	--	vt_ccfap_provider_type	vt_ccfap_provider_type.yaml (5 cases)
REQ-012	State rates by provider x age x schedule	rates/licensed_center.yaml, rates/registered_home.yaml	vt_ccfap_state_rate	vt_ccfap_state_rate.yaml (24 cases)
REQ-013	Family share sliding scale $0-$425/wk	family_share/scale.yaml	vt_ccfap_family_share	vt_ccfap_family_share.yaml (14 cases)
REQ-014	Benefit = sum(rates) - family_share >= $0	--	vt_ccfap	vt_ccfap.yaml (10 cases), integration.yaml (11 cases)
REQ-015	Reach Up/Reach First -> 100% subsidy	--	vt_reach_up_eligible (reused)	vt_ccfap_eligible.yaml Case 3, vt_ccfap_family_share.yaml Case 5, vt_ccfap.yaml Case 3
REQ-016	Protective services -> 100% subsidy	--	receives_or_needs_protective_services (reused)	vt_ccfap_eligible.yaml Case 4, vt_ccfap_family_share.yaml Case 7, integration.yaml Case 11
REQ-018	Foster families -> 100% subsidy	--	is_in_foster_care (reused)	vt_ccfap_eligible.yaml Case 5, vt_ccfap_family_share.yaml Case 6, integration.yaml Case 4
REQ-021	Act 76 expansion timeline	income/fpl_limit.yaml (400% at 2024-04-01, 575% at 2024-10-01)	vt_ccfap_income_eligible	Income tests use 2025 period

Coverage: 17/17 in-scope requirements implemented (100%)

Not Modeled

REQ	Description	Reason
REQ-004	Service need / reason for care	Bare input variable (meets_ccdf_activity_test) -- not simulatable from household data
REQ-017	Family Support child care exemption	No corresponding input variable in codebase
REQ-019	Adoptive parents with adoption subsidy exemption	No receives_adoption_subsidy variable available
REQ-020	Adoptive parents with special needs child exemption	Adoption-specific -- not simulatable
REQ-022	Enrollment-based payments (vs attendance)	No attendance tracking in PolicyEngine
REQ-023	Provider rate excess over state rate	Family bears difference; beyond subsidy calculation scope

Files Added

policyengine_us/
  parameters/gov/states/vt/dcf/ccfap/
    age_threshold/
      base.yaml                    # 13 years
      special_needs.yaml           # 19 years
    age_group/
      infant_max.yaml              # 24 months
      toddler_max.yaml             # 36 months
      preschool_max.yaml           # 60 months
    care_schedule/
      part_time_max.yaml           # 25 hours/week
      full_time_max.yaml           # 50 hours/week
    income/
      fpl_limit.yaml               # 4.0 (Apr 2024), 5.75 (Oct 2024)
      sources.yaml                 # 12 counted income sources
    family_share/
      scale.yaml                   # Sliding scale: FPL ratio -> weekly amount
    rates/
      licensed_center.yaml         # Weekly rates by age x schedule (2024 + 2025)
      registered_home.yaml         # Weekly rates by age x schedule (2024 + 2025)
  variables/gov/states/vt/dcf/ccfap/
    eligibility/
      vt_ccfap_eligible.py         # Overall CCFAP eligibility (SPMUnit)
      vt_ccfap_eligible_child.py   # Child eligibility - age + dependent + immigration (Person)
      vt_ccfap_income_eligible.py  # Income eligibility (SPMUnit)
    vt_ccfap.py                    # Annual CCFAP benefit (SPMUnit)
    vt_ccfap_age_group.py          # Age group enum (Person)
    vt_ccfap_care_schedule.py      # Care schedule enum (Person)
    vt_ccfap_countable_income.py   # Gross countable income (SPMUnit)
    vt_ccfap_family_share.py       # Weekly family copayment, annualized (SPMUnit)
    vt_ccfap_provider_type.py      # Provider type enum (Person)
    vt_ccfap_state_rate.py         # Weekly state rate per child (Person)
    vt_child_care_subsidies.py     # State child care subsidy aggregator (SPMUnit)
  tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/vt/dcf/ccfap/
    vt_ccfap.yaml                  # 10 benefit calculation tests
    vt_ccfap_age_group.yaml        # 7 age group tests
    vt_ccfap_care_schedule.yaml    # 11 care schedule tests
    vt_ccfap_eligible.yaml         # Overall eligibility tests
    vt_ccfap_eligible_child.yaml   # 10 child eligibility tests
    vt_ccfap_family_share.yaml     # 14 family share tests
    vt_ccfap_income_eligible.yaml  # 9 income eligibility tests
    vt_ccfap_provider_type.yaml    # 5 provider type tests
    vt_ccfap_state_rate.yaml       # 24 state rate tests
    integration.yaml               # 11 end-to-end integration tests

Totals: 12 parameter files, 11 variable files, 10 test files (33 files)

[codecov]

Codecov Report

✅ All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests.
✅ Project coverage is 100.00%. Comparing base (752fae4) to head (4b740d9).
⚠️ Report is 46 commits behind head on main.

Additional details and impacted files

@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##              main     #7769    +/-   ##
==========================================
  Coverage   100.00%   100.00%            
==========================================
  Files            2        14    +12     
  Lines           13       212   +199     
==========================================
+ Hits            13       212   +199     

Flag	Coverage Δ
unittests	100.00% <100.00%> (ø)

Flags with carried forward coverage won't be shown. Click here to find out more.

☔ View full report in Codecov by Sentry.
📢 Have feedback on the report? Share it here.

🚀 New features to boost your workflow:

• ❄️ Test Analytics: Detect flaky tests, report on failures, and find test suite problems.