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1113 Chapter 7:Worker guides • Section 4: Child Care worker guides (07/2026)
Explain how ERDC child care payments work, including the approved hours and how much the family is responsible to pay. They will need to know if there is a copay (and how much) plus any overage amount;
Encourage families to talk to their provider about how much they charge for child care, if they accept ERDC rates, and any other fees the provider may charge. This is an important conversation to have before care begins.
The ERDC program can pay for registration fees or other fees that are required for the child to be enrolled in or remain in care. • Actions during the certification
Act on reported changes following policy guidelines;
Provider changes need to be acted on immediately; Send electronic connection to DPU for new provider who is in approved listing status (include percentage of care if multiple providers and date care ended if replacing a provider); Sometimes a billing form will need to be reissued. This occurs when a change is not acted on before the billing form is mailed or when an error occurred. Update changes on the case and send the request for replacement to DPU. Include details about the reason for replacement, copay amount, authorized hours and month(s) needed. Billing forms can only be replaced if the benefit is increasing or when a child is being added. Consult DPU if the billing has already been paid – a payment adjustment may be needed. Communications with child care providers Verify the provider/family connection before releasing any information. This can be verified through the provider connection in the system, in ONE case notes or the recent application if the provider is not yet connected and the family reported their provider information. Share information needed to confirm the family is eligible for child care benefits and which children are eligible (including authorized hours and the copay amount). When explaining the authorized hours, be sure to include the 25 percent for travel and meal time. Explain that the ERDC program can pay up to the max rate and let them know where to find this information if they need it (7492). Also explain the payment effective date (consider provider listing date and multiple providers – DPU can help); Share information on the billing form, when it was mailed or when they can expect to receive the billing form (consult DPU if needed). Refer to DPU if they have questions about the payment process. Also mention the Provider Guide (7492) as another resource for information. Disputes with the number of hours: • Explain the part-time or full-time authorization is based on the work, school and study hours or approved self- sufficiency activities and that it includes the 25 percent added for travel/meal time; • You may need to review the hours to determine if they were calculated correctly. Review potential need for extra hours. Are they working and/or going to school more than 40 hours a week, do they need sleep hours, are they working a split shift or do they have excessive travel time? • Ask the provider to have the family report if there has been a change or if they have questions about how the hours were calculated;