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Child Care Assistance Program Policy Manual Issued 07/2023 Payments to providers 9.3 Make payments to providers, unless the provider cares for children in the children’s own home. Care provided in the child’s home must be approved by the Department of Human Services. Payment must be made directly to the family when care is provided in the child’s home. This applies whether the provider is licensed or legal nonlicensed. See Chapter 9.6 (Payments to families). You must: • Make payments within 21 days after receipt of the bill when the provider submits a complete bill. • Provide notice to both the family and provider of the payment amount and how and when the payment will be made. First payment date Pay the provider (or parent, if care in the home is approved) after the provider is authorized by the county or tribe, retroactive to the later of the date that: • Child care was authorized to begin OR • The family became eligible. See Chapter 4.18 (Date of Eligibility) OR • The family began using a licensed provider OR • The family began using a legal nonlicensed provider and the provider completed training required based on the age of the child. See Chapter 11.9.9 (Legal nonlicensed providers – Training requirements). OR • The family began using a certified license exempt center. See Chapter 11.6 (Certified license exempt centers). Timeline to submit bills If a provider has received an authorization of care and been issued a billing form for an eligible family, the billing form must be submitted within 60 days of the last date of service on the bill. You may pay a bill submitted more than 60 days, but not more than one year, from the last date of service if the provider shows good cause for the delay. Good cause includes agency error and applies for one full year from the last date of service on the billing form. Good cause criteria other than agency error is defined in your County and Tribal Child Care Fund Plan. Do NOT pay a bill submitted more than a year after the last date of service on the bill, even if the provider shows good cause. Do NOT require participants to pay providers in advance of receiving payment from the child care fund as a condition for receiving child care assistance. Receiving an incomplete or incorrect bill When a provider submits an incomplete bill or the provider notifies you after the bill is submitted that the bill was completed incorrectly, the provider must submit corrections in writing. How the provider submitted the bill originally (either a paper bill or submitted electronically through MEC² PRO) determines how the corrections are made.