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Provider Reimbursement Levels and Rate Assessment Rates for all child care services are based on the child care providers’ established rates charged to the general public and cannot exceed the rates of the current OCY public. Provider reimbursements cannot exceed the rates of the current DECCD Weekly Child Care Reimbursement Tiers. Refer to the Child Care Policy Manual, Appendix N, for additional and more detailed information about the tier levels and payment rates. Child care provider rates higher than allowed by the DECCD Weekly Child Care Reimbursement Tiers cannot be paid more than the maximum allowed. A parent who chooses a child care provider whose rate is higher is responsible for paying the difference, in addition to co-payment fees, if applicable. The parent is also responsible for making arrangements with the provider for paying the excess fees and the co-payment, if applicable. If the parent fails to pay the provider, the provider will notify DECCD which may cause the child care services to be terminated. If the parent requests a change in child care provider with an outstanding balance to the current provider, the parent must pay all fees before a new certificate will be issued. It is the responsibility of the provider to report non- payment to DECCD. NOTE: An individual who incurs out-of-the pocket expenses for child care services, in addition to receiving child care assistance through the CCP, may be eligible for a child care deduction when determining eligibility for TANF benefits.

Provider’s Effective/Approval Date

TANF Work Program participants (TWP and TCC) are required to choose a child care provider that has been approved by DECCD to participate in the Child Care Payment Program. When a child care provider successfully obtains CCPP approved provider status, the DECCD will establish the provider’s date of eligibility. The provider’s information along with the eligibility date will be passed to JAWS through the CCPS-to-JAWS nightly interface. JAWS will display the provider’s eligibility date on the CCPD screen in the PROV START DATE field and on the CCPS screen in the APPROVE DT field. A JAWS system edit on the ACRR screen will not allow the case manager to enter a child care start date that is prior to the provider’s eligibility/approval date. (DECCD will not issue payment to the provider for care provided prior to the eligibility date.)

Backdating Child Care Start Dates The child care start date cannot be prior to the date the child care application is received by the county office, or prior to the expected start date of the participant’s work activity, whichever is later. The

participant must apply for child care assistance, and be assigned to a work activity before receiving a referral for child care services. (The actual start date for the component assignment isnot required on the MPAC screen prior to adding the child care referral.)

JAWS will allow the child care start date to be backdated up to 30 days for TANF TWP and up to 45 days for TANF TCC in accordance with policy, but not prior to the provider’s effective/approval date. The need to backdate a child care start date will be significantly reduced or eliminated if the case worker and parent adhere to the timeliness standards established by policy. Volume III | Chapter 10 10070