04.03.01 - Additional Child Care Costs

Effective Date: 01/01/00
Revised:  01/01/13, 10/01/19, 04/01/23, 7/1/24, 8/20/24

Reference: None

Policy Statement:

Participants are responsible for the payment of any fees charged by providers that IDHS does not cover.

Applicability:

These procedures apply licensed and license-exempt child care centers caring for families participating in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) through either the certificate program or a Site Administered contract.

Procedure:

  1. Registration Fees
    1. IDHS Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) will pay licensed and license-exempt child care centers a registration fee for any family that is approved for CCAP if the center:
      1. Charges a registration fee to all enrolled families, and
      2. Submit a Child Care Registration Fee Certification form (444-3476) to the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R), (Sites, see below), and
      3. The center did not provide care for one or all children in the family in the last 12-months.
    2. The maximum registration fee CCAP will pay will be $50.00 for a single child in care and $100.00 for families with multiple children enrolled with the center.
    3. Centers that list a lower amount on the Registration Fee Certification Form will be paid the lower amount.
    4. IDHS will pay more than one registration fee for an approved family:
      1. If the family is approved for more than one center with a different provider ID number at a different service address.
      2. If the family changes providers to a new center with a different provider ID number at a different service address.
      3. If the existing family adds a new child whom the provider did not care for in the last 12 months and the provider has not received registration fee payment for 2 children.
    5. Centers that have multiple CCMS provider numbers at different addresses can each receive a registration fee if children from the same family are approved.
      1. Each center caring for a family with 2 children enrolled at different locations are eligible for a registration fee for the child they are caring for.
    6. All provider IDs that are located at the same address will be considered as one center
      1. Children moving from one room to another, with each room has its own CCMS provider number, are not eligible for a 2nd registration fee.
    7. Site Administered child care providers cannot charge CCAP families a higher registration fees than is stated in this policy.
    8. Non-Site Administered providers who charge a higher registration fee than the maximum CCAP amount are allowed to charge the family the difference between the State amount and the center's private pay amount. 
    9. NOTE: Since there is a delay in publishing and mailing out the Registration Fee Certification Form when this policy was published on July 1, 2024, the center has until September 30, 2024, to return the form to the applicable agency if the center wishes to claim any backpay for families with new children in July or August 2024. CCAP is not able to reimburse fees that families have already paid to their provider. Families will need to contact their provider to arrange repayment or credit towards copayments.

Registration Fee Procedures

  1. Child Care Registration Fee Certification Form must be received and scanned in or uploaded to CCMS for all the centers who charge a registration fee.
  2. Three required pieces of information are needed on the Registration Fee Certification Form:
    1. The ability to identify the licensed or license-exempt center,
    2. The amount of the provider's registration fee for both single and multiple children, and
    3. The authorized child care provider's signature, and
  3. If any of the above required information is missing from the certifications form, and cannot be obtained by phone within 72 hours, send the center a Request for Additional Information (RAI).
    1. An RAI can be issued without attempting to contact the provider by phone if the signature is missing.
    2. If required information is not received within 10 business days, the fee cannot be authorized. 
    3. Enter provider notes in CCMS to document the RAI process and that the fee will not be authorized until all required information is received. 
    4. If the required information is obtained up to 30 calendar days after the RAI date, fees can be authorized for families approved during that period retroactively..

CCR&Rs

  1. CCMS Provider Profile Screen
    1. In the "Details" of the Provider's profile in CCMS, click on the first "Edit" button.
    2. The last four fields related to the registration at the bottom of the page must be filled out before saving it.
      1. Registration Fee: Yes
      2. Registration Fee for 1 Child: $##
      3. Registration Fee for Multiple Children: $## 
      4. Fee Date: XX/XX/XXXX 
    3. Add Provider Notes to document the action. 
  2.  CCMS Client Information Screen
    1. Under a context of a work item, click on the "Provider Registration Fee" on the left navigation menu, which is immediately below the "Case Summary" link after approving the case.
    2. Select the applicable center provider from the dropdown list if there are multiple providers.
    3. Click on the "Search" button.
    4. Click on the "Yes" button to authorize the registration fee. Then click on the "OK" button to confirm it.
    5. Repeat step 2 to 4 if there are multiple eligible centers approved on the case.
  3. Payment
    1. Payment of he registration fee will be included in the next CCAP payment after CCR&R staff completes the Registration Fee Authorization screen in CCMS. 
    2. If a registration fee payment was authorized in error, please email the Zendesk Helpdesk as soon as possible at support@illinois3520.zendesk.com.

Site Administered Providers

  1. The Registration Fee Certification Form must be sent to lori.a.harrison@illinois.gov to receive the fee for families enrolled through the Site contract.

Other Fees

  1. Parents enrolled in the certificate program are responsible for any fees charged by providers that is not paid by CCAP.
  2. Providers and parents are encouraged to develop a payment schedule if additional child care costs cannot be paid at one time.

  3. Examples of additional child care costs are listed below.  This list is not all inclusive.

    1. Field Trip fees
    2. Summer Camp Activity fees
    3. Recreation fees 
    4. Activity fees
    5. Late fees * Tuition
    6. Fees assessed for failure to give required notice of termination (2-week notice).  CCAP is only responsible for care provided prior to the last day of attendance.

  4. Contracted Site Administered Providers, including delegate agencies contracted through the City of Chicago and home providers being paid through a Family Child Care Network (FCCN) that is contracted by IDHS, must accept the State daily rate and registration fee amount paid for with contract funds.

    1. These providers cannot charge the family the difference between the State daily rate or registration fee amount and the rate/fee they charge private-pay families.