Subd. 1. Assistance for persons seeking and retaining employment.

1. (a) Persons who are seeking employment and who are eligible for assistance under this section are eligible to receive up to 240 hours of child care assistance per calendar year.
2. (b) Employed persons who work at least an average of 20 hours and full-time students who work at least an average of ten hours a week and receive at least a minimum wage for all hours worked are eligible for continued child care assistance for employment. For purposes of this section, work-study programs must be counted as employment. Child care assistance during employment must be authorized as provided in paragraphs (c) and (d).
3. (c) When the person works for an hourly wage and the hourly wage is equal to or greater than the applicable minimum wage, child care assistance shall be provided for the actual hours of employment, break, and mealtime during the employment and travel time up to two hours per day.

4. (d) When the person does not work for an hourly wage, child care assistance must be provided for the lesser of:

   1. (1) the amount of child care determined by dividing gross earned income by the applicable minimum wage, up to one hour every eight hours for meals and break time, plus up to two hours per day for travel time; or
   2. (2) the amount of child care equal to the actual amount of child care used during employment, including break and mealtime during employment, and travel time up to two hours per day.

Subd. 2. Financial eligibility required.

Persons participating in employment programs, training programs, or education programs are eligible for continued assistance from the child care fund, if they are financially eligible under the sliding fee scale set by the commissioner in section 119B.12.