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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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Regular Lottery Payments – a sum of money received as a result of purchasing a winning ticket in a game of chance paid on a consistent basis.

Reinstatement – a process that allows a child care provider who has been dismissed or disqualified from receiving subsidies through CAPS to become eligible for enrollment once again.

Relative Informal Provider – child care that is provided by a caregiver who is related to the child by blood, marriage, or adoption within the third degree of consanguinity, such as an aunt, uncle, grandparent, great-grandparent, or older sibling.

Rental Income – money received on property owned and rented to others at a location other than at the applicant’s own residence. Please see the definition of Boarder Income when space within the applicant’s own residence has been rented to a Boarder(s).

Repayment Statement – form signed by the child care provider or parent when a claim has been established or identified by DECAL as a result of an error or violation. The statement documents the amount of the claim and includes the frequency, method, and time period for repayment.

Sanction – action available under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or policy that may be utilized by DECAL when a child care provider or parent is found to be in noncompliance with CAPS policies and rules.

School Age – children who are at least five years old by the first of September of the current school year and who are eligible to attend public school and who are under 13 years old (or up to age 18 years for children with disabilities). For the purposes of CAPS, regardless of age, children enrolled and attending either Georgia’s Pre-K Programs or Head Start are considered school age.

Self-Employment – an individual is considered self-employed if they operate a business or trade as a sole proprietor, independent contractor, partner in a business partnership, or are otherwise in business for themselves, including part-time or gig-based work.

Serious Injury – a death or an incident requiring hospitalization or professional medical attention other than first aid of a child while in the care of the provider that was the result of a substantiated intentional or gross negligent act on behalf of the provider or staff that indicates a deficiency in the operation or management of the program. Any case of serious injury that was substantiated by DECAL will be deemed as Extreme Harm and Imminent Danger according to DECAL’s Integrated Enforcement and Compliance System.

Service Week – the time period CAPS uses for providers to identify the type of care provided. Service begins on Monday and ends on Sunday.

Single Parent – parent who resides with his/her child and is legally and/or financially responsible for the child when there is no other legally and/or financially responsible person for the child residing with that eligible family.

Social Security – for the purposes of CAPS eligibility determination, these are retirement and survivor’s insurance payments from the social security administration.

Standard of Promptness (SOP) – the time period within which certain actions must be taken.

State Median Income – income distribution promulgated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that CAPS uses to determine the program income guidelines.

State-approved Activity – any activity as defined by CAPS in which the parent must participate as an eligibility requirement.

Student Parent – parent with dependent children enrolled in one of the following: adult education, vocational training, technical certificate of credit (TCC), technical college diploma (TCD), early childhood education (ECE) credential or certification training, educational or training program through WorkSource Georgia, associates or bachelor’s degree program.