08.05.04 - Child Care Collaboration, Rules and Reporting

Effective Date: 09/01/03
Revised:  7/1/11; 8/4/11

Reference: 89 Ill. Adm. Code, Chapter IV, §50.650

Policy Statement:

All approved Child Care Collaboration Programs will adhere to all Department rules governing the Illinois Child Care Subsidy Program with the following exceptions:

  1. Eligibility for families in an approved Child Care Collaboration Program will be determined annually;
  2. Families participating in an approved Child Care Collaboration Program will have a grace period of 90 days subsequent to loss of employment limited to one time in any 12-month period.Families may split up their 90-day grace period into three (3) 30-day grace periods but are limited to a maximum of 90-days grace period in a 12 month period. and
  3. Eligibility for care in an approved Child Care Collaboration Program will be indefinite when the child's or family's participation in the collaboration is part of their current TANF Responsibility and Services Plan.

Approved Child Care Collaboration Programs must maintain their quality standards as specified in Sections 50.610(a) and 50.630(a).

All Department-approved Illinois Child Care Collaboration Programs will comply with the following reporting and documentation items:

  1. Accurate completion of the Department's current Child Care Application for each collaboration family, with the appropriate place marked that indicates the family's participation in an approved collaboration; and
  2. Submittal of an annual report to the Department, using a form to be specified by the Department.

Procedures:

  1. Monitoring
    The Child Care Collaboration Program will be monitored via the following two methods:
    1. Review of annual reports and
    2. Communication regarding site visits that any Department Bureau of Child Care and Development or Head Start Collaboration Office staff make to the providers.
      IDHS Child Care policies and policy exemptions implemented by approved Child Care Collaboration providers will be monitored in the same way existing policies and/or procedures are monitored by IDHS Bureau of Child Care and Development. No additional monitoring methods will be used for this program.
  2. Annual Reporting
    Approved Child Care Collaboration providers must complete the Child Care Collaboration Program Annual Report and submit it within 45 days of the end of the state fiscal year, or by August 15.
    The report must be submitted to:
    IDHS Head Start State Collaboration Office
    10 Collinsville Ave.
    Suite 203
    East St. Louis, IL 62201
    Information gained from the annual report will be used to support the continuation of the Child Care Collaboration Program and to inform the Department about community collaborations.