06.07.01 - Provider Paid Leaves

Effective Date: 07/01/2025

References: Collective Bargaining Agreement Between The Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Illinois and Indiana And The State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services and Human Services Article VIII Section 4

Policy Statement:

Effective July 1, 2025 home child care providers (762 - 767) shall receive three (3) days of paid leave to be used between July 1, 2025 - June 30th, 2026, if they received reimbursement for care provided to a CCAP child, during the prior fiscal year (July 1st, 2024 - June 30th, 2025).

Effective July 1, 2026 home child care providers (762 - 767)  shall receive five (5) days of paid leave to be used between July 1st, 2026 - June 30th, 2027, if they received a reimbursement for care provided to a CCAP child, during the prior fiscal year (July 1st, 2025 - June 30th, 2026).

Paid leave shall be used in full-day increments by the Provider and may be used for any purpose. 

Leave shall be paid as a full day of reimbursement regardless of the length of day for which the child is approved.

Any paid leave not used by the end of the fiscal year for which it was awarded shall be forfeited.  Paid leave cannot be cashed out nor can it be used to receive an extra day of pay.

Applicability:

All home child care providers participating in the Child Care Assistance Program (Provider types 762 - 767) through the Certificate program or as part of a Site Administered Home Child Care Network (HCCN).

Procedure:

Provider Requests

  1. Home providers must complete and submit the Child Care Provider Paid Leave Request (CCPPLR) Form (IL 444-3478), or other written request if the form is not available.
    1. CCPPLRs are available at:
      1. Child Care Resource and Referral agencies
      2. Illinois Cares for Kids website at https://www.illinoiscaresforkids.org/
      3. SEIU
  2. Provider must include their first and last name.
  3. If the CCAP Provider ID# is missing, and the provider can be located in CCMS without it, continue to process the form.
  4. Provider must list each date of their leave.
    • Each day will need to be entered into CCMS separately (see below).
  5. Provider must sign the CCPPLR.
  6. The completed form must be submitted with the billing certificate for the month in which the leave occurred or before.

CCR&R Processing

  1. CCR&R CCAP staff are to review HSCCMS pre-payments when processing a CCPPLR to ensure a payment has not already been entered for the month of service.
  2. If no payment had been entered, enter the CCPLRs in the CCMS "Provider Leave" screen PRIOR to entering the certificate into HSCCMS.
  3. Each leave day requested must be entered separately.
  4. CCMS will reduce the number of eligible days for the month the leave occurs in automatically.  This will ensure the leave day isn't paid twice due to the 70% Attendance percentage Rule (CCAP Policy 06.03.01).
  5. CCMS will automatically place notes in the provider and family files to document the approved leave day(s) and the reduction of the eligible day(s).
  6. If a provider has used all available leave days, CCMS will return an error message.  Issue a leave request denial (see TEMPLATE) notice to the provider within 3 business days.
  7. Once approved in CCMS, enter the certificate into HSCCMS based on the number of days listed as attended.
  8. CCMS will calculate the attendance percentage based on the adjusted eligible days.
  9. Payment for the service month will include the paid leave amount.
  10. Payments for leaves can be seen
    1. SAMS
    2. CCMS Provider Leave screen
    3. Illinois Office of the Comptrollers Provider Inquiry screens.

Back-up provider

  1. Families may request payment for a different provider for the days a home provider is taking leave.
  2. Refer to CCAP Policy 04.06.01 for procedures for adding a provider.

Backdated Requests (until CCPPLR is available only)

  1. Provider submitting written requests for paid leave days may be accepted even if not submitted on the CCPPLR to accommodate the delay in availability of the form.
  2. CCR&R staff are to review HSCCMS for the month of service the paid leave day occurred.
  3. If the provider was paid 100% of eligible days due to the 70% Attendance Rule, send the provider a notice that the leave day is denied due to a previous payment and that no reduction to available leave days has occurred.
  4. If the provider was not paid 100% of eligible days, CCR&R staff are to enter the leave day into CCMS.
  5. All requested paid days must be submitted on a CCPPLR, or in writing if the form is not available.

IVR Payments

  1. Providers using the IVR Telephone Billing System must submit their CCPPLR PRIOR to entering payment into CCMS OR may send the CCPPLR to the CCR&R with the paper certificate for CCMS/HSCCMS enter (see above).
  2. When processing a CCPLR, CCR&R staff are to check HSCCMS to determine if the month in which the leave occurs in has already been entered via IVR.  If the provider was paid 100% of eligible days due to the 70% Attendance Rule, send the provider a notice that the leave day is denied due to pervious payment and that no reduction to available leave days has occurred.
  3. If the provider was not paid 100% of eligible days, CCR&R staff are to enter the leave day into CCMS.

Site Processing

  1. Home providers that are part of Site Home Child Care Network (HCCN) contract are eligible for paid leaves per the above policy.
  2. Home providers must submit a CCPPLR to their network.
  3. The network must check to see whether the home provider received at least 1 child care payment in the last fiscal year
  4. For a request in the last month that is not the same as the submitted MER, check the applicable approved MER for that past month to see whether the provider was pia din full based on the 70% Attendance Rule
  5. Take the following actions in CCMS:
    • Reduce the monthly eligible days by 1 day in the requested month per requested date for each eligible child under the provider
    • Leave a casenote. Here is an example: 
      • "Provider DOE JANE's (762000333046) paid leave request for 10/08/2025 was approved. The monthly eligible days for (WILLIAMS,MARY AND WILLIAMS,JOHN) in 10/2025 was reduced from 20 to 19 days."
    • Leave a note in the Provider's profile. Here is an example:
      • "Provider DOE JANE's paid leave request for 10/08/2025 was approved"
  6. Networks must indicate on their MERs when a home provider requested a paid leave day.
  7. All CCPPLRs must be submitted to DHS.CCMER@Illinois.gov no later than with the MER for the month in which the leave day occurred. 

Reasons for Denial

Issue a leave request denial (see TEMPLATE) notice to the provider within 5 business days if ineligible for the following reasons, but not limited to::

  1. The month for the requested leave date was already paid under the 70% Attendance Rule.
  2. The requested leave date is not in the same fiscal year.
  3. The requested leave date was approved previously.
  4. The provide did not have a child care payment in the last fiscal year.
  5. The provider has already been approved for the maximum number of paid leave days allowed for the fiscal year. 

Reasons for Delay

  1. Issue a Request for Additional information if the provider did not sign the CCPPLR (see CCAP Policy 02.02.02).
  2. Other missing information can be obtain verbally or by other written communication.