equal-access-payment-rates

Reason(s) for non-compliance: • The Lead Agency’s payment rates for infants in center-based care, infants in family child care homes, preschoolers in center-based care, and preschoolers in family child care homes are not sufficient to ensure equal access, as required by 98.45(a). (Plan Question 4.3.2a) • The Lead Agency did not describe how they established adequate base payment rates to meet health, safety, quality, and staffing requirements or how they considered the cost of providing higher-quality child care services when setting payment rates, as required by 98.45(f)(2)(ii). (Plan Questions 4.3.4b and 4.3.4d) Overall Target Completion Date: 08/31/2025 Action Step Number Action Step Description Target Completion Date 1 The Lead Agency’s payment rates for infants in center-based care, infants in family child care homes, preschoolers in center-based care, and preschoolers in family child care homes are not sufficient to ensure equal access, as required by 98.45(a) 08/31/2025 2 Engage in technical assistance with National Center on Subsidy Innovation and Accountability 02/28/2025 3 Review Market Rate Survey and Cost of Care Study to determine rates updates 03/31/2025 4 Draft payment regulation change 04/30/2025 5 Prepare and release notice of proposed regulation changes for payments 05/31/2025 6 Public comment on proposed regulation 06/30/2025 7 Legislative approval of proposed regulation 07/31/2025 8 Update child care database 07/31/2025 9 Communicate rate changes 07/31/2025 10 Implement new rates 08/31/2025 11 Amend plan and submit evidence/required documentation 08/31/2025 12 The Lead Agency did not describe how they established adequate base payment rates to meet health, safety, quality, and staffing requirements or how they considered the cost of providing 08/31/2025 higher-quality child care services when setting payment rates, as required by 98.45(f)(2)(ii). 13 Describe how considered the cost of providing higher-quality child care services when setting payment rates 08/31/2025 14 Amend plan and submit evidence/required documentation 08/31/2025