4.1 Access to Full Range of Provider Options

Lead Agencies must provide parents a choice of providers and offer assistance with child care services through a child care certificate (or voucher) or with a child care provider that has a grant or contract for the provision of child care services. Lead Agencies are reminded that policies and procedures should not restrict parental access to any type or category of care or provider (e.g., center care, home care, in-home care, for-profit provider, non-profit provider, or faith-based provider, etc.). 4.1.1 Parent choice a. Identify any barriers to provider participation, including barriers related to payment rates and practices, (including for family child care and in-home providers), based on provider feedback, public comment, and reports to the Lead Agency: The 2023 Market Rate Survey (MRS) \offered providers an opportunity to share what they believe are challenges with the Best Beginning Scholarship program. Providers providing care in a family child care setting and in-home (provider’s home) are included in the ￿home￿ provider description. A vast majority of providers (87% of homes and 90% of centers) have children who receive the Best Beginnings scholarships. Over 40% of home-based and center-based providers reported that reimbursements being paid after care is provided is a challenge with accepting Best Beginnings recipients. Other challenges included low state reimbursement rates (53% of family child care and 55% of centers) and limitations on hours covered (45% of homes and 46% of centers). b. Does the Lead Agency offer child care assistance through vouchers or certificates? [x] Yes. [ ] No. c. Does the Lead Agency offer child care assistance through grants or contracts? [ ] Yes. [x] No. d. Describe how the parent is informed that the child care certificate allows the option to choose from a variety of child care categories, such as private, not-for-profit, faith-based providers; centers; family child care homes; or in-home providers: Families receiving CCDF-funded child care can get a child care referral list from a Lead Agency scholarship contractor agency for a family, group, or center-based child care provider. A scholarship contractor can provide the family receiving CCDF-funded child care, assistance in answering questions about the use of a Family, Friend, or Neighbor (FFN) or Relative Care Exempt (RCE) Provider. Additionally, a parent is informed on the application. e. Describe what information is included on the child care certificate: The Lead Agency offers a child care certificate through the Best Beginnings Scholarship to parents in the form of an authorization plan. As part of the eligibility process, an authorization of services is created. A parent must have a provider selected for this authorization of services to be created. Once the eligibility worker creates an authorization of services for a child an Authorization Plan (certificate) is created and mailed to the parent. The Authorization Plan (certificate) includes the following information: (1) Authorization Plan (certificate) identification number; (2) family’s unique case number; (3) facility information including facility unique identification number, name, type, and address; (4) information, including name and age, for each child in the family authorized for child care; (5) authorization (certificate) begin and end date; (6) the payment rate (at the time the certificate was created); (7) the amount of time that a child is authorized for care at the facility; (8) the family’s copayment obligation; (9) and the eligibility worker’s name, phone number, and work address.