New families who apply for child care services may qualify for Initial Job Search Child Care. If the parent(s) do not meet the minimum participation requirements for At-Risk child care eligibility but meet all other eligibility requirements. Families will qualify for three months of child care services, with no co-pay, while searching for work that will meet minimum employment activity requirements, 25 hours per week for a single parent household or a combine 50 hours for a dual parent household. If parents meet employment participation requirements within three months, eligibility will continue for a total of 12 months; this includes the three-months of the initial job search period. Once work requirements are met, co-pays are instated. 

Initial Job Search Child Care is available for parents to actively seek full employment and 100 percent of participation hours must come from employment for child care to continue beyond the three-month time frame. Attending school or training program will not be counted towards the participation hours. 

If families do not meet minimum employment requirements after the three months of eligibility, services must be terminated. 

Families being re-determined for a new 12-month of child care services and do not meet eligibility requirements, do not qualify for Initial Job Search Child Care, unless services are terminated, and a new application is submitted. New child care applications are subject to Workforce Solutions Middle Rio Grande wait list and priority of services.