Policy Statement

A licensed child care provider or license-exempt child care center must notify the Department or its Agents of their published payment rates by completing a IL444-4469 - Child Care Rate Certification Form (pdf) or IL444-4469 S - Certificación Para Tarifa de Cuidado de Niños o Guardería (pdf) whenever one or more of the following conditions apply:

annually, for a Site Administered Child Care Provider upon renewal of a contract;

upon a change in licensing status (i.e. a change from license-exempt home provider to a licensed day care home provider);

to report a rate change that does not exceed the current CCAP rate.

Providers may choose to charge the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) a higher rate than they charge private-pay families. This flexibility allows providers to offer scholarships, discounts, or their own sliding fee scales to families who are not enrolled in CCAP. This supports providers in offering reduced rates to families who do not qualify for CCAP, helping to expand access to child care services for all children in Illinois.