4.1 Access to Full Range of Provider Options

Lead Agencies must provide parents a choice of providers and offer assistance with child care services through a child care certificate (or voucher) or with a child care provider that has a grant or contract for the provision of child care services. Lead Agencies are reminded that policies and procedures should not restrict parental access to any type or category of care or provider (e.g., center care, home care, in-home care, for-profit provider, non-profit provider, or faith-based provider, etc.). 4.1.1 Parent choice a. Identify any barriers to provider participation, including barriers related to payment rates and practices, (including for family child care and in-home providers), based on provider feedback, public comment, and reports to the Lead Agency: During consultation with partners, the following barriers have been identified: • Payment practices. Stakeholders identified attendance-based payment practices as a barrier. The District is addressing this and effective Oct. 1, 2024, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) will no longer reduce provider payments based on child absences in compliance with the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) 2024 Final Rule. Additionally, stakeholders expressed support for prospective payments. The District is seeking a temporary waiver to address existing barriers to implementing prospective payments in the District but understands the importance of seeking compliance with this new policy as swiftly as possible. • Payment rates. Providers and other stakeholders have noted that OSSE’s payment rates do not cover the true cost of care for some providers. OSSE increased payment rates in fiscal year 2024 (FY24), bringing payment rates closer to the estimated cost of care, across all provider types, designations, and ages of children served, compared to FY23. Currently, payment rates exceed the 25th percentile of market rates for all providers caring for all ages of children and exceed the 50th percentile for many providers depending on the age of children and quality designation. • Provider agreement. Some providers have expressed that the process of completing a subsidy provider agreement and uploading required documents is too long and burdensome. b. Does the Lead Agency offer child care assistance through vouchers or certificates? [x] Yes. [ ] No. c. Does the Lead Agency offer child care assistance through grants or contracts? [x] Yes. [ ] No. d. Describe how the parent is informed that the child care certificate allows the option to choose from a variety of child care categories, such as private, not-for-profit, faith-based providers; centers; family child care homes; or in-home providers: The District’s Child Care Subsidy Manual, OSSE’s website, the consumer education website, and the online application portal communicate the child care providers available to families receiving child care subsidies. The District’s child care resource and referral (CCR&R) program also shares information on available child care options with families seeking or participating in subsidized child care. e. Describe what information is included on the child care certificate: The Child Care Admissions Form is issued once a family has selected a child care provider and includes information on the family, the selected provider, and provider type (Level I or Levell II), the child care service type (traditional, non-traditional, or extended day), assigned co- payment, and the eligibility worker’s contact information.