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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 5/2022 Authorizing care – Switching providers and back-up providers 9.1.10 Workers cannot authorize more than 120 hours of care per child, per biweekly period, except temporarily: • During provider switches; or • When authorizing care with a back-up provider. If authorizing more than 120 hours of care per child, per biweekly period, never pay: • More than 120 hours of care. See Chapter 9.9 (Determination of Payment Amounts). • Two providers for the same period of time. See Chapter 9.1.9 (Authorizing care – Multiple providers). Switching providers What is a provider switch? Provider switches occur when: • A child ends care with one provider and starts care with another provider; or • A child continues care with a provider, but the provider’s primary or secondary status changes. Giving proper notice Typically, 15-day notice is needed before taking an adverse action, such as ending a Service Authorization or decreasing authorized hours. See Chapter 12.1 (15-day Notice Requirements). When a child switches to a new provider or a child’s primary provider switches to their secondary provider, do not start a new authorization or reduce an existing authorization until the earliest of: • The first day after 15-day notice ends, if care with the previous provider: - Is scheduled to end; - Is available; - Continues through the end of the notice period. • The first day a child runs out of absent days, if care with the previous provider: - Is available; - Does not continue through the notice period, but the provider bills absent days. • The first day care is no longer available with the previous provider (for example, if the provider is closed or can no longer care for a child). • The first day of the biweekly period after 15-day notice ends, if authorization is being reduced because a child’s previous primary provider switches to their secondary provider. See “Reduction of Hours to a Provider Requiring a 15-Day Notice Workaround” in the MEC² User Manual. • The first day the previous provider says they will stop billing or the first day a previous primary provider says they will not bill more than 20 hours per biweekly period if they continue as the child’s secondary provider. It is recommended the agency: - Inform the new provider that they will not be paid for the time period if the original provider bills, since two providers cannot be paid for the same time period. - Document in Case Notes if a previous provider verbally agrees to stop billing or reduce their billing to 20 hours per biweekly period.