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CAPS Policy – Definitions and Acronyms No.: CAPS/00-2 Effective Date: 10/01/2016 Revised: 10/06/2025 Revision Effective: 10/06/2025

CAPS Policy Manual

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Non-relative Informal Provider – child care that is provided by a caregiver who is not related to the child by blood or marriage.

Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH) – means the executive state agency responsible for the administration of the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act. OSAH is not accountable to the management of the CAPS program or DECAL.

Offsetting – a reduction in a child care provider’s on-going payments to recoup an established overpayment.

Overpayment – an improper payment where the parent or child care provider receives more in services or payment(s) than they are entitled to receive.

Parent – a parent by blood, marriage, or adoption; a legal guardian; or other person standing in loco parentis (acting in the role of a parent or guardian). Parent also include any persons recognized by Georgia law or a competent court of jurisdiction as serving in loco parentis.

Part Time Scholarship – the type of scholarship authorized when part-time child care is needed for one or two days during a service week. This scholarship can be authorized when child care is needed sporadically throughout the eligibility period (e.g., teacher work days, student holidays, virtual learning days as scheduled by the school district, etc.).

Premises – a building, group of buildings, and/or contiguous parcels of land under the control of a single owner who may rent out portions of the premises.

Program Contact – a person identified by the organization to manage and ensure participation compliance in the CAPS program.

Program Violation – an intentional submission of incomplete, incorrect, or falsified documents or information in order to qualify for assistance or receive payments that an individual or child care provider is not authorized to receive.

Provider – the person, facility, or program chosen by the parent(s) to provide child care.

Provider Error – an unintentional error caused by the provider where payments are made based on incorrect and/or inaccurate information.

Public Assistance – payment in or by money, medical care, remedial care, goods, or services to or for the benefit of needy persons.

Published Rate-the rate a provider charges to all children receiving child care. This includes families/children subsidized by CAPS and families/children not subsidized by CAPS.

Quality Rated – Georgia’s system to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early education and school‐age care programs. Similar to rating systems for hotels or restaurants, Quality Rated assigns a rating of one, two, or three stars to early education and school‐age care programs that go above and beyond minimum licensing standards.

Quality Rated Cohort Group – the process under which a provider signs up to complete their Quality Rating in a given year. Each year consists of four separate cohorts that have a predefined number of program slots available. Each cohort has its own window when a portfolio must be submitted and the three months window during which the program observation will be conducted. Cohort slots are released in October for the following year and are available for selection in a provider’s Quality Rated account.

Quality Rated Provider – a licensed child care program that is one-, two-, or three-star rated in Quality Rated (Georgia’s Quality Rating and Improvement System).

Registration Fee – the fee charged by a provider for enrollment.

Regular Income – a consistent pattern of pay for six consecutive months of earnings. It can include unearned and earned income.