equal-access-payment-practices

Reason(s) for non-compliance: • The Lead Agency does not pay all provider types prospectively or alternatively does not demonstrate that it is not a generally-accepted practice for all provider types, as required by 98.45(m)(1). (Plan Question 4.4.1a) Overall Target Completion Date: 03/31/2026 Action Step Number Action Step Description Target Completion Date 1 Seek a statutory amendment to state procurement law to allow ECECD to make prospective payments. 01/31/2025 2 Conduct assessment of Lead Agency’s current payment & recoupment system, analyze other states’ prospective payment policies and procedures, and draft new payment and recoupment processes. 05/31/2025 3 Statutory amendment effective. 06/30/2025 4 Identify and draft regulation changes to allow prospective payments. 06/30/2025 5 Collaborate with the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration in developing an auditing and recoupment procedure that allows the Lead Agency an exemption to state procurement code to pay providers prospectively. 08/31/2025 6 Regulation changes effective. 08/31/2025 7 Make appropriate modifications to existing provider placement agreements and child care placement agreements. 08/31/2025 8 Gather requirements to inform IT changes. 09/30/2025 9 Develop process changes to IT system and test functionality and user acceptance testing. 03/31/2026 10 Update the child care assistance program policy manual and other associated program documents to reflect regulation & procedure changes. 02/28/2026 11 Develop new training materials. 02/26/2026 12 Provide training and disseminate information to all impacted stakeholders on regulation & procedure changes. 03/31/2026