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State of Vermont, Department for Children and Families Child Development Division Act 76 FAQs

9 Revised June 10, 2024

grants with Vermont Afterschool; click those links for more information on grant application availability and timelines. The state plans to continue grants to support start up or expansion in future years as well. D. Other CCFAP-Related Changes 1. Am I still allowed to charge fees, such as Art fees, to cover additional art supplies? The fees mentioned in Act 76 are specific to child care waitlist and application fees. This law does not apply to fees that are associated with offering services to an enrolled family, such as an enrollment fee to cover supplies or an enrollment deposit that would then be applied against tuition payments. Additional fees may be charged to families at the programs' discretion, but must be documented in policies and procedures as stated in rule 4.7 within child care licensing regulations. Please see the Act 76 Changes: Tuition Rates and Allowability of Additional Fees memo for more details. Section 3 - Child Care Licensing 1. Do tuition rates need to be available to the general public or just to current and prospective families? Act 76 requires child care providers to make their tuition rates available to the public. Although CDD is still in the process of revising its rules and policies, child care programs and providers should aim to come into compliance with this provision as soon as possible. Please see the Act 76 Changes: Tuition Rates and Allowability of Additional Fees memo for more details. CDD recommends that providers make their rates available to the public by posting them on their program’s website, sharing their rates with their local Community Child Care Support Agency, or providing them upon request to all who ask. Doing so will meet the requirement of the law. In the future, the Division plans to update the Child Care Development Information System (CDDIS) to permit programs to post their rates through the portal. 2. Why is the State of Vermont allowed to require providers to publicly post their rates? In creating Act 76, the Legislature consulted with legal counsel. They determined that the State is allowed to make rules related to tuition, given that early childhood education and afterschool programs receive significant public financing. 3. (NEW) What is the “tuition increase rate cap”? What % increase is allowed for the state fiscal year that starts July 1, 2024? As of May 23, 2024, the Legislature has delayed implementation of the new