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 Prenatal to Five Fiscal Strategies (P5FS) cost of care survey asked respondents to report any barriers or challenges that keep them from enrolling in the Child Care Scholarship program. Respondents were able to choose multiple options. Of those that identified a barrier, 36% of respondents selected delay in payment, 24% selected payment rates being too low, 24% selected not enough families qualifying for the scholarship program, 21% selected their inability to handle the administrative/paperwork requirements, and 17% reported issues receiving client fees from parents or families. Other barriers cited included not having any available slots to serve children on scholarship, the staff training requirements, a lack of resources, and the CPR/First Aid certification requirements for staff. 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? [x] Yes. [ ] 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 eligibility packet that is sent to parents after their application is approved for a CCDF-funded child care scholarship includes a parent handbook that describes their options for choosing a child care provider, specifying all the listed categories, as well as other information about the scholarship, their rights and responsibilities and those of the Lead Agency and provider they choose. e. Describe what information is included on the child care certificate: The Lead Agency sends two (2) letters to parents after they have been determined eligible and approved to receive a CCDF-funded child care scholarship: (1) the eligibility letter informs them that their application has been approved for their child(ren), specifying each child’s name, age, eligibility category, and the number of weeks of full- time or half-time care approved per child. The letter specifies they have 15 calendar days to select a child care provider and if they need help locating a provider in their area, the parent may visit www.scchildcare.org for a list of enrolled providers. If they do not have access to a computer, they may call the Child Care Scholarship Program at 1- 800-476-0199 for a printed list. The letter states a packet of information will be mailed to them. The packet includes information and options for selecting high quality providers, a connection form they’ll need to complete and return after they select a child care provider. The connection form includes information that is needed to authorize the selected provider to serve their child(ren) (provider selected, name of parents & child(ren) approved for the child care scholarship, type of care needed (full or half-time or both), requested start date, signature of parents and provider, The packet also includes a list of quality considerations to think about when selecting a child care provider, such as ensuring there are enough adults to care for all children, ensuring parent is allowed to visit at any time, the environment is clean and safe, child care schedule allows for nap/inside/outside activities, there are positive interactions between adults and children, provider is responsive to parents expressed needs and concerns, provider uses positive discipline, and after services begin, ensure child enjoys going to the facility. (2) After a parent returns the completed connection form to the Child Care Scholarship Program, a second letter called the authorization/connection letter is sent to both the parents and the selected provider. It specifies that the parent has chosen the named provider at a site address to serve the listed child(ren), the care type, provider rate, client fee (co-pay, if applicable), billing rate, start date, stop date and weeks of care. The letter specifies that the Lead Agency will pay for child care services from the start date through the end date. It states if the provider’s weekly rate exceeds what the Lead Agency will pay, the parent is responsible for paying the difference, along with the weekly client fee (co- pay), if applicable. It states that the parent and provider will be notified in writing if services end prior to the stop date. It reminds providers that they cannot serve more children than they are licensed to serve. The letter is copied to the provider at their payment address. At any point in the process, parents can be referred to the Child Care Resource and Referral to assist them in choosing quality child care providers or asking questions to better inform their decision about care. The goal is to help the parents walk through the process and provide information on the available programs that may fit their needs.