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Title 13: Social Service Resources Page 88 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter G: Child Care Assistance Establishing Payment Rate Revised June 14, 2024 Method for Calculating a Half-Day Rate EXCEPTION: For school-age children who use before-and-after school care, a provider’s school-age weekly rate should be divided by 5 to get a half-day rate. For school-age children who attend full-time (e.a. summer breaks), the provider’s school-age weekly rate should be divided by 10 to get half-day rates. If the CCA Provider Agreement information is not clear, contact the provider to clarify rates before entering them into the KinderTrack system. Use this method for establishing the half-day rate for basic and special needs care. However, refer to Half Day Rate Ceilings for the conditions that must be met before the special needs rate can be paid. Approve the half-day rate providing the following policies are met: ▪ No rate can be approved that is above the maximum rate applicable to the type of care, the provider, and the age group. ▪ No rate can be approved that exceeds the rate the provider charges a private pay individual. ▪ Each rate type the provider has should be calculated and approved on the Child Care Assistance Provider Agreement and entered separately into KinderTrack (i.e., standard, before and after school, 2nd child discount, employee discount, etc.). EXCEPTION: In-home care is paid at the minimum wage amount. The half-day unit rate for all in-home care providers must be $36.25 (the current hourly minimum wage rate of $7.25 times five hours). The only KinderTrack rate type applicable to in-home providers is the in-home rate type. Other rate types should not be entered for this type of provider. Maximum Payment Rates The following definitions apply in the use of the rate tables: “Child care home (not registered)” means a family child care home caring for five or fewer children (including relative care) that is not registered with the state. This is also the rate used for out-of-state family home-based providers. “Child development home” means a person or program that has received a certificate of registration from the state to provide child care to six or more children at any one time. “Infant and toddler” means a child aged two weeks to three years. “Licensed center” means a child care center licensed in Iowa. This is also the maximum rate used for an out-of-state center provider. “Preschool” means a child aged three years to kindergarten (“school aged”). Approve preschool rates for summer hours before kindergarten classes begin.