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 Lead Agency asks providers to report any barriers in participating with the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) as a part of the Market Rate Survey. Providers included in the survey were licensed as a center, group or family and asked if payment reimbursement rates were too low, if the added administrative duties, or if the time it took to receive payments were a barrier, and the highest response received were that these issues were not a barrier. Only 13% of providers reported a barrier as extreme. Some additional barriers reported included communication, mail difficulties and paperwork. 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: The Lead Agency refers parents to the contracted child care resource and referral vendor as needed to help select from a variety of child care providers. e. Describe what information is included on the child care certificate: The certificate includes the maximum amount that can be paid by the Child Care Assistance Program and the level of care that each child has been approved for. The certificate also contains the family's co- payment amount and provides a brief overview of how payments are determined.