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CAPS Policy – Participating Providers No.: CAPS/00-11 Effective Date: 10/01/2016 Revised: 10/01/2024 Revision Effective: 10/01/2024

CAPS Policy Manual

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POLICY REVISION HISTORY Date Description of Change 07/02/2018 Added requirement that informal providers be 21 years of age or older to receive payment through CAPS. This requirement was previously in the Informal Provider Agreement (Appendix I) but was not in CAPS Policy. 10/01/2018 Added requirement that Quality Rated eligible providers be star rated by December 31, 2020, to participate in the CAPS program. Clarified language regarding satisfactory records checks for informal providers. 02/01/2019 Added requirement that all providers participating in CAPS comply with CAPS Health and Safety Standards Policy (CAPS/00-15) and moved references to health and safety standards from this policy section to CAPS Health and Safety Standards Policy (CAPS/00-15). 05/15/2020 Added information related to eligible providers, changes of ownership, and the use of informal providers. Removed requirement that Quality Rated eligible providers be Quality Rated by December 31, 2020, to allow for an extension of the requirement’s implementation date. 11/02/2020 Revised language for licensed providers to better align with policy. Clarified that parents cannot reside at, or work for, the Family Child Care Learning Home (FCCLH) that receives subsidies for the parent’s children. 07/01/2021 Added CAPS/Quality Rated deadline date and milestone dates for licensed providers. 10/01/2021 Removed milestone language regarding CAPS/Quality Rated goal. Added additional information on Quality Rated can be viewed in the CAPS/Quality Rated Guidelines and Requirements (Appendix II). Revised CAPS/Quality Rated Probationary Status and CAPS/Quality Rated Provisional Status language to clarify the provider will be enrolled in a Quality Rated Cohort Group as directed by Quality Rated. Added language to note licensed providers that choose not to participate in Quality Rated will not be eligible to receive child care subsidy payments. Providers currently participating will be dismissed from the CAPS program. 11/15/2023 Revised language to add as a prerequisite to participate in CAPS, licensed providers must enroll and maintain participation in the Quality Rated tier reimbursement program. All licensed providers hereby acknowledge that the CAPS program and Quality Rated tier reimbursement are separate and distinct programs at DECAL. Revised language to clarify licensed child care providers must also be Quality Rated as prescribed in the Licensed Child Care Providers section before receiving CAPS payment when there is a change of ownership. Added language to clarify for each child in Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) custody, the State shall be considered the parent. Therefore, a foster parent of each child in DFCS custody is not considered the parent for the purposes of CAPS for family child care learning homes (FCCLH) and non-relative informal providers. Revised policy to clarify an informal provider can care for a maximum of six children for pay to include a combination of related and unrelated children. CAPS will not approve participation for more than one informal provider at an address. 10/01/2024 Revised language to add as a prerequisite to participate in CAPS, the program contact must attend CAPS orientation. Revised language to remove as a prerequisite to participate in CAPS, licensed providers must enroll and maintain participation in the Quality Rated tier reimbursement program. All licensed providers hereby acknowledge that the CAPS program and Quality Rated tier reimbursement are separate and distinct programs at DECAL.