Document Claycountymn_doc_fd685810ee

DHS-5260-ENG 5-16 Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Child Car e Provider Guide ---PAGE BREAK--- Table of Contents Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) basics Why should you read this 1 CCAP 1 What do I need to do to become an authorized CCAP provider? 1 When will I be paid by 2 Are CCAP providers employed by CCAP? 2 If I am a CCAP provider, can I, or my employees, receive 3 Provider types and CCAP registration Licensed family child care 4 Licensed child care 4 License exempt centers 4 Legal nonlicensed providers 5 Additional requirements for Legal Nonlicensed providers Background study 6 Training requirements 6 Other 6 In-home providers Health and safety concerns Unsafe 7 Complaints against Legal Nonlicensed 7 What is a 8 Who collects the copay from the 8 Which provider collects the copay when a family has two 8 What happens if the family does not pay the 8 What if someone other than the family pays the copay? 8 Provider record keeping and reporting What records must I 9 What must I report to CCAP? 9 Parent, provider and county communication What can CCAP disclose about 10 CCAP notices to providers 10 Other 11 Rates CCAP maximum rates 12 Special needs rates 14 Higher rates for quality Provider 15 Accreditation 15 Parent Aware Three- and Four-Star Rating 16 Weekly authorization to high quality 17 Service Authorizations ---PAGE BREAK--- What information is included on a Service 19 What information should I get from parents? 19 Flexible 20 Sample Service 21 Billing for child care About the Billing 23 What information is on the Billing Form? 23 How do I fill out the Billing Form? 24 What if the provider charges and daily attendance records do not match? 27 Electronic billing with MEC² 28 Billing for families who have flexible schedules 28 29 Billing for absent 30 Billing for holidays 31 Registration 31 Sample Billing Form 32 Payments Payment 34 Additional Payment 37 What payment options are 37 Deductions from your 37 What do I do if I have problems with my payment? 38 Remittance Sample 39 Sample Remittance Advice 40 Overpayments, disqualifications and appeals Overpayments 42 42 Appeal 43 Provider Resources Programs and 44 Brochures for 47 Parent Resources Human service programs for families with low incomes 48 Other child care funding 50 Brochures for 50 Child development and care resources for providers and Programs and 51 Brochures for parents and 53 Commonly Used 54 ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) basics Why should you read this booklet? This booklet is for you—the child care provider. It explains what you need to know to receive payment from the Minnesota Department of Human Services for families who get benefits from CCAP. We want to make this program work for you and the families we serve. CCAP Basics What is the Child Care Assistance Program? CCAP helps some parents with low incomes pay for child care. These are parents or guardians who need child care because they are working or are preparing for work. What is the CCAP agency? A family’s local county or tribal social services agency is responsible for administering CCAP and registering providers. In some cases, the social services agency may contract with another local agency to provide child care assistance. Throughout this guide, we will refer to the agency that is administering child care assistance for the family as the CCAP agency. How do families get CCAP? Parents apply for child care assistance through their local agency. How much assistance do families receive? The amount of the assistance families receive is based on a number of factors including family size, income, age of the child or children, type of child care and how many hours of care are needed. How does CCAP help families pay for child care? If a family is eligible for assistance, CCAP pays the child care provider directly on behalf of the family, except in certain cases when child care is provided in the child’s home. If care is provided in the child’s home, CCAP pays the parent, who then must pay the provider. What do I need to do to become an authorized CCAP provider? To register, contact the agency where the family you plan to provide care for receives CCAP. You must fill out the Provider Registration and Acknowledgement form for your provider type and return it and the additional forms listed to the CCAP agency (See pages 4 for information about Provider types and CCAP registration requirements). 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Other forms that are part of the registration process include: • Child Care Provider Responsibilities and Rights (DHS-4079) • Notice of Privacy Practices for Child Care Providers (DHS-3985) • CCAP Authorization for Release of Background Study (DHS-5193), for Legal Nonlicensed providers only • W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. You must also provide all of your written payment policies. How will I know if I’m approved? After you have filled out and returned all forms, the CCAP agency will review and notify you by mail if you have been authorized. If you are denied authorization as a child care assistance provider, a parent may appeal the denial, and you will be notified by mail. You have the right to appeal the denial of your authorization to a district court. When will I be paid by CCAP? You cannot be paid for care you provide until both you and the family who has chosen you as their provider have been authorized. When both you and the family have been authorized, CCAP will send a Service Authorization, listing the number of hours of child care approved for each child, the maximum rates for each child and the family’s copayment amount. Will I need to be reauthorized to continue receiving CCAP payments? A provider must be reauthorized every two years. A Legal Nonlicensed (LNL) provider must be reauthorized when another person over the age of 13 joins the household, a current household member becomes 13­ years-old, or there is reason to believe that a household member has a factor that prevents authorization. In some cases, a LNL provider might need to be reauthorized when another person over the age of 10 joins the household or a current member of the household becomes 10-years-old. Are CCAP providers employed by CCAP? CCAP makes payments on behalf of the family, but CCAP is not your employer. Self-employment and tax issues Most child care providers are self-employed, meaning you are responsible for the children in your care, keeping records and paying taxes on your income. You must keep records of the children’s attendance and all payments received from the family, CCAP and any other sources that pay child care expenses for the family (see page 50 for Other child care funding sources). Why CCAP needs your Social Security Number or Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires CCAP to obtain your Social Security number or Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) to report what is paid to you. The name you give CCAP must match your name with the IRS. If your name and number are not valid, you will be subject to an IRS fine, will not receive payments from CCAP, and may also have to pay back any money you have been paid. What CCAP tells the Internal Revenue Service CCAP keeps track of all payments made to providers and does not take any taxes from payments. We report payments to the IRS and send a 1099-Misc form in January, showing how much was paid during the previous year. You must report this income for tax purposes. Talk to a tax advisor if you need information about how to include this income and payments you get directly from the family onto your tax forms. 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- If I am a CCAP provider, can I, or my employees, receive CCAP? Licensed family and Legal Nonlicensed providers Licensed family and Legal Nonlicensed (LNL) providers cannot receive CCAP for their own children or children in their family while they are providing child care or being paid to provide child care. They may receive CCAP for their children when they are in other activities that meet CCAP requirements. Hours that the provider receives CCAP for their own children must not overlap with the hours they provide child care. Employees of child care centers, licensed or license exempt CCAP will not make payments to a child care center for children of employees if more than half the children at the center are children of or live with center employees. 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- Provider types and CCAP registration requirements There are different types of providers who have their own Provider Registration and Acknowledgement forms with different requirements. Licensed family child care providers A licensed individual must have a valid child care license issued by a state or tribe and provide child care services in the licensing state or under tribal jurisdiction. This type of provider includes family child care providers licensed by: • County social services agency and the Minnesota Department of Human Services • Tribal nations • Other states. Use the Licensed Family Child Care Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS-7195) form found on the DHS website at Licensed child care centers A licensed child care center must have a valid child care license issued by a state or tribe and provide child care services in the licensing state or under tribal jurisdiction. This type of provider includes centers licensed by: • Minnesota Department of Human Services • Tribal nations • Other states. Use the Licensed Center Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS-5190) form on the DHS website at http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5190-ENG. License exempt centers Generally, any center providing child care must be licensed, but there are some exceptions. Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.03, subdivision 2, states the types of child care that do not have to be licensed, including: • Child care operated by a school, the YMCA, YWCA or the Jewish Community Center, whose primary purpose is to provide child care to school age children • Recreation programs that are operated or approved by a park and recreation board and provide social and recreational activities • Programs operated by a public school for children 33 months and older • Camps licensed by the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health. Use the Licensed Exempt Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS-5191) form on the DHS website at http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5191-ENG. 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- Legal Nonlicensed providers Generally, a person providing child care must be licensed, but there are some exceptions. Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.03, subdivision 2, states that the following types of child care do not have be licensed: • Child care provided by a relative to only related children and/or child care provided to children from one family that is not related to the provider. Related means a spouse, parent, a natural or adopted child or stepchild, a stepparent, stepbrother, stepsister, niece, nephew, an adoptive parent, grandparent, sibling, an aunt, uncle, or a legal guardian. (Although a spouse, a parent, a natural or adopted child or stepchild, or a stepparent are relatives as defined by licensing, they are not eligible for CCAP payments because they are part of the CCAP family). • Child care provided for a cumulative total of less than 30 days in any 12-month period. Although the types of child care listed above do not have to be licensed, the following people cannot provide unlicensed care to any child not related to them, per Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.03, subdivision 2(b). • A person who applied for a child care license, or who had a child care license, and received a license denial, fine or sanction that has not been reversed on appeal. • A provider who, as a result of the licensing process, has a disqualification that has not been set aside or a provider who has a household member who, as a result of a licensing process, has a disqualification that has not been set aside. To be paid by CCAP, a LNL provider must: • Be at least 18 years of age • Not be a member of the Minnesota Family Investment Program assistance unit or a member of the family applying for, or receiving, child care assistance. • Provide child care only to related children, and/or provide child care to children from a single, unrelated family at one time. Related refers to the provider being a sibling, stepsibling, niece, nephew, grandparent, aunt, or uncle. • Not live in the same household as the child receiving child care assistance. Use the Legal Nonlicensed Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS-5192) form on the DHS website at http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5192-ENG. 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- Additional requirements for Legal Nonlicensed providers Background study A requirement in the registration process for Legal Nonlicensed (LNL) providers is a criminal background study. The LNL provider and all household members age 13 and older (in some cases age 10 and older) must fill out the Authorization for Background Study form and return it, signed, to their CCAP agency. CCAP will request information about the provider and household members from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, juvenile courts and social service agencies. CCAP may charge you a fee to cover the cost of the background study, but the fee cannot be more than $100 a year. Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.125, subdivision 2 identifies the factors which would prevent the authorization of an LNL provider. Training requirements Before CCAP can pay LNL providers, the providers must have current first aid and CPR training. An individual approved to provide first aid and CPR training must provide training. Portions of first aid and CPR training may be done online; check with the CCAP agency to see if an online course can be approved. If after the registration period a provider still serves children receiving CCAP, the provider must take eight hours of additional training in topics approved by the Minnesota Center for Professional Development Registry before the CCAP agency will approve the next registration. Approved training can be found by searching on Develop, developtoolmn.org, or by contacting your local Child Care Aware agency. Several organizations provide approved trainings, including: • Child Care Aware, [PHONE REDACTED] or childcareawaremn.org • American Red Cross, [PHONE REDACTED] or redcross.org • Minnesota Safety Council, [PHONE REDACTED] or minnesotasafetycouncil.org • Local fire departments or community education offices. Other requirements • If a family chooses an LNL provider, the family must sign an acknowledgment stating that the parent and the provider have reviewed the health and safety information provided by the county. • The family must provide, and the LNL provider must obtain, an immunization record for each child within 90 days of beginning care. The family must give the provider updated immunization information when available. • In addition to the authorization requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.125, LNL providers must obey state and local health ordinances and building and fire codes that apply to where child care is provided. • The CCAP agency must give health and safety material to LNL providers and refer these providers to the local Child Care Aware agency (see page 44). 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- In-home providers Selection of in-home provider Providers can only be paid for child care provided in the child’s home if it is approved by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. CCAP does not pay providers who live in the same home as the child. Payments for child care in the child’s home can only be made when: • The child’s parents work or go to school out of the home (in a two parent household, one parent has been determined unable to care), and • Child care out of the home is not available or would disrupt the child’s nighttime sleep schedule, or • A child being cared for has an illness or disability that would make it difficult for the family to take the child to a child care home or a child care center. If you think children in your care may qualify to have care provided in their home, have the parent contact their CCAP agency. A CCAP family who is approved to have a provider care for their child or children in the family’s home may be considered an employer. Parents are responsible for meeting any employer-related requirements when they choose a provider who will provide child care in the family’s home. CCAP payments are made to the family when the child care is provided in the child’s home. The family must pay the provider. The CCAP agency will check with the provider, if needed, to make sure the payment is used for child care. The provider should contact the county if payment is not received timely from the family. Because the family receives the payment and remittance advice, an in-home provider must sign a release to let the family see information on the remittance advice (see page 37 about amounts being withheld from the payment and the reason for those withholdings. A Form 1099 is issued by DHS to the in-home provider at the end of the year. CCAP payments will count as income to the provider. Health and safety concerns Unsafe care If a licensed provider’s license has been temporarily, immediately suspended or if there is an imminent risk of harm to the health, safety or rights of a child in care with an LNL provider, a license exempt center, or a provider licensed by an entity other than the state of Minnesota, the CCAP agency will deny or end the authorization of the provider. If a provider’s authorization is ended, CCAP will not make any payments for the time period after the effective date of the notice unless the reasons for the unsafe care have been resolved and the provider has been reauthorized. Complaints against Legal Nonlicensed providers Within 24-hours of receiving a complaint about the health or safety of a child being cared for by a LNL provider, a CCAP agency must report the complaint to: • A child protection agency if the complaint alleges child maltreatment as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 626.556, subdivision 10(e) • A public health agency if the complaint alleges a danger to public health due to communicable disease, unsafe water supply, sewage or waste disposal, or building structures • Local law enforcement if the complaint alleges criminal activity that may endanger the health or safety of children under care • Other agencies that investigate complaints about the health and safety of a child, if applicable. 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- Copayments What is a copay? Families receiving CCAP may have to pay part of their child care cost. This portion of the cost is called a copay. Both you and the family will know the copay amount in advance. The family’s copay amount is based on their family income and size. The family owes the provider: • The copay • Any amount you charge above the CCAP maximum rates • Payment for care not covered by the CCAP Service Authorization (see page 19). The Service Authorization and the Billing Form (see page 23) show the copay amount that will be deducted from the payment. Who collects the copay from the family? It is your responsibility to collect the copay or make other payment arrangements with the parent. It is very important that you and the parent talk about the copay, and how and when to collect the copay and other amounts CCAP does not pay. In working out the family’s payment schedule, it may help to find out when the family gets paid. Which provider collects the copay when a family has two providers? If there is more than one provider, commonly only one will collect the copay. The family tells their county worker which provider is the primary, usually the provider who gives most of the child care. What happens if the family does not pay the copay? To stay eligible for child care assistance the family must pay their copay or make other payment arrangements with you for payment. If they don’t, you can circle “no” on the billing form where it asks if you have collected or waived the copay, or if the parent has a payment plan. If you circle “no” on the billing form or tell CCAP that the copay has not been paid, CCAP will send a notice to the family that their child care assistance case will close. CCAP must be notified by you or have other proof that the family has paid the copay or made other arrangements to continue assistance. CCAP can end the family’s assistance only for not paying the copay amount stated on the billing form. We cannot end the family’s assistance for amounts the parent owes over the CCAP maximum rates or for other money the parent may owe you. What if someone other than the family pays the copay? A source other than the family may pay the copay or you may choose to waive the copay. This does not affect a family’s eligibility for CCAP. If a source other than the family pays the copay, you must keep records of the payment source, amount and time period covered by the payment. If you waive a copay, you must keep records of the amount you waived and time period covered. 8 ---PAGE BREAK--- Provider record keeping and reporting requirements What records must I keep? You must maintain and make immediately available to the county, tribe or Department of Human Services on request the following records: • Daily attendance records for all children receiving child care assistance. Attendance records must be kept for at least six years at the site where services are delivered and include: o Date of care o First and last name of each child in attendance o Times when each child was dropped off and picked up, which must be documented by the person dropping off and/or picking up the child to the extent possible. • Records of charges and payments for all children in care. • Proof of payment of a family’s copayment made by a source other than the family. Document: o Payment source o Amount received o Time period covered. • Proof of payments to you of part or all of a family’s child care costs that CCAP cannot pay if the payment is made by a source other than the family. Document: o Payment source o Amount received o Type of expenses paid o Time period covered. CCAP may ask to see these records or ask for copies. A provider’s authorization may be denied or ended if there is reason to believe attendance records are not being kept. See the resources section (page 46) for recordkeeping and business resources. What must I report to CCAP? • If a child has been absent for more than seven consecutive days. • If a child’s attendance falls to less than half of the child’s authorized hours or days for a four-week period. • If a child ends care. • Any changes in information you previously provided in the Provider Acknowledgment, including address or phone number, rates, charges for absences and holidays, notice days required before a child ends care and required registration fees. You can use the Provider Registration Change Form (DHS-7196) to report changes. Legal Nonlicensed providers must report all changes that require reauthorization (see page Licensed family child care providers must report changes that may affect their license to their county licensing unit. 9 ---PAGE BREAK--- Parent, provider and county communication What can CCAP disclose about families? The law allows CCAP to give limited information about families we serve once we have verified that you are the provider for that family. We can tell you: • The number of authorized hours for child care • The amount and method CCAP will pay you • The amount the family must pay you • When CCAP expects payment will be made. A parent must sign an information release to allow us to share any other information. CCAP notices to providers You will receive a notice of any change to your provider authorization, a child’s authorization, or a family’s child care assistance if it affects the child care amount or payment. CCAP notice to providers if a family’s assistance ends When a family’s child care assistance is closed, CCAP will send the provider a notice containing the following information: • The family’s name. • Notice that assistance for the family is closing. • When the case will close. • That CCAP payments will no longer be made for care provided after the closing date unless the family asks to continue receiving assistance during an appeal. The notice to a provider will not contain information on why payments will no longer be made. The notice will be mailed to you at least 15 calendar days before the date of action unless the family had appealed a negative action and loses the appeal. CCAP notice to providers of negative actions to families CCAP will send a notice of the following negative actions to families: • A decrease in the hours of authorized care. • An increase in the family’s copayment. The notice will include the following information: • The family’s name. • A description of the action that does not contain information about why the action was taken. • The day the action is effective. The notice will be mailed to you at least 15 calendar days before the date of the action unless the family had appealed a negative action and loses the appeal. CCAP notice to providers if a family stops using the provider When a family stops using a provider but continues to receive assistance, CCAP will send the provider a notice containing the following information: • The family’s name. • Notice that the family has decided to stop using that provider. • The day CCAP payments will end. 10 ---PAGE BREAK--- CCAP notice to providers of negative actions to the provider CCAP will send you a notice of the following negative actions to you. • A denial of authorization of you as a provider. • An ending of authorization of you as a provider. • A finding that you have an overpayment. The notice will include the following information: • A description of the action. • The day the action is effective. • That unless a family appeals the action before the effective date or the provider appeals the overpayment, the action will occur on the effective date. CCAP will mail the notice at least 15 calendar days before the date of the action, unless: • The family appealed a negative action and lost the appeal • You are a licensed provider whose license has been temporarily immediately suspended • You are a Legal Nonlicensed provider, a license exempt center, or a provider licensed by an entity other than the state of Minnesota, and CCAP believes that there is an imminent risk of harm to the health, safety, or rights of a child in care. In these situations CCAP will send you a notice of termination that is effective the date of the action. Other information • The CCAP agency has up to 30 days to approve or deny an application, or up to 45 days with the family’s consent. • A family must complete a redetermination every 6 months. You and the family will get a 15-day notice if a family does not respond or if they are found ineligible. • Families are informed that if they are changing providers, they must give a 15-day notice to you and CCAP. CCAP will send you a notice telling you when your authorization ends. CCAP might not authorize care at a new provider until the end of this notice period if you require payment during this period. If you have other notice requirements, be sure to include these in a written contract with the family. • The notices sent by CCAP will tell you the maximum amount CCAP can pay for the care you provide to a family receiving CCAP (see rates information on page 12). If the parent signs an agreement or contract agreeing to your policies, the parent is responsible for fulfilling that agreement, not CCAP. CCAP must follow its own payment policies in determining your reimbursement rate. If your payment policies are different than CCAP policies, be sure to tell the family about any differences and what your policy is for collecting fees. • If a provider is in violation of certain licensing or CCAP rules, counties may close the provider’s registration. 11 ---PAGE BREAK--- Rates CCAP maximum rates CCAP has maximum rates that can be paid for hourly, daily and weekly care. CCAP can pay the provider’s charge or the applicable maximum rate, whichever is less. The rate paid to a provider caring for a child through CCAP cannot be higher than their typical private pay charge. How are maximum rates determined? A statewide child care provider rate survey is done every other year in Minnesota. The survey is done through Child Care Aware of Minnesota. All licensed family child care providers, licensed child care centers and licensed school-age programs are included in the survey, informing the state legislature about market rates. The state legislature sets the maximum rates. Where can I find the maximum rates? Maximum rates are listed in three DHS documents. • Minnesota CCAP Standard Maximum Rates—No Quality Differential (DHS-6441B) • Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program—15 Percent Quality Differential Maximum Rates (DHS­ 6442B) document listing the 15 percent quality differential maximum hourly, daily and weekly reimbursement rates for child care providers who serve families participating in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and who hold certain accreditations or credentials or have a 3-Star Parent Aware Rating. • Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program 20 Percent Quality Differential Maximum Rates (DHS-6824). Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program document listing the 20 Percent quality differential maximum rates child care providers can be paid who serve families participating in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and have a 4-Star Parent Aware Rating. Do rates vary based on the provider type or location? Rates differ by county, type of provider and age of the child. Rate types include hourly, daily and weekly care. Provider payments are based on the maximum rates in the county where the provider lives. If the care is provided in the child’s home, the rate is based on the county where the family lives. If the provider lives outside of Minnesota, maximum rates are based on the county where the family lives. Legal Nonlicensed providers are paid on an hourly basis. Do rates vary based on the provider’s quality? Yes. There are three types of maximum rates that can be paid to providers through CCAP based on quality. For more information regarding quality differential rates, see the higher rates for quality section (page 15). 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- Do the rates vary based on the child’s age? Yes. Age groups that apply when making payments for center child care are established by Minnesota Administrative Rules, Chapter 9503, Child Care Center Licensing, and are enforced by the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Division of Licensing. The following age groups are for children in center child care: Center Child Care Infant 6 weeks up to 16 months of age Toddler 16 months up to 33 months of age Preschool 33 months but not yet attending kindergarten1 School Age Is at least of sufficient age to attend the first day of kindergarten within the next 4 months2 Age groups that apply when making payments for family child care are established by Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.02, Subdivisions 16 and 19, and are enforced by the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Division of Licensing. The following age groups are for children in Legal Nonlicensed and licensed family child care: Family Child Care Infant 6 weeks to 12 months of age3 Toddler 12 months to less than 24 months of age Preschool 24 months up to the age of being eligible to attend kindergarten within the next 4 months School Age Is at least of sufficient age to attend the first day of kindergarten within the next 4 months4 1 A child may be designated as an “infant” up to the age of 18 months, a “toddler” up to the age of 35 months, or a “preschooler” at the age of 31 months for purposes of staff ratios, group size, and programming, if the parent, teacher, and center director determine that the designation is in the best interest of the child. If a child has a licensing variance to be served in a different age rate category, CCAP may be able to reimburse providers at the lower age rate category. Contact the family’s caseworker or another worker the CCAP agency has told you to contact for more information about provisions for age flexibility. 2 CCAP’s definition of child, Minnesota Statute, section 119B.11, subdivision 4, allows CCAP participation and payment for children through age 12 or age 14 if the child has a documented disability. 3 Care for a child less than 6 weeks of age in family child care or in the care of a LNL provider will be paid at the infant rate. 4 CCAP’s definition of child, Minnesota Statute, section 119B.11, subdivision 4, allows CCAP participation and payment for children through age 12 or age 14 if the child has a documented disability. 13 ---PAGE BREAK--- Special needs rates A special needs rate may be requested/approved when: • The provider charges more only for a child with special needs • The provider charges more but spreads the cost of caring for a child with special needs across all children in care. The higher rate may only be paid for the child with special needs. It is the provider’s responsibility to assure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Special needs rates for individual children CCAP can pay a higher rate for children with special needs if the child requires a higher level of care for his or her age due to a physical, behavioral or medical disability. The disability must be documented, and the provider must explain why the child needs a higher than normal level of care, what their extra costs are and what steps they have taken to meet those needs. To ask for a special needs rate for an individual child, the parent and provider must: • Complete the CCAP Special Needs Rate Variance Request—Parent and Provider Request form (DHS­ 4194) • Include proof of the child’s special needs due to a disability • Submit the form to the child’s CCAP worker. Special needs rates for children in an at-risk population CCAP defines at-risk as challenges both inside and outside a child’s home that make it harder for the child to achieve his or her full potential. These challenges may include a federal or state disaster, limited English proficiency in the family, a history or risk of abuse or neglect, family violence, homelessness, the age of the mother, the level of the mother’s education, family mental illness, a developmental disability, or a parent’s chemical dependency or other substance abuse. The at-risk population must be defined by the CCAP agency that authorizes care and approved by DHS. Not all CCAP agencies define at-risk populations and populations may be different in different CCAP agencies. A higher rate may be paid for a child in an at-risk population if the child requires specialized training, services, or environmental adaptations to meet the needs of the child or the at-risk population. To ask for a special needs rate for children in an at-risk population, contact the CCAP Agency. The provider must: • Provide a description of the special training, services, or physical changes that will occur to meet the needs of the child or the at-risk population • Provide an assurance that the rate they are asking for is the same rate they would charge for care of a child in the at-risk population in a family not receiving child care assistance • Provide, if appropriate, a statement explaining that the rate the provider charges for all children should be the special needs rate for the child in the at-risk population because the provider has spread the cost of caring for children with special needs across all families. 14 ---PAGE BREAK--- Higher rates for quality CCAP can pay up to 15 or 20 percent above the CCAP standard maximum rate, but not more than the provider’s charge. The higher rate may be paid if the provider submits proof that they hold certain current early childhood development credentials, are accredited by an approved organization or have received a Three- or Four-Star Rating through Parent Aware. The rates paid to a provider continue to be the lesser of the CCAP rates or the rate the provider charges all families. Links to the DHS documents listing the maximum rates with quality differentials can be found in the rates section (page 12). See the resources section (page 44) for help with becoming accredited or getting credentialed. Provider credentials CCAP can pay up to 15 percent above the CCAP standard maximum rate, but not more than the provider’s charge, if the provider submits proof that they hold certain current early childhood development credentials. Use the CCAP Quality Differential Rate Request Form (DHS-4795) to request the higher rate. For licensed family child care providers or Legal Nonlicensed providers early childhood developmental credentials only, include: • A Child Development Associate Credential (cdacouncil.org) • A child development associate degree • A diploma in child development from a Minnesota state technical college • A bachelor’s or higher degree in early childhood education from an accredited college or university • Completion of the Competency Based Training and Assessment Program (http://www.pla-inc.org/). (Not currently offered.) Each adult on a family child care license must have one of the listed credentials to receive the higher rate. Licensed family child care providers and Legal Nonlicensed providers are not eligible for the higher rate if they do not hold one of the above credentials, or they hold a credential other than the ones listed above. Family child care providers can also receive a higher rate differential for holding certain accreditations (see accreditation section below). Accreditation CCAP can pay up to 15 percent above the CCAP standard maximum rate, but not more than the provider’s charge, if the provider submits proof that they are accredited by an approved organization. Use the CCAP Quality Differential Rate Request Form (DHS-4795) to request the higher rate. 15 ---PAGE BREAK--- Licensed and license-exempt child care center accreditations Approved accreditations for early care and education programs in 20165: • AdvancED - Early Learning Accreditation (Must submit AdvancED letter confirming early learning protocols are met.) • Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE) • American Montessori Society (AMS) School Accreditation • Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) REACH Accreditation • Association of Montessori International – USA (AMI) – Montessori School Recognition • Council on Accreditation (COA) – Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program Accreditation • Green Apple Accreditation of Children’s Services (GAACS) - Early Education Center (EEC) Accreditation • National Accreditation Commission (NAC) for Early Care and Education Programs Accreditation • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation • National Early Childhood Program Accreditation Commission Inc. (NECPA) Accreditation • Head Start Performance Excellence and Quality Recognition Program • National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) Approved accreditations for school-age/after school programs (2016)5: • Council on Accreditation (COA) – After school (ASP) & Youth Development (YDP) Program Accreditation • Minnesota Afterschool Accreditation Program (MAAP), offered by the Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance (MNSACA) Family child care accreditations There is one accreditation for family child care providers to qualify for the 15 percent higher rate for quality. This accreditation is not subject to approval and renewal. Currently, there is not a process to add or assess accrediting organizations for family child care providers. Family child care providers can also receive a higher rate differential for holding certain credentials (see provider credentials section on page 15). Approved accreditations for family child care providers: • National Association for Family Child Care Accreditation. Parent Aware Three- and Four-Star Rating Parent Aware is Minnesota’s Child Care Quality Rating and Improvement System. Highly-rated providers participating in Parent Aware are eligible for a higher CCAP rate, not to exceed the provider charge. • Three-Star Parent Aware Rated providers will be paid up to 15 percent above the standard maximum rate. • Four-Star Parent Aware Rated providers will be paid up to 20 percent above the standard maximum rate. Family child care providers and child care centers (licensed and license exempt) are eligible for Parent Aware ratings and the higher rates. Eligible providers are automatically authorized to receive a higher maximum payment by DHS within 30 days of rating. 5 Accrediting organizations must apply to be considered for inclusion on the list of approved accreditations. Accrediting organizations must have their approval status reviewed and re-assessed every two years. Accrediting organizations can apply annually to the Department of Human Services to be added to the list. The updated list is published annually on the “CCAP Quality Differential Rate Request Form” (DHS-4795). 16 ---PAGE BREAK--- Weekly authorization to high quality providers This policy is designed to support consistent care schedules for young children attending high quality care and allow for higher CCAP payments. Under this policy, some children attending high quality providers can be authorized for more hours and their providers can be paid up to the applicable weekly maximum rate, not to exceed the provider’s charge. For more information, reference Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Weekly Authorization to High Quality Providers (DHS-6954) at http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS­ 6954-ENG. High quality providers are: • Providers with a Three- or Four-Star Parent Aware Rating • Centers (licensed and license exempt) accredited by certain organizations • Licensed family child care providers that hold certain current early childhood development credentials or are accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care. Children eligible for this policy must: • Be ages 0 to 5, but not yet in kindergarten • Be eligible for 30 hours of care as determined by their CCAP worker • Attend a high quality provider. How is this policy implemented? Children ages 0 to 5 that qualify for 30 to 49 hours of care per week (60 to 99 hours biweekly) with high quality providers will be issued Service Authorizations authorizing 50 hours of care per week (100 hours biweekly). Parents and providers can determine a schedule of up to 50 hours per week (100 hours biweekly). If the parent and provider agree to a weekly schedule of care, it will typically result in payment at the maximum weekly rate, not to exceed the provider’s charge. What do providers need to do? Communicate with families to determine what the child’s schedule of care will be. The parent and provider must determine whether or not the child will be scheduled for the full 50 hours of care per week authorized. The Billing Form submitted to the county should show the agreed upon schedule of care in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section of the Billing Form. Do not include hours in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record if the child cannot attend during those hours or if the family has not agreed to that schedule of care. When determining the schedule of care, it is important to remember that when a child is absent from care on a scheduled day, the day must be listed as an absent day on the Billing Form. The number of absent days that CCAP can pay for is limited to 25 days per calendar year for most children. If a family only needs three or four days of care and does not intend to bring their child to care on the other day(s) it may not be beneficial for that child to have a schedule that includes five days of care. Providers are not required to offer the full 50 hours of care per week authorized. Providers are encouraged to have written policies that are applied consistently regarding the Weekly Authorization to High Quality Providers policy. For example, the provider may include in their policies that a child may not be allowed to attend the full amount of care authorized if there are not open spaces for the additional days or hours. Providers should bill CCAP at their usual rates for the total amount of care provided. For example: • A child previously attended 40 hours per week and now attends 50 hours. The provider’s charge for 40 hours is the same as their charge for 50 hours. The amount billed would not change. 17 ---PAGE BREAK--- • A child attended three days per week and now attends five days. The provider’s charge for five days is more than their charge for three days. The five day per week charge may be billed. 18 ---PAGE BREAK--- Service Authorizations Before you provide care, you should have a Service Authorization to ensure the family is eligible for CCAP. If CCAP does not give you a Service Authorization, you may collect the child care payment from the family directly. CCAP will send both you and the family a copy of the Service Authorization. This form provides information that you and the family need to know. On page 21 is an example of a Service Authorization. What information is included on a Service Authorization? The Service Authorization will tell you: • The start date—the first day you will be paid by CCAP to care for this child. • The number of hours of care approved or authorized—this is the maximum number of hours of care that CCAP will pay for this child for each two-week time period. • The age group of the child—this affects the rate that can be paid. • The rate type the provider qualifies for—this affects the rate that can be paid. • The maximum rates that can be paid hourly, daily and weekly for that age category. • The total number of absent days that have been paid for that child in that calendar year as of the notice date. • The copay amount that the family must pay you every two weeks. The copay may be a prorated amount for the first payment period if the care does not begin at the start of a CCAP service period. The Service Authorization may or may not include information about a child’s expected schedule. If you have any questions about the Service Authorization or the information provided on the Service Authorization, call the family’s CCAP worker or an approved county worker. What are scheduled hours? Scheduled hours are the days and hours during a service period that a child will attend care as determined by the child care worker, the parent, and the provider based on the parent’s verified schedules, the child’s school schedule, and any other factors relevant to the family’s child care needs. Contact the worker if you are unsure of a child’s expected schedule. What information should I get from parents? Ask families for other information you need, including: • What days and hours will the children be in care? If this conflicts with information about the family’s authorized schedule that you got from the CCAP agency, you should follow up with the family and caseworker. • When will the family pay their copay and/or share of the costs not paid by CCAP? What if I have questions? Talk to the family’s CCAP worker or another worker you have been told by the CCAP agency to contact if you have questions about the Service Authorization. 19 ---PAGE BREAK--- Flexible schedules Statements on the Service Authorization include: • Hours of child care that can be paid based on the parent and child’s schedule. A family with a schedule that changes may be authorized for more hours of care than can be paid by the child care assistance program. • Billing only for the time that the child has been scheduled to be in your care as agreed upon by you, the parent and the child care worker. The family must pay for any care you provide not included in this schedule. If a parent has a work schedule that does not have the same number of hours every week, the number of hours of care approved for a child on the Service Authorization may be a different number of hours that a parent is expected to work in a two week time period. If you have a family with a schedule that changes, it is important that you work with the family and the family’s CCAP worker so you know the number of hours that can be paid. • If the family needs less child care than what is authorized because the parent is scheduled to work fewer hours, CCAP may not be able to pay for this number of hours of care for a two-week period. You can only bill for hours the child is authorized and scheduled to be in care. See Billing for families who have flexible schedules in the Billing for child care section (page 28). • If the family needs more child care than what is authorized because the parent is scheduled to work additional hours, do not bill for more hours than authorized without receiving approval from the CCAP agency. If you bill for more than the authorized hours, your payment may be reduced. 20 ---PAGE BREAK--- Sample Service Authorization Page 1 21 ---PAGE BREAK--- Sample Service Authorization, Page 2 22 ---PAGE BREAK--- Billing for child care About the Billing Form You will receive a Billing Form for each family you provide child care for. The Billing Form will cover either two or four weeks, based on the cycle you select. Each Billing Form can be used only for the time period stated on the form. A Sample Billing Form is included on page 32. When do I complete the Billing Form? After you have provided care for the time period covered by the Billing Form, fill out the form and send it to the CCAP agency indicated for processing and payment. Do not send in the Billing Form until after you have provided all of the care for the time period covered. Be sure to send the Billing Form in All provider bills must be sent to CCAP within 60 days of the last date of service on the bill. CCAP may pay a bill submitted after this 60-day limit only if the provider shows good cause for the delay. Each county defines good cause at their own discretion. CCAP cannot pay a bill submitted more than a year after the last date of service on the bill. Providers who provide false information on a Billing Form could be disqualified from receiving future CCAP payments and face criminal charges. Where do I send the completed Billing Form? Send the Billing Form to the CCAP agency indicated on the form for processing and payment. What billing records should I keep? See Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) basics on page 9. • Keep a copy of your completed Billing Form for your records. • Providers who receive payments for CCAP children from other sources other than CCAP must track those payments. Use the Child Care Assistance Program Financial Tracking Form (DHS-5318) to help track and record third-party payments. What information is on the Billing Form? Page 1 of the Billing Form See the Sample Billing Form on page 32. The first page of the Billing Form provides: • The name of the family • The time period covered by the Billing Form • A description of the codes you will use to fill out the Billing Form • A place for you to sign and date the form • A place for the family to sign and date the form, if required by the county • A place for you to give information to the family’s worker • A place for the family’s worker to give you information you need to know • The worker’s name and phone number. You must sign and date the form in order to be paid. You should not sign and date the form, or have the parent sign and date the form, until after the last day of care in that billing period. By signing the Billing Form, you are stating that what you are billing for is correct. Page 2 of the Billing Form The second page of the Billing Form gives you information on each child you care for from the family. This is where you fill out your charges and each child’s schedule. 23 ---PAGE BREAK--- This section shows the child’s name, the age group of the child, and the maximum authorized hours for the child. How do I fill out the Billing Form? Page 1 of the Billing Form • Have the parent sign and date the form if required by the CCAP agency. • You must sign and date the form. You should not sign and date the form until after the last day of care in that billing period. • If you need to report information to the CCAP agency, you can include this information in the comments section. For example, use this space to report when a child stops attending and/or if their attendance drops to less than half of their scheduled hours for days in a four week period. Page 2 of the Billing Form—Provider Charges Age group Authorized hours Unit type Number of units Unit rate Amount billed NSH fees Registration fees Subtotal Infant 80 H 80 16 $480 0 $50 $530 This is where you indicate the rates that you charge families for child care. Providers determine the manner in which they charge for the child care they provide to families. Many providers charge in ways other than hourly, daily or weekly. For example, school age care is often charged using before- or after-school session rates. You should not change your billing practices. If your charge is $20 for an afternoon session, that is what you should charge and bill CCAP. Information included in this section should reflect how a provider should bill and not what the provider expects CCAP to pay. Note: If you charge different types of rates for the same child you must fill in each rate on a different line of the Billing Form. CCAP is able to authorize payment at the provider’s rate, not exceeding the county maximum rate, for all hours of child care authorized for the family. The amount CCAP can pay depends on how many hours of care can be authorized based on the parent’s activity and the child’s need for care. Providers may not charge CCAP families more than the private, full-paying client rate for like services. Unit type Fill in H if you are billing hourly, D if you are billing daily, or W if you are billing weekly. If you are not billing hourly, daily or weekly, fill in O for other. • or session rates would be O. A rate must be adjusted to cover the number of days of the service period. • If you charge by the quarter-, half- or three-quarter-hour, you should use the O unit type and fill in the quarter-, half- or three-quarter-hour rate and the number of quarter-, half- or three-quarter-hour units. • If you charge different types of rates for the same child, you must fill in each rate on a different line. 24 ---PAGE BREAK--- Number of units Fill in the number of the units you are billing for matching the unit type for the service period. The number of units must be a whole number. • A school-age provider might have a before- and an after-school session rate. If a child attends five mornings a week for two weeks, the provider would fill in O unit type with 10 units. If a child attends five mornings and five afternoons a week for two weeks and the sessions are the same rate, the provider would fill in O unit type with 20 units. If the morning and afternoon sessions are different rates the provider should use two lines on the Billing Form, one for each rate. • If a provider charges by the half-hour, the provider should use the O unit type, fill in the half-hour rate and the number of half-hour units. • If a provider charges or in another way that is greater than the service period, the provider will need to adjust their charge to cover the number of days of the service period. Unit Rate Fill in the amount that you charge for the unit type entered. This is the amount you charge for one unit. Amount Billed Fill in the amount that you charge for all of the units of care. This is the unit rate multiplied by the number of units. Registration Fees Fill in any required registration fees that you charge. Subtotal Fill in the total of the amount billed plus any registration fees for this child. Copay Collected: Y/N Waived: Y/N Payment: Y/N Copay: 27.00 This line tells you what the family’s copay is. You should collect this amount from the family. • Copay collected: Circle Y if the family has paid their their copay. • Copay collected, waived, payment plan: circle N to report that the copay has not been paid. Do not circle these if the family paid the copay, but owes you for charges over the CCAP maximum rate (see Copayments on page • If you do not charge the family their copay amount circle the N after copay collected and Y after Waived. • If the family owes you their copay but you and the family have agreed to how and when they will pay you, circle N after copay collected and Y after payment plan. Total: $253.00 This line is where you fill out your total charge. This amount is the total of all of the charges that you billed on the lines above minus the copayment. • Do not include any amount in the total that you have not billed for in the billing section. • Fill in your total charge in dollars and cents (example $400.00). The total charge must equal the amount on the individual lines of the Billing Form. 25 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 of the Billing Form—Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Beginning 06/27/16 Mon 25 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 02 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total 27 Scheduled # of Hours 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 80 Attendance A =Absent H=Holiday A H This section has the daily calendar for the service period. Fill out the number of hours that the child was scheduled and authorized to be in care for each day in the service period. Due to rounding, this amount does not need to match the amount billed in the billing section if the provider bills by the quarter-, half- or three-quarter-hour. See page 29. • The hours the child was scheduled and authorized to be in care are based on the parent and child’s schedule. If the child attends care outside the hours authorized by CCAP, do not enter those hours on the Billing Form. Only enter scheduled hours that the child was scheduled and authorized to be in care. • Fill in the number of hours that the child was scheduled to be in care even if the child did not attend for all or part of the time scheduled. • The number of hours must be in full hours. o If a child was scheduled to be in care for a partial hour, round the number up to the next full hour. (If the child was scheduled to be in care seven and a half hours, fill in eight hours.) • Do not enter more hours than the child was scheduled to be in care. If you believe the authorized hours are not enough to cover the number of hours that should be paid by CCAP, contact the family’s CCAP worker or another worker you have been told by the county to contact for more information. If the number of hours entered in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section is greater than the number of hours authorized for the child, the payment may be incorrect. • A family with a schedule that changes may be authorized for more hours of care than can be paid by CCAP. See Billing for families who have flexible schedules on page 28. Fill in the number of hours that the child has been scheduled to be in your care as agreed upon by you, the family and the child care worker. • If the child was absent or you were closed for a holiday, fill in the number of hours that the child was scheduled to be in care that day. 26 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 of the Billing Form— Absent days and holidays Fill in an A for any day the child is absent for all scheduled hours that day or an H for any day you were closed for a holiday if the child was scheduled to be in care. If a child was absent for part of a day, but attended the other part of the day, do not fill in an A (see Billing for absent days on page 30 for more information). What if the provider charges and daily attendance records do not match? The hours entered in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record and the amount you bill do not need to match. You should bill at your usual rates for the total amount of authorized and scheduled care, even if you know that CCAP will not be able to pay in the same unit that you charge. In the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record you should fill in the number of hours that the child was authorized and scheduled to be in care for each day in the service period. Billing Example If you have a child who attends Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and you charge a daily rate of $20 for any day the child is scheduled to be in care for more than four hours, fill out the Billing Form as follows: Age group Authorized hours Unit type Number of units Unit rate Amount billed Registration fees Subtotal Infant 50 D 10 $20 $200 $200 Your charge is 10 days at $20 per day, totaling $200. Fill out the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section as follows: Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Beginning 06/27/12 Mon 25 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 02 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total 27 Scheduled # of Hours 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 50 Attendance A =Absent H=Holiday 27 ---PAGE BREAK--- Electronic billing with MEC² PRO MEC² is the computer system that Minnesota’s CCAP agencies use to administer CCAP. It helps CCAP agencies in determining family eligibility and making payments to child care providers. MEC² PRO is an online billing tool that works with MEC². It allows providers to submit bills using a secure internet connection. In addition to allowing providers to submit bills electronically, it: • Allows providers to view the status of their CCAP Service Authorizations and payments online • Reduces paperwork and mailing costs • Increases payment timeliness. To use MEC² PRO, providers need a computer and an Internet connection. Not all CCAP agencies use MEC² PRO. CCAP agencies that use MEC² PRO can choose which providers they want to enroll. Contact the CCAP agency where you are registered to find out whether MEC² PRO is an option for you. Billing for families who have flexible schedules In most cases, you can bill and CCAP can pay for the full number of hours of care that have been authorized for a child. This number of authorized hours will be the number of hours of care on the Service Authorization (see page 19). However, if the number of hours of child care that a child needs changes often due to a parent’s work schedule, a child’s school schedule, or for another reason, CCAP may not be able to pay for all of the hours of care authorized for a child. Statements on the Service Authorization say that: • The hours of child care that can be paid are based on the parent and child’s schedule. • A family with a schedule that changes may be authorized for more hours of care than can be paid by CCAP. • Bill only for the time that the child has been scheduled to be in your care as agreed upon by you, the parent and the child care worker. The family must pay for any care you provide not included in this schedule. If a parent has a work schedule that does not have the same number of hours every week, the number of hours of care approved for a child on the Service Authorization may differ from the number of hours that a parent is expected to work in a two-week time period. If you have a family with a schedule that changes, it is important that you work with the family and the family’s CCAP worker so you know the number of hours that can be paid by CCAP. • If the family needs less child care than what is authorized because the parent is scheduled to work fewer hours, CCAP may not be able to pay for this number of hours of care for a two-week period. You can only bill for hours the child is scheduled to be in care. • If the family needs more child care than what is authorized because the parent is scheduled to work additional hours, do not bill for more hours than authorized without getting approval from the CCAP agency. Billing for more hours than a child is authorized may cause your payment amount to be incorrect. It is important that you work closely with the family and the child care worker in these cases so that you or the family do not receive an overpayment. Scheduled hours recorded on the Billing Form must reflect the specific hours and days that a child was actually scheduled and authorized to be in care. Do not split up hours to maximize payment. Knowingly entering false information on the Billing Form constitutes fraud, which may result in disqualification and/or criminal charges. 28 ---PAGE BREAK--- Rounding If you charge families for child care in a unit smaller than hours, you must fill out the top section of the second page of the Billing Form to reflect your actual charge, but you must round up to full hours in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section. If you have a child who attends Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and you charge the family for seven and a half hours per day, fill out the Billing Form as follows: Age group Authorized hours Unit type Number of units Unit rate Amount billed Registration fees Subtotal Infant 80 H 75 $6 $450 $450 Your charge is 7.5 hours times 10 days, totaling75 hours. Then 75 hours at $6 per hour, totaling $450. Although you are charging for half hours, you must fill out the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section in full hours, rounding up as necessary. Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Beginning 06/27/16 Mon 25 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 02 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total 27 Scheduled # of Hours 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 80 Attendance A =Absent H=Holiday Your payment will be calculated based on the hours entered in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section, but will not exceed the amount that you billed in the billing section. You should bill in the way that you charge all families. If you have a child who attends Monday through Friday the first week and Monday through Thursday the second week from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and you charge the family for seven and a half hours per day, fill out the Billing Form as follows: Age group Authorized hours Unit type Number of units Unit rate Amount billed Registration fees Subtotal Infant 72 H 67 $6 $402 $402 0 1 $3 $3 $3 Your charge is 7.5 hours times 9 days, totaling 67.5 hours. 29 ---PAGE BREAK--- The top line of the section above shows your billed amount for 67 hours at $6 per hour, totaling $402. The second line shows your billed amount for a half hour, listed as O (other), at The total amount billed is $405. Although you are charging for half hours, you must fill out the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section in full hours, rounding up. Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Beginning 06/27/16 Mon 25 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 02 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total 27 Scheduled # of Hours 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 0 72 Attendance A =Absent H=Holiday Your payment will be calculated based on the hours entered in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section and CCAP payment policies, but will not exceed the amount that you billed in the billing section. You should bill in the way that you charge all families. Billing for absent days CCAP will pay for up to 25 absent days per calendar year, not exceeding 10 consecutive days, per child at a licensed provider or license exempt center. CCAP will not make absent day payments to legal nonlicensed child care providers. The family is responsible for any absent days that CCAP does not cover. Children of parents under age 21 who do not have a high school diploma, and who attend certain child care programs, may qualify for an exemption from the 25-day limit and the 10 consecutive day limit. Contact the CCAP agency if you serve high school students and offer specialized services to see if you qualify for this exemption. Children with documented medical conditions or illnesses that cause more frequent absences may exceed the 25-day absent limit and the 10 consecutive day limit. Medical conditions or illnesses must be documented on the CCAP Medical Condition Documentation Form (DHS-4602). Licensed providers may bill CCAP for absent days if: • Care was authorized by CCAP and scheduled by the parent, but the child was absent, and • It is the provider’s policy to bill all of their families for absent days, and • Scheduled hours are identified in the provider’s attendance records as an absent day, and • Care is available. • If a child is absent for part of a day, the payment for that day will be for the amount of care that is scheduled for that day but the day will not count toward the 25-day limit. • Families and providers will be told the number of absent days used by each child on the Service Authorization. Additionally, the provider will be told the number of absent days used on the Remittance Advice. However, this information is only as current as the last bill submitted by the provider. If a child has more than one provider, or if Billing Forms are not submitted timely, it is possible that the number of absent days that have been used will be different than the information provided. If a provider is aware that a child has stopped attending or has been absent for seven consecutive days they should notify the family’s CCAP worker immediately. 30 ---PAGE BREAK--- Billing for holidays CCAP will pay a provider’s charge for up to 10 federal or state holidays per year if: • The provider is closed and not providing care • The provider charges all families for these days • The holiday falls on a day when the child is authorized and scheduled to be in attendance. If care is available on the holiday, but the child is absent, count the day as an absent day. The 10 recognized state and federal holidays are: • New Year’s Day, January 1 • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, third Monday in January • Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February • Memorial Day, last Monday in May • Independence Day, July 4 • Labor Day, first Monday in September • Columbus Day, second Monday in October6 • Veterans Day, November 11 • Thanksgiving, fourth Thursday in November • Christmas Day, December 25 Other cultural or religious holidays may be substituted for the 10 recognized state and federal holidays if the parent or provider notifies the county of the substitution prior to, or within 10 days after the holiday. CCAP cannot pay for more than 10 total holidays, recognized and/or substituted, per calendar year, per child. A county may limit holiday substitutions if approving the request would impact the family, such as when a second provider needs to be paid for that day. If the provider’s service is not available on the holiday the provider bills for, but the family needs care from another provider on that day, only one provider may be paid. CCAP cannot pay for provider vacation days, sick days, or any other days that child care is not available, other than holidays. Registration fees CCAP will pay a registration fee up to the maximum if a licensed provider or license exempt center charges the fee and the fee is not included in the provider’s rate. Registration fees cannot be paid to Legal Nonlicensed providers. The family must pay for any part of the registration fee that is more than the maximum amount. The maximum child care registration fees are printed in the Minnesota CCAP Maximum Child Care Registration Fees (DHS-6443) found at CCAP can pay for two registration fees per child in a 12-month period. Any additional registration fees are the family’s responsibility. If a registration fee is a refundable deposit, the provider must deduct the fee from the final bill at the time the family ends care. CCAP will track refundable registration fees. 6 The day after Thanksgiving may be substituted for Christopher Columbus Day. 31 ---PAGE BREAK--- Sample Billing Form Page 1 32 ---PAGE BREAK--- Sample Billing Form, Page 2 33 ---PAGE BREAK--- Payments Payment rules CCAP will pay: • Scheduled and authorized hours of child care • Up to the maximum rates, minus the family’s copay amount. CCAP will not pay: • More than your bill • More than the scheduled and authorized hours • More than the CCAP maximum rates • For provider vacation days, sick days, or any other days that child care is not available, other than holidays. The maximum amount CCAP allows is based on: • County where care is provided. • Age of the child. • Type of provider. • Number of hours of child care that are authorized. • Schedule of when care is needed. • CCAP payment rules. For all providers • The number of hours of care paid cannot exceed 120 hours in two weeks, per child for all authorized providers. • If a family chooses a provider who charges more than the amount CCAP can pay, the family is responsible for paying the additional amount. • Once the maximum allowed payment is calculated, the copay is deducted from the total. • CCAP can pay the provider’s charge or the maximum amount allowed by CCAP policy, whichever is less. For licensed family child care providers, licensed centers and license exempt centers • CCAP will pay up to the maximum weekly rate if the child is authorized and scheduled for more than 35 hours per week with a single provider. • CCAP will pay up to the maximum daily rate if the child is authorized and scheduled for 35 hours or less per week, and more than five hours in one day with a single provider. • CCAP will pay up to the maximum hourly rate if the child is authorized and scheduled for 35 hours or less per week, and five or less hours in one day with a single provider. • CCAP can never pay more than the maximum weekly rate to a single provider for one week of care. • For child care paid using the daily rate, a full day is counted as 10 hours of care. • For child care paid using the weekly rate, a week is counted as 50 hours of care. For legal nonlicensed providers • Legal nonlicensed providers can only can be paid by the hour. • CCAP cannot pay for more than 10 hours of care in one day. • CCAP cannot pay for more than 50 hours of care in one week. 34 ---PAGE BREAK--- Payment rules examples You should submit your bill in the way that you would bill all families you provide care for. In all of these examples, you would fill out the hours in the Daily Scheduled Attendance Record section with the number of hours the child was authorized and scheduled to be in care for each day of the service period. CCAP will calculate your payment to be the maximum that can be paid—not to exceed your charge. 1. A Legal Nonlicensed provider bills for 93 hours of care in a two-week period. During the first week of the service period, the child is authorized and scheduled to be in care for a total of 33 hours (11 hours a day, Monday through Wednesday). During the second week of the service period, the child is authorized and scheduled to be in care a total of 60 hours (10 hours per day, Monday through Saturday). Fill out the Billing Form. Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Beginning 06/27/16 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total 25 02 Scheduled # of Hours 11 11 11 0 0 10 10 10 10 10 10 93 Attendance A =Absent H=Holiday CCAP will pay a total of 80 hours (30 hours for the first week and 50 hours for the second week). For the first week, payment is capped at 30 hours. This is because CCAP cannot pay Legal Nonlicensed providers for more than 10 hours of care in one day. For the second week, payment is capped at 50 hours. This is because CCAP cannot pay Legal Nonlicensed providers more than 50 hours in one week. 2. A licensed provider or license exempt center bills for 90 hours in a two-week period. During the first week of the service period, the child is authorized and scheduled to be in care for a total of 60 hours (15 hours a day, Monday through Thursday). During the second week of the service period, the child is scheduled to be in care a total of 30 hours (15 hours per day, Monday and Tuesday). Fill out the Billing Form. Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Beginning 06/27/16 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total 25 02 Scheduled # of Hours 15 15 15 15 0 15 15 0 0 0 90 Attendance A =Absent H=Holiday 35 ---PAGE BREAK--- CCAP will pay one weekly rate and two daily rates. For the first week, payment is capped at the weekly rate. This is because the child was authorized and scheduled to be in care for more than 35 hours. CCAP cannot pay more than the weekly rate, even when a child is authorized and scheduled for more than 50 hours of care in one week. For the second week, payment is capped at two daily rates. This is because the child is scheduled and authorized for 35 hours or less in the week, but more than 5 hours in each day. CCAP cannot pay more than the daily rate, even though the child was scheduled to be in care for more than 10 hours each day. 3. A licensed provider or license exempt center bills for 70 hours in a two-week period During each week of the service period, the child is authorized and scheduled to be in care for a total of 35 hours (7 hours a day, Monday through Friday). Fill out the Billing Form. Daily Scheduled Attendance Record Beginning 06/27/26 Mon 25 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 02 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total 27 Scheduled # of Hours 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 70 Attendance A =Absent H=Holiday In most cases, CCAP will pay 10 daily rates. This is because the child was authorized and scheduled to be in care for 35 hours or less in each week, but more than 5 hours in each day. However, if the weekly rate is less than 10 daily rates, payment would not be more than the weekly rate. CCAP will never pay more than the maximum weekly rate to a single provider for one week of care. 36 ---PAGE BREAK--- Additional Payment Information How are payments processed? After you have provided care and mailed in your Billing Form, it will be processed. CCAP agencies have up to 30 days to process Billing Forms, after you submit a bill within 10 days of the end of the billing period. Once the bill is processed, payments are generated If you care for more than one family from a single CCAP agency, a payment could cover more than one Billing Form. If a Billing Form is incomplete or incorrect, it may be sent back to you, delaying the processing of your billing and payment. How will I know when a payment has been processed? When CCAP makes a payment, a Remittance Advice is sent to the provider, giving details about the payment that you received. Please keep this notice for your tax records. See page 38 for more information on Remittance Advice. What payment options are available? Check (Warrant) A sample of a warrant is included on page 39, which provides basic payment information. You will not receive a warrant if you receive your payment through electronic funds transfer or direct deposit. The warrant will be mailed separately from the Remittance Advice and cannot be forwarded to a different address. If you move, you must tell a CCAP worker your new address or you may not receive your payment. Electronic funds transfer Electronic funds transfer, or direct deposit, will be available for all payments and is encouraged for all providers. In most cases, you will receive your money faster by using electronic funds transfer. Why should I use electronic funds transfer? Electronic funds transfer is safe, reliable, and easy to use. You will get your money safely and quickly, not only saving you time and effort, but also tax dollars. Electronic funds transfer costs the state less money than printing and mailing paper checks. How will I know how much money has been deposited into my account? You will be mailed a Remittance Advice that details what you’ve been paid each billing cycle. How do I sign up for EFT? To sign up for electronic funds transfer, use the Direct Deposit for the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program (DHS-3552), You can also get this form from a CCAP worker. Deductions from your payments If you have an overpayment (see page 42) a certain amount will be deducted from each of your CCAP payments until the overpayment is paid. If you owe money for state or federal taxes, or for child support, CCAP is required by law to take a certain amount from each of your CCAP payments until the amount is paid. CCAP will be told by the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the Internal Revenue Service or the court that we must take money from your payments, how much to take and when to stop. This amount will be sent to the agency you owe. If the Social Security Number or Federal Employee Identification Number you give CCAP is not correct, the IRS will tell us and we must deduct part of your CCAP payments for backup withholding taxes for both the IRS and the Minnesota Department of Revenue. You cannot charge families more to cover any deductions from your payments. 37 ---PAGE BREAK--- What do I do if I have problems with my payment? If you have lost a check or did not receive one that was sent If you lost a check, or the CCAP agency tells you that a payment was sent by check and you did not receive it, you must fill out the Nonreceipt/Replacement Affidavit (DHS-1609), and give it to the family’s CCAP agency. You can also get this form from a CCAP worker. If you receive a check that is damaged If you receive a check that is so badly damaged that it cannot be cashed, contact the family’s CCAP agency and ask for a new check. The check number, date and amount must be readable to replace a check. A new check will be sent one to three days after the county processes your request. If you have questions about your payment Contact a worker at the family’s CCAP agency if you did not receive a payment or have questions about a payment. Remittance Advice A sample Remittance Advice is included on page 40. The Remittance Advice will be mailed separately from the warrant and gives you the details about the payment received. The Remittance Advice lists the children whose care is included in the payment, the type of service being paid, the age group of the child, the dates of service, the type and number of units being paid, the payment rate, the amount paid for each child, the family’s copayment, the amount paid for each family, any provider deductions and the total payment. Please keep this notice for your tax records. 38 ---PAGE BREAK--- Sample Warrant 39 ---PAGE BREAK--- Sample Remittance Advice Page 1 40 ---PAGE BREAK--- Sample Remittance Advice, Page 2 41 ---PAGE BREAK--- Overpayments, disqualifications and appeals Overpayments If a family or provider is paid more child care assistance than they should have been paid, that amount is considered an overpayment. An overpayment must be recovered even when the overpayment was due to a CCAP agency error or to circumstances outside the control of the family or provider. An overpayment must be recovered from the family if the family benefited by paying less for child care expenses than they should have paid under CCAP requirements. An overpayment must be recovered from a provider if the overpayment did not benefit the family, but benefited the provider by causing the provider to receive more child care assistance than the provider would have been paid under CCAP requirements. If a provider with an overpayment continues to care for children receiving child care assistance, the overpayment must be recovered by decreasing the provider’s CCAP payments. The provider may not charge families more to cover the cost of the overpayment. If the provider no longer cares for children receiving child care assistance, CCAP will ask the provider to repay the overpayment. If the provider does not agree to repay the overpayment, CCAP will begin civil court proceedings to recover the overpayment unless the costs to recover are more than the overpayment. A provider with an overpayment is not eligible to care for children receiving child care assistance until: • The overpayment is paid in full • Arrangements are made to pay the overpayment. When both the family and the provider acted together to cause the overpayment, both are responsible, no matter who benefited from the overpayment. A provider who has been charged with an overpayment may request a fair hearing to deny responsibility for the overpayment and/or object to the amount. Disqualifications Wrongfully obtaining CCAP A provider caring for children receiving child care assistance is disqualified from receiving CCAP payments when the provider is found to have wrongfully obtained child care assistance: • By a federal court • By a state court • By an administrative disqualification hearing determination or waiver • Through a disqualification consent agreement • As part of an approved diversion plan under section 401.065 • Through a court-ordered stay with probation or other conditions. The disqualification periods for wrongfully obtaining CCAP are: • One year for a first offense • Two years for a second offense. Any subsequent offense will result in permanent disqualification. 42 ---PAGE BREAK--- Failure to follow CCAP rules and laws Providers that do not keep in good standing with licensing or follow CCAP rules may have their registration closed if they: • Admit to giving materially false information on a Billing Form • Are found to have intentionally provided false information on attendance records or Billing Forms, as determined by a preponderance of evidence • Violate child care assistance program rules, until those rules are corrected • Continue operating after their license has been suspended or revoked or after they have received a final order of conditional license • Submit false attendance records or refuse to provide attendance records when the county or state asks for them • Give false price information. Appeal rights An appeal is a legal process where a third party reviews a decision made by CCAP. You may appeal a decision if you are unhappy with an action taken by CCAP. There are two ways you can appeal • If you are charged with an overpayment, you may appeal to a human services judge. You must appeal within 30 days from the date you received the notice of overpayment by sending a letter stating you do not agree with the overpayment. You can send this letter to your county agency or to the Appeals and Regulations Division of the Department of Human Services. If you show good cause for not appealing within 30 days, the agency can accept your appeal for up to 90 days from the date you received the overpayment notice. Good cause is a reason for not appealing on time. A human services judge will decide if your reason meets the requirements for good cause. You can ask to meet informally with the county to start to try to solve the problem, but this meeting will not delay or replace your right to an appeal. You may represent yourself at the hearing, or you may have someone (an attorney, relative, friend or another person) speak for you. Write: Minnesota Department of Human Services Appeals Office P.O. Box 64941 St. Paul, MN 55164-0941 Call: Metro: [PHONE REDACTED] (Voice) Outstate: [PHONE REDACTED] TTY/TDD: [PHONE REDACTED] Fax: [PHONE REDACTED] • If you are unhappy with any other action taken, you may appeal to the district court. You may represent yourself at the hearing, or you may have an attorney represent you. Access to free legal services You may be able to get legal advice or help with an appeal from your local legal aid office. To contact your local legal aid office call: • Hennepin County: [PHONE REDACTED] • Ramsey County: [PHONE REDACTED] • All other Minnesota counties: [PHONE REDACTED] 43 ---PAGE BREAK--- Provider Resources Programs and Services eDocs eDocs is a web-based document storage area that provides access to Minnesota Department of Human Services forms. Anyone who has Internet access and a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader can use eDocs. eDocs can be found at edocs.dhs.state.mn.us. Child Care Aware Agencies In addition to being a resource for information about CCAP, 19 regionally based agencies provide important services to providers and parents, including: • Child care referrals and consumer education for parents seeking child care. This information is available for free online at ParentAware.org or by calling [PHONE REDACTED] • Professional development on DHS-approved topics by qualified trainers, including first aid, health and safety, child development, business practices and more. Beginning July 1, 2016, providers can search, register and pay for approved trainings on Develop at Developtoolmn.org • Consultation and technical assistance on challenges such as recruiting and assisting new licensed family child care providers, using the Quality Coaching Model when serving at-risk children, and accessing the USDA Child Care Food Program • The Child Care Aware Statewide Network website: Childcareawaremn.org with information in multiple languages • Grants to family child care providers (both licensed and legal nonlicensed) and centers for training, program improvements and equipment/materials. More information is available by calling 651-290­ 9704 ext. 107, toll-free at [PHONE REDACTED], or by visiting Childcareawaremn.org. • Outreach and access with other early childhood and school-age initiatives to ensure all families have access to Child Care Aware services and to develop child care services as needed in the community • Work with refugee and immigrant populations to ensure access to early childhood services and to develop culturally appropriate child care and training • Provide information to family, friend and neighbor caregivers on health and safety, health and safety kits, training, grants and connecting providers with community services • Information collection on the supply of child care providers in Minnesota, and conducting an annual market rate survey for the Department of Human Services. Contact your local Child Care Aware agency for more information. You can reach your local agency online at childcareawaremn.org or by calling [PHONE REDACTED]. Parent Aware Ratings: Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement Tool Parent Aware helps enhance, support and celebrate the of child care and early education programs in Minnesota through Parent Aware Star Ratings. When a program volunteers to participate in the rating process, they are going above and beyond health and safety requirements. They receive free coaching and assistance, access to Early Learning Scholarships and low-cost training and ongoing marketing support. Based on demonstrated use of practices that best prepare children for kindergarten, participating programs receive a rating between One- to Four-Stars. Each rating level builds on the next, helping families easily identify how far a program has progressed in adopting these practices. To find out more, visit ParentAware.org or call [PHONE REDACTED]. 44 ---PAGE BREAK--- Resources for national accreditation Providers can get help in becoming accredited from the Accreditation Facilitation Project. Providers may get information about this program by calling [PHONE REDACTED] or [PHONE REDACTED], ext. 36, by emailing [EMAIL REDACTED], or visiting http://mnaeyc-mnsaca.org/?page=accred_about. Reimbursement for half of the direct cost of child care center and family child care accreditation may be available. Contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services Child Development Services unit at 651-431­ 3865 or by e-mail at [EMAIL REDACTED] for more information. Local Child Care Aware programs may have grants available that could help with the accreditation process. Contact your local Child Care Aware agency by calling [PHONE REDACTED] or at childcareawaremn.org for more information. Obtaining credentials and degrees Child Care Aware of Minnesota coordinates multiple financial supports for individuals interested in pursuing credentials or degrees. The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Minnesota offers financial support for child care providers, center directors and trainers to earn credit-based education at an accredited institution of higher education. Scholarships are available to support individuals as they complete 120 hours of training for the national Child Development Associate Credential, as well as help in paying the $475 credential application fee or $75 renewal fee. R.E.E.T.A.I.N. The goal of R.E.E.T.A.I.N. (Retaining Early Educators Through Attaining Incentives Now) is to lower the turnover rates among child care providers who work with young children. R.E.E.T.A.I.N. provides incentive grants to eligible child care providers. Grant dollars are a wage supplement and can be used at the discretion of the recipient. For more information call [PHONE REDACTED], ext. 107, toll-free at [PHONE REDACTED], or visit childcareawaremn.org. Develop: Minnesota’s Quality Improvement and Registry Tool If you are an individual who works in an early learning and school-age care program, consider a membership in Develop. With an individual membership, you can search and register for training opportunities, track your completion of training and safely store your verified credentials. You can also apply for a Career Lattice step from the Minnesota Center for Professional Development. If you own or operate an early learning and school-age care program, consider an organization membership in Develop, where you can track the professional development of staff, schedule in-service trainings from Minnesota Center for Professional Development-approved trainers, and search for a coach, mentor or consultant. If eligible for Parent Aware, you can submit your application, quality documentation portfolio and track the progress of your rating. With so many tools available in one toolbox—and new tools on the way—Develop aims to be a one stop shop for all your early learning and school-age care needs. To get started, go to developtoolmn.org. 45 ---PAGE BREAK--- Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children and the Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance The Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children and the Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance are professional associations with more than 700 members each. Members are a diverse group of professionals representing early care and education and school age and youth programs across Minnesota. Members include teachers, youth workers, center directors, site coordinators, program managers, trainers and advocates. Both groups promote quality in early care, education, and out-of-school programs, and supports the leadership and development of professionals. More information is available at mnaeyc-mnsaca.org. Minnesota Child Care Association The Minnesota Child Care Association is a statewide organization representing licensed child care centers working to educate policy makers and elected officials on the important role licensed child care centers play in providing quality early learning opportunities for families. The association works to educate state legislators on the impact that rules and regulations have on centers and their ability to provide quality early learning programs for Minnesota’s youngest learners. More information is available at minnesotachildcareassociation.org. National Association of Family Child Care This association provides information and resources to family child care providers on business-related issues. More information is available at nafcc.org. Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association The mission of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association is to support licensed family child care providers to achieve the highest standards of care for children in Minnesota's diverse licensed family child care homes and communities through education, resources, services, recognition and advocacy. More information is available at Resources for in-home child care providers U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheets #14, Coverage Under the FLSA, and #23, Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA, provide a summary of the minimum wage and overtime laws. These Fact Sheets are available at http://www.dol.gov/whd/. Child and Adult Care Food Program The Child and Adult Care Food Program provides payments for meals and snacks served to Minnesota children who meet age and income requirements. Meals and snacks served by participating institutions must meet the minimum nutrition guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program helps institutions serve well-balanced, nutritious meals to the participants in their care. Serving nutritious meals and snacks helps improve and maintain the health and nutritional status of participants and can help them develop and maintain good eating habits. To learn more about the program and how you can participate, call toll-free [PHONE REDACTED] or visit www.education.state.mn.us/MDE/SchSup/FNS/CACFPCenter/App/index.html. Business Planning First Children’s Finance provides financing, training, consultation and business development assistance to child care businesses. Services and contact information can be found at 46 ---PAGE BREAK--- Brochures for Providers Caring for Children (DHS-4723) This is a child care resource guide that helps parents in immigrant and refugee families find and use child care in Minnesota. It helps parents and child care providers get children ready for school, and is available in 11 languages. Keeping Kids Safe: Your Home Care Emergency Plan (DHS-5299) This is a booklet for family child care providers, and family friend and neighbor caregivers describing common emergency situations and sets out the planning steps to be prepared. Family and Group Family Child Care (DHS-5407) This is a brochure with general information for potential applicants for a license to provide family and group family child care. Child Care Centers (DHS-6170) This is a brochure with general information for potential applicants for a license to operate a child care center. 47 ---PAGE BREAK--- Parent Resources Human service programs for families with low incomes Minnesota Family Investment Program and Diversionary Work Program Minnesota has two cash assistance programs that support families as they move toward economic stability through work. The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) helps families with children meet their basic needs as they move toward financial stability through work. Most families have a lifetime limit of 60 months on MFIP. When families first apply for cash assistance, they usually start in the Diversionary Work Program (DWP). This four-month program helps parents, who are able to do so, quickly find work. Parents get help paying for rent, utilities and other housing costs. They also receive an allowance for their personal needs. Families participating in MFIP and DWP also get help with food, child care and health care as long as they continue to meet program requirements. For more information, contact a county or tribal human services agency, or visit mn.gov/dhs. Parents can apply for MFIP and DWP in two ways: • Online at • On paper using the MDHS Combined Application Form (DHS-5223). Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program The Energy Assistance Program helps pay home heating costs and furnace repairs for families with low incomes. Grants are available for renters or homeowners. Parents can call [PHONE REDACTED] to have a local provider send an application. For more information visit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps Minnesotans with low incomes get the food they need for sound nutrition and well-balanced meals. Approved participants use a debit card to buy food at stores and farmers markets. In the past, SNAP was known as Food Stamps. For more information about SNAP, contact a county or tribal human services agency or visit mn.gov/dhs/. To apply online, visit Woman, Infants and Children Program The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, commonly known as “WIC”, provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women with low incomes, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. Call 800-WIC-4030 or [PHONE REDACTED] for more information from a clinic in the local area. 48 ---PAGE BREAK--- Medicaid Minnesota Health Care Programs include: • Medical Assistance • MinnesotaCare • Minnesota Family Planning Program • Home and community-based waiver programs • Medicare Savings Programs. These programs may help pay for all or part of your health care costs if you: • Do not have insurance • Cannot get affordable health insurance through a job • Have a disability or chronic condition and need help paying for care and services to stay in your home • Need help paying for care in a nursing home, hospital or other medical facility • Have other insurance or Medicare, but need help paying the premiums, deductibles and copays or need services not covered. Apply online at www.mnsure.org, Minnesota’s online health insurance marketplace, or by: • Calling [PHONE REDACTED] • Contacting a navigator in your area • At your county office or the MinnesotaCare office in St. Paul. Children’s Health Insurance Program Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program provide no- or low-cost health coverage for eligible children in Minnesota. Even if children have been turned down in the past or are unsure if they qualify, they may be able to get health coverage now. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program provide routine check-ups, immunizations, prescription medications, hospital and dental care to keep children healthy. Call [PHONE REDACTED] to talk to someone in Minnesota. If a child is not enrolled in a Minnesota health care program, contact a local social service agency to apply. Child and Teen Checkups Child and Teen Checkups Program is the name for Minnesota's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program. Child and Teen Checkups are covered for children from birth through age 20 who are enrolled in Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare. A visit often meets the health checkup requirements for school, Head Start, Women, Infants and Children food program, child care, and camp and sports participation physicals. For help finding a doctor, dentist, making an appointment, transportation or an interpreter: • Call a county human services, public health or tribal health agency • Call the health plan member services phone number on the back of a health plan card if you have a health plan • Call [PHONE REDACTED] toll-free, or [PHONE REDACTED] in the metro area for transportation services under MinnesotaCare. 49 ---PAGE BREAK--- Family Home Visiting The Family Home Visiting program fosters healthy beginnings, improves pregnancy outcomes, promotes school readiness, prevents child abuse and neglect, reduces juvenile delinquency, promotes positive parenting and resiliency in children, and promotes family health and economic self-sufficiency for children and families. A public health nursing assessment is carried out during the initial home visit; ongoing visits are conducted by nurses and/or trained home visitors. Supporting healthy parent-child relationships is a key role of the home visitor. Families receive information on infant care, child growth and development, parenting approaches, disease prevention, preventing exposure to environmental hazards and support services available in the community. For pregnant women or those who have children under 3-years-old, home visiting may be available through a local public health department. Find a Local Health Department or Community Health Board at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/opi/gov/find/. Other child care funding sources Early Learning Scholarships Program Scholarships help families afford high-quality child care and early education programs. Call 888- 291-9811 or visit the Early Learning Scholarships Program page on the Minnesota Department of Education website at www.education.state.mn.us for more information. Postsecondary Child Care Grant Program The Postsecondary Child Care Grant Program helps students who do not receive Minnesota Family Investment Program benefits with their child care costs so they can attend public colleges and universities, technical and community colleges, private colleges and some vocational schools. For more information on this program, contact: www.ohe.state.mn.us or check with your school’s financial aid office. Child care programs for military families There are a number of child care programs available for military families, some specific to a branch of service, others for all branches, including: • Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood • Operation: Military Child Care • Give Army Parents a Break. These programs are administered by Child Care Aware of America. For more information contact the Child Care Aware hotline at [PHONE REDACTED] or online at www.naccrra.org/military-programs. Brochures for Parents Do you need help paying for child care? (DHS-3551) This brochure for families provides basic child care information and explains the basic program requirements of the Child Care Assistance Programs. www.edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-3551-ENG 50 ---PAGE BREAK--- Child development and care resources for providers and parents Programs and Services Help Me Grow: Infant and Toddler Intervention and Preschool Special Education Help Me Grow services and programs are for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with developmental delays or disabilities, from birth to kindergarten entry and their families. Services may include: • Special instruction and other services including speech, physical and occupational therapy • Ways that families can support children’s development through everyday activities • Connection to community services and programs. Help Me Grow services are individually designed to meet the unique learning needs of each child and are free to eligible families regardless of income or immigration status. For more information call Help Me Grow 866­ 693-GROW (4769) or visit the Refer a Child page at helpmegrowmn.org. Early Childhood Screening Early Childhood Screening, provided by local school districts, is a quick and simple check of how three- or four- year-olds are growing, learning and developing. Screenings are free and are a quick and simple check to help detect possible health or learning problems, enabling children to get the help they need before starting kindergarten. At an Early Childhood Screening, a health or education professional will check children’s vision, hearing, height and weight, thinking, language and communication skills, social and emotional development, and large and small muscle skills. Early Childhood Screening or a similar health and developmental screening is required for children to enter kindergarten in Minnesota public schools. This screening is not required for conscientious objectors. For more information about the Early Childhood Screening program or to schedule an appointment, contact a local school district or the Minnesota Department of Education at [PHONE REDACTED]. Center for Inclusive Child Care The Center for Inclusive Child Care is a centralized, comprehensive resource network supporting inclusive care for children in community settings. They provide leadership, technical assistance, training and consultation to: • Early care and education providers • School age care providers • Parents • Other professionals in the field. The Center for Inclusive Child Care Inclusion Consultation and Support Services provides support to child care and school age care providers, enabling them to successfully include and retain children with special needs, and those with challenging behaviors, into their community child care programs. Services include consultation, technical assistance, resources, research and referral support, observation, and staff development in both face-to-face and online venues. Visit the Center for Inclusive Child Care online at inclusivechildcare.org. 51 ---PAGE BREAK--- Early Childhood Family Education Early Childhood Family Education, commonly known as “ECFE”, is a program for all Minnesota parents and other relatives with children from birth to kindergarten entrance, and for expectant parents. Local school districts provide parenting education to support children’s learning and development through this program. Early Childhood Family Education is taught by licensed early childhood and parent educators and provides parent discussion groups, education activities for parents and children to learn together, and home visits. Contact a local school district for more information about Early Childhood Family Education or the Minnesota Department of Education at [PHONE REDACTED]. School Readiness School Readiness is a public school program for children 3-years-old to kindergarten entrance providing early childhood education to help prepare children for kindergarten. Contact a local school district for more information about this pre-kindergarten program or the Minnesota Department of Education at 651-582­ 8412. Head Start and Early Head Start Head Start helps families with low incomes by encouraging financial independence for parents, and helps to improve the health and social skills of children from birth to 5-years-old. Head Start provides early childhood classes, parent involvement, and health and social services for children and their families. Head Start is offered throughout Minnesota. Contact the Minnesota Department of Education at [PHONE REDACTED] for more information. Head Start programs can be found: • Through the Office of Head Start at eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov • Through the Minnesota Department of Education at education.state.mn.us. To find a Head Start, Early Childhood Family Education, School Readiness or screening location, use the online search tool at education.state.mn.us. MinnesotaHelp.info MinnesotaHelp.info® is a aims to connect Minnesotans with services in their communities. This resource database contains information on the services that individuals and communities need to sustain and improve their daily lives—health and childcare, job training, education and recreation, retirement, and disability and social service information. This directory contains information on nonprofit and public health and human service programs and some for-profit programs such as housing. Visit minnesotahelp.info to find services in Minnesota for adults, children and families, and chat with a specialist, or call [PHONE REDACTED]. Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths and Safe Sleep The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants sleep on their backs in their own safety- approved crib and in a smoke-free environment to reduce the risk of both Sudden Infant Death Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and other preventable injury deaths. The Minnesota Department of Health has materials available for parents and child care providers regarding safe infant sleep practices. Visit health.state.mn.us for links, resources and brochures. 52 ---PAGE BREAK--- Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota’s Early Learning Standards The Early Childhood Indicators of Progress are Minnesota’s early learning standards; one set for birth to 3­ years-old and another for 3-years-old to kindergarten entry. These standards help share developmentally appropriate expectations for what children should know and be able to do at certain ages. They offer common language for assessing progress and supporting children and families. We know parents are a child’s first teacher, and that each child develops at his or her own pace; therefore, the standards are not for high-stakes assessment. Instead, they help early childhood teachers and caregivers design learning experiences and talk with parents about a child’s progress. Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota’s Early Learning Guidelines for Birth to 3 (DHS-4438) This brochure is intended as a resource to support the learning and development of Minnesota’s infants and toddlers and to promote high quality early childhood care and education. http://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-4438-ENG Early Childhood Indicators of Progress Visit education.state.mn.us to download a copy of early learning standards or learn more about the revision process in progress. Brochures for parents and providers Your Growing Child Brochure—age 1 through 3 months (DHS-2688) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children ages 1 through 3 months. Your Growing Child Brochure—age 4 through 5 months (DHS-2689) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children 4 through 5 months. Your Growing Child brochure—age 6 through 8 months (DHS-2690) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children 6 through 8 months. Your Growing Child brochure—age 9 through 11 months (DHS-2691) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children 9 through 11 months. Your Growing Child brochure—age 12 through 14 months (DHS-2692) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children 12 through 14 months. Your Growing Child brochure—age 15 through 17 months (DHS-2693) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children 15 through 17 months. Your Growing Child brochure—age 18 through 23 months (DHS-2694) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children 18 through 23 months. 53 ---PAGE BREAK--- Your Growing Child brochure—age 2 years (DHS-2695) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children at age 2. Your Growing Child brochure—age 3 years (DHS-2696) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children at age 3. Your Growing Child brochure—age 4 through 6 years (DHS-3362) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. Your Growing Child brochure—age 7 through 10 years (DHS-3363) This brochure offers helpful tips on the development and health care of children between the ages of 7 and 10 years old. Health and Safety Resource List for Parents and Legal Nonlicensed Providers (DHS­ 5192A) This resource list is a supplement to DHS-5192 CCAP Legal Nonlicensed Provider Registration and Acknowledgement and DHS-5367 CCAP Parent Acknowledgement When Choosing a Legal Nonlicensed Provider forms. Commonly Used Forms The following are CCAP forms that you may need. Notice of Privacy Practices for Child Care Providers (DHS-3985) This is a notice for child care providers telling them their privacy rights. Child Care Provider Responsibilities and Rights (DHS-4079) Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) information sheet explaining child care providers’ rights and responsibilities. Important Information for Child Care Providers (DHS-4018) Appeal rights information for Child Care providers. ENG CCAP Special Needs Rate Variance Request—Parent and Provider Request (DHS­ 4194) Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) special needs request form for parents and providers to submit to county. CCAP Licensed Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS-5190) CCAP form used by counties to register licensed child care providers so they can be authorized to receive child care assistance payments. CCAP Licensed Family Child Care Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS­ 7195) CCAP form used by counties to register licensed family child care providers so they can be authorized to receive child care assistance payments. 54 ---PAGE BREAK--- CCAP Licensed Exempt Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS-5191) CCAP form used by counties to register licensed exempt child care providers so they can be authorized to receive child care assistance payments. CCAP Legal Nonlicensed Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (DHS-5192) CCAP form used by counties to register legal nonlicensed child care providers so they can be authorized to receive child care assistance payments. CCAP Authorization for Release of Background Study (DHS-5193) CCAP authorization form used to give permission to share private data with other agencies. Direct Deposit for the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program (DHS-3552) Brochure explaining the benefits of directly depositing child care payments to bank accounts. The brochure includes a Direct Deposit Authorization form. CCAP Quality Differential Rate Request Form (DHS-4795) This form requests verification of child care provider qualifications that are needed for determining if the provider qualifies for the 15 percent Quality Differential. Affidavit of Failure to Receive Warrant—Vendors/Payees (DHS-1609A) Affidavit for vendors or payees other than client to complete when requesting replacement of lost, stolen or destroyed warrants. It must be completed before re-issuance can occur. Child Care Assistance Program Financial Tracking Form (DHS-5318) This form is used to record payments for child care fees or expenses from sources other than CCAP. CCAP Provider Registration Change Form (DHS-7196) This form is used by CCAP providers to report changes to their provider registrations to agencies. 55 ---PAGE BREAK--- Minnesota Department of Human Services Community Partners and Child Care Services P.O. Box 64962 St. Paul, MN 55155-0962