child care counts: stabilization payment program round 3child care counts: stabilization payment program round 3

Please contact FIS Merchant Services at 1-800-894-0050 or Merchant.Services.Support@fisglobal.com for a Bank Change Form. We welcome the opportunity to learn from child care providers experiences and feedback. Thisguideprovides step-by-step instructions on submitting your application for the two available payment programs. A. For example, Paige explained, some child care providers have been providing vouchers to families to offset the cost of one day of care. Costs must have been incurred between April 1, 2022 and 120 days from the date of the payment letter. Failing to withdraw may lead to an overpayment. Paige suggested child care providers keep checking DCFs website and listserv for more information on Round 3 funding in the coming weeks. Yes. These staff can be included in the application for both 4k hours and wraparound (before and after 4k) hours, These staff cannot be added to the application, Staff can be included in the application only for the hours they are employed/paid by the child care program to provide wraparound (before or after 4k), Staff cannot be included in the application for the hours that they are employed/paid by the school district to provide 4k programming, Indicate operations hours you directly work to establish full or part-time status. These applications will remain in Submitted status until a determination has been made. Program A funds can be used for operating costs, including payroll/benefits. Failure to provide documentation in the 5-year review period may result in an overpayment of those funds. We strongly encourage you to submit your request for review via email to. Due to the uncertainty of the Wisconsin biennial budget process, specific future payment amounts are not currently available. You will not be penalized for uploading documentation to the incorrect category. The DCF audit includes a random 3% sample of submitted applications for audit or review. We strongly recommend that funds are spent on allowable expenses prior to closing the facility. This information will not be used for audit purposes. WebLaw 117-2), which ran from November 2021, through July 2022, distributed $181,302,865 to 3,964 eligible Wisconsin child care providers via two programs (WI Department of Children If my program has an outstanding Wisconsin Shares or Child Care Counts overpayment, I must be in compliance with any DCF Finance Repayment Agreement. If you are unable to email, you may call and leave your details at 608-535-3650. These will appear in a providers initial Round 2 application. When the classroom reopens, update child information during the next Monthly Update Week. Beginning with the October Update/Application Week, there will be new Program A add-on amount onlyfor providers caring for children participating in the Inclusive Birth to 3 Child Care Pilot. As always, we have the Child Care Counts Support Center available to assist with any questions you may have about your current application. Important:Discovery of unreported temporary closures may result in an audit, investigation, Wisconsin Shares overpayment, andChild Care Countsoverpayment. No. These resources will help you gain access to the Child Care Provider Portal, register with FIS for direct deposit, upload required documents, submit your Child Care Counts application, and more. Your facility is not considered actively operating. Once approved for payments, eligible providers may continue to receive ongoing monthly payments, providing the financial stability they need to stay open, to recruit and retain qualified staff, and to continue providing high-quality care for children. See the newApplication Guidefor additional information on how to enter an application into Child Care Provider Portal. See the below FAQ for further details regarding currently employed and on payroll status. Compensation (wages, benefits, bonuses) cannot be decreased for staff included in that months application for the duration of the payment program. Please review the Allowable Use of Funds information in the Program Overview section above, as well as the Resources section below for suggestions. Payment Program A is based on child information and attendance during the Count Week. See theChild Care Counts Calendarfor future Application/Update Weeks. There are some changes for theChild Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program Round 3. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The amount individual providers receive will depend on the structure of their program. If you need to contact FIS, you may want to try calling during an off-peak time. Child Care Counts eligibility requires that providers are in active and current repayment. If you applied into April, very of Feedback results will not be published with your facility name, nor with any identifying information related to your child care. If a child did not attend due to COVID-19 exposure, mark No, child did not attend due to exposure to COVID-19 to the attendance question, and that child can still be added to the application/update for the Count Week. By. Keep track of closure dates and reasons in your Child Care Provider Portal. Instructions on how to upload documents in the Child Care Provider Portal. A provider alternative fund sourcecannotbe: Child Care Countspayments can only be used for a providersdocumented eligible expensesas agreed to in the terms and conditions. At a minimum, you must use the Base Per-Staff Amount to maintain existing compensation for each staff person listed in the given months application. This add-on amount will be given to eligible providers in addition to the Per-Child Amount for each child included in the application who attended 20 or more hours of care during non-standard hours across the Count Week. Providers will receive this additional funding for each child included in the application who attended 20 or more hours of care during non-standard hours during the Count Week. Providers will be notified in the Child Care Provider Portal as soon as the investigation concludes, and a determination is made. Many answers to your questions may be available here. See thisTemporary Closure guidefor instructions on entering temporary closures in the Child Care Counts Application. Upon review of your application, it was discovered that you have an existing Wisconsin Shares or YoungStar overpayment. If you forget to add children or staff, you will not receive per-staff or per-child funds for those individuals. Once approved for payments, providers will continue to receive ongoing monthly payments by continuing to meet eligibility requirements and adhering to the programTerms and Conditions. See below for highlights, and read the Round 3 Terms and Conditions for full details. Bank account on file is your business account3. This additional amount will be added automatically to eligible providers payments, and providers do not need to include any additional information in their application. These names must be updated each month to reflect children attending and staff currently working to provide care. If you wish to participate in Child Care Counts Stabilization Round 3, you must submit an application and be approved for at least one of the May, June, July, or August 2023 payment rounds. That might soon change, though, because Child Care Counts makes up a quarter of her revenue. 29, 2023 at 4:10 PM PDT. Keep all documentation for all months you receive payments for. The focus of Program B remains on supporting staff compensation, while offering flexibility in the use of funds to support recruitment and retention. The currentChild Care Counts Programrequires providers to be open and caring for children during the identified Count Week, with exceptions for closures due to COVID-19 exposure. See below for some highlights of what is the same, and what is different for Round 3 of the Stabilization Payment Program. Funds can also be used to pay staff who support the overall operations of the child care program. Through monthly payment to the mortgage company, where taxes are held in escrow. Payroll taxes would be considered an allowable expense under Program A. Remember, Child Care Counts funding can be used to cover eligible expenses incurred after March 12, 2020. Training and professional development is an allowable use under Program A as well as the Quality Incentive portion of Program B. Once approved for payments, providers must update/verify child and staff information and re-submit their application every month to maintain eligibility for ongoing payments. Yes. Costs must have been incurred between April 1, 2022 and 120 days from the date of the payment letter. A provider may choose to combine funding to cover a larger expense or purchase to support inclusion. It will also include details on: Providers are provided a minimum 2-week time frame to submit required documentation. This is a nine-month payment program that runs August 2022 through April 2023. You do not need to submit any documentation when completing these questions. Many companies that sell early childhood materials offer a specific selection of materials and supplies that support inclusive practices. To see the important dates for each round, see the top of theChild Care Counts webpage. Yes. Expenses cannot have already been funded by a prior program or reimbursed by another state or federal fund source. Current federal funding will support a total monthly payment amount of about $10M, about half of what was available in prior rounds. You may reapply in a future application week if you have children in care during the Count Week. Providers may apply if they are open and caring for children during the Count Week. Wisconsin Shares payments to families cannot be reimbursed. You must state clearly and specifically what you believe was incorrect in this decision. Regulated (licensed, certified, or public school license-exempt) child care providers that are currently open and providing care to children. Any care provided between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays, or any care provided on Saturday or Sunday is considered care during non-standard hours. Programs participating in YoungStar will also receive a Quality Incentive Per-Staff amount. Unspent funds or failure to provide adequate receipts may result in an overpayment. If you need help or have questions about theChild Care Countspayment program,please contact theChild Care Counts SupportCenter atDCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov. The initial application for the new location should be entered using the Child Care Provider Portal account associated with the new location. The Non-Standard Hours Add-On is part of the Payment Program A Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and must be used according to theterms and conditionsof Payment Program A. View thisChild Care Counts: Non-Standard Hours Add-On videofor an overview of the Non-Standard Hours Add-On. See below for some highlights of what is the same, and what is different for Round 3 of the Stabilization Payment Program. See the Feedback Questions section of the Frequently Asked Questions for more information. To be considered in good standing, providers must not be under CPS investigation or DCF investigation which may lead to revocation or suspension of license or certification, or termination from the Wisconsin Shares program. If you have already applied for Program A and have uploaded your child attendance records, you do not need to upload them into the Program B application. If a provider is unable to spend a Child Care Counts payment within the spending time frame, unused Child Care Counts funds must be immediately returned to DCF. Children must be participating in the Inclusive Birth to 3 Child Care Pilot in order for providers to receive the add-on amount through Child Care Counts. Providers must be open and caring for children to be eligible for payments. website each month as specific payment amounts are determined. The future of Child Care Counts is uncertain. DCF will not take part in any business disputes in these situations. They will monitor the program design, application details, upload of documents, request additional documents, review of the DCF audit and overpayment process, and tracking of funds. How do they answer these questions? If classroom three reopens before the September Count Week, children from that classroom can be added during the September Monthly Update Week. For many of the states regulated child care providers, the monthly payments represent a second stable revenue source. You can also view theChild Care CountsProvider Training Module(training module coming soon) for more information, including resources, best practices, and regulatory information. Providers must be regulated and in good standing during the Count Week and as of the last date of the Application Week, subsequent Monthly Update Weeks, and on Payment Review Days. Yes. Contact the DCF Bureau of Financeto discuss repayment options:608-422-7550. You can download the Spending Tool Word Document to print or use in in a different format. Please send an email to:DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.govif you are unable to email, you may call and leave your detailed questions at: 608-535-3650. An eligible expense is an expense that follows the program rules, timelines, andterms and conditions. These questions will only need to be completedone timefor the duration of Stabilization Round 2. View the Child Care Counts Program Important Dates page. If you do not hear back from FIS Merchant Services or they do not resolve your issue, please email: DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov. These questions will ask forapproximate amountsand will not be reviewed against any actual documentation that you may be asked to provide in the event of an audit. Eligible providers do not have to take any additional action to receive this add-on. Program B will still consist of a, The Program A add-on amount for providers caring for children who are participating in the. No. Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program Round 3, is a nine-month payment program that runs May 2023 through January 2024. Yes. You may contact the Child Care CountsSupport Center with questions. If you paid Wisconsin Shares subsidy funds back to DCF due to a Voluntary Repayment Agreement (VPA), these adjustments will not be included on your 1099-K from FIS. On the Add Child page, use the checkbox to indicate if the child attended during the week of 8/7/22 and 8/20/22. Guide and Video with instructions on uploading documents. Support Center hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-F. Additional locations are eligible to apply when they are providing care to children, regulated, and in good standing during the Count Week, the Application Week, Monthly Update Weeks, and on Payment Review Days. Purchase includes all costs associated with a purchase of real estate including, down payments, mortgages, points, appraisal fees, and closing costs. Note:Providers may not involuntarily furlough (lay off without pay) staff who appear on their centers application. This additional amount will be added automatically to eligible providers payments, and providers do not need to include any additional information in their application. See the Update Week section of the FAQs and the Child Care Counts Calendar for important dates for Stabilization Round 2. Teen parents enrolled in high school, GED, ESOL, or remedial education programs. These funds must be spent within 120 days of the date of the payment letter from which they were awarded. If temporarily closed during the Application Week, providers must reopen within 14 days. 8. If additional documentation is required, you will be taken to theVerification Documentspage. See below for definition of terms that are used to define different points in time, and how payments are determined for the Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Program Round 2. The program may be eligible under the new license only if they are providing care to children, regulated, and in good standing during the Count Week, the Application Week, Monthly Update Weeks, and on Payment Review Days. You may enter new children or remove children who are no longer enrolled at the facility. Failure to provide or lack of supportive documentation for allowable expenses will result in a Child Care Counts Overpayment. Documents requested for the identified time frame may include: According to the Terms and Conditions, DCF reserves the right to request documentation of use of this funding for review or audit purposes up to five (5) years after you have received the funds. Child care providers must implement policies and practices in compliance with: Documentation must be uploaded through the Upload Verification Documents section of theChild Care Provider Portal. The amount of funding for Program C will be determined after Application Week has closed and applications have been reviewed. Schmidt said this weeks announcement poses a new question:"Will this time, when programs are being notified there is going to be a steep reduction of Child Care Counts payments, motivate people into action to let our legislature know how critical Child Care Counts is?". With its introduction in November 2021, providers no longer had to rely solely on parents to pay for care to cover expenses. Child Care Counts: Stabilization Payment Programdenial decisions may be reviewed upon request. You may also add new staff or remove staff who are no longer employed. You are encouraged to begin this process immediately if you are not already set up with FIS. Published: Jun. At a minimum, you must use the Base Per-Staff Amount to maintain existing compensation. Certain verification documents must be uploaded with the initial Stabilization Round 2 application. Certain verification documents must be uploaded with the initial Stabilization Round 3 application. You are only required to upload new verification documents if you have entered a significant change in child/staff information. If you are an existing provider currently receiving ACH payments and you need to update your bank account information, please contact FIS Merchant Services atMerchant.Services.Support@fisglobal.com, or 1-800-894-0050 for a Bank Change Form. Providers will receive a written notice of review or audit in the Child Care Provider Portal and sent by US Mail. Note:All payments are subject to audit up to five (5) years from payments. This amount is based on the number of staff included in the Count Week, calculated by employment status (full-time/part-time). application. Your response will be time sensitive to ensure an overpayment is not assessed. Note:Expenses cannot have already been funded by a prior DCF program or reimbursed by another state or federal fund source. Example:Jane Smith is a lead teacher, works full-time (21 hours or more per-week), and is paid $15.25 an hour. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy witha tax-deductible gift to Report for America. Child Care Counts Stabilization Payment Program funds for staff may be halted only upon their termination for cause or their voluntary separation from my center. If closed due to COVID-19 exposure, see COVID Guidance section for more information. To add staff, providers must adhere to the Child Background Check requirements in order to add those employees to the Child Care Provider Portal staff list. Watch this page for details the sign up by the child care listserv up be notified when updates are available. As my child care ratio fluctuates and/or providers Be sure to carefully review childrens Wisconsin Shares status. AllChild Care Counts Stabilization Payment Programfundsmust be spent within 120 daysof the date of Payment Letter for the given month. DCF must also provide records for funds awarded and funds collected from overpayments to ensure the balance of funds is accurate and current. The application should reflect the childs enrollment at the time of the Count Week. Requests for review must be emailed, faxed, or postmarked no later than 14 calendar days after the date on the denial letter. No. Please note that funding provided for each location must be utilized at that location. It may take up to 5 business days to receive a response from Merchant Services. If you apply for Program A later in the application week or in a later month, the new application will require uploading attendance records. Unfortunately, current funding will not allow for providers to join the program after the August 2023 payment round. However, ongoing funding has been proposed as part of Wisconsins biennial budget. In addition, payment for those applications is addressed to that identified person. The same receipt can be used for both programs if an item or service is purchased with combined funds. Applications cannot be modified after the application period closes. Program B funds cannot be used to pay household members who are not on staff or actively caring for children, volunteers, or contracted staff. While there are some big changes with this round of Child Care Counts, many things remain the same. SeeDenials and Review Processsection of theFrequently Asked Questionsfor more information. Child and staff information will be copied from your previous months application. If you are the previous owner, you must take the following actions: If you need assistance, please send an email to the Child Care Counts Support Center: DCFDECECOVID19CCPayments@wisconsin.gov. For example: The staff member did not work regularly scheduled hours during the Count Week due to illness. Failure to do so may result in an overpayment or discontinuation of monthly payments. Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps memberbased at The Appleton Post-Crescent. Providers must be open and caring for children to be eligible for payments. Click the downward arrow next to Review Needed and select Withdrawn from the drop-down menu. WebOverview Grant Application Opened:August 3, 2022 Grant Application Submission Deadline: August 29, 2022 @ 11:59pm Grant Period: August 3, 2022-December 31, 2022 Overview Current bank account is on file with FIS2. For the initial application, include only children who attended during the Count Week. Department of Revenue Contact Number:608-266-7879. It is important to note that the timing of these changes will affect whether or not a program is eligible to receive funds. Maybe. Providers cannot use Child Care Counts funds to reimburse families who do not receive Wisconsin Shares. The recent paycheck was issued on August 5 for the time worked July 10 July 23. If you have used theSpending Tool, or other tracking methods, this will be helpful in finding the information to complete the feedback questions. website will provide accurate information about each months payment amounts under, . was created with federal COVID-relief funding. Program B will still consist of aBase-Per Staff amount, and for programs participating in YoungStar, aQuality Incentive Per-Staff amount. Providers must show that the funds were spent within the 120-day time frame, and verify that the expenses meet the guidelines for each program outlined in the Terms and Conditions. Support staff can be included in the application for Payment B as long as they: Please note, contracted employees, household members, and volunteers cannot be added to the application. Program B will still consist of a Base-Per Staff amount, and for programs participating in YoungStar, a Quality Incentive Per-Staff amount. Upon review of your application, it was discovered that your facility was not in compliance with regulation requirements during the Count Week, Application Week, or on the Payment Date. When this happens, a These questions are intended to: These feedback questions will only be used for information gathering purposes. Two Payment Standards (A1 and A2) exist for CA. Regular updates about the program will also be provided via the Child Care listserv. Your facility must be open and caring for children during the Count Week in order to receive payment. While there is some uncertainty with this round of Child Care Counts, many things remain the same. It is strongly recommended that funds are expensed prior to the sale or change of licensee name. Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, 53206 Early Care and EducationInitiative, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Verification, Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care, Milwaukee Early Care Administration (MECA), Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), PACS (Public Assistance Collections Section), Information for Assessment/Stabiliziation Centers, Child Care Counts Program Overview and Important Dates, CCC Stabilization Payment Program Round 2 (Aug. 2022 - April 2023), CCC Stabilization Payment Program Round 1 (Nov. 2021 - July 2022), Closed CCC Response and Relief Program (June 2021), Closed CCC Spring 2021 Response and Relief Program (April 2021), Closed CCC Supplementary Payment Program Round 2 (Oct.-Nov. 2020), Closed CCC Supplementary Program Round 1 (Sept. 2020), Closed CCC Emergency Programs (May-July 2020), CCC Payment Spending Information and Deadlines for Closed Programs, Child Care Provider Listserv/eNewsletter Archive, Workforce Retention and Recognition Stipend Program-Closed, See the Update Week section of the FAQs for more information, See this guide for instructions on setting up an FIS account, Child Care Counts Audit and Overview Training Video, Child Care Counts Audit Process Flowchart, Child Care Counts Payment Program Overview page, Inclusive Birth to 3 Child Care Pilot webpage, Child Care Resources and Referral Agency (CCR&R), YoungStar Early Childhood Inclusion webpage, comparison of allowable uses of funds for Programs A and C. You must apply and be approved no later than the August Round to be eligible for the rest of Round 3. Yes. Purchase includes all costs associated with a purchase of real estate including, down payments, mortgages, points, appraisal fees, and closing costs. SeeCOVID Guidance section(under theFrequently Asked Questions accordion) for more information. You can also find more information on the YoungStar Inclusion Resources webpage. To re-enter the CCC payment program after withdrawing your application, you will need to reapply during a future Application/Update week. See the Use of Funds section of the Frequently Asked Questionsfor details and instructions. Please note:Staff hours can be reduced, if necessary, but the hourly wage/rate of pay, should not decrease. You should consult your tax advisor for guidance on how to include the payment on your taxes. Example:If you have already received payment for the months of August and September, and in October you closed your facility due to a COVID-19 exposure, you may be eligible to receive payment for October. See theUpload Guideto assist with the upload process. For the purposes of Child Care Counts, there are four types of non-standard hours care: The child(ren) must attend at least 20 hours of care during non-standard hours (see definition above) over the two designated Count Weeks to receive the add-on amount. Family providers can still apply for both programs. The funds must be spent within the spending timeframe (120 days from the date of the payment letter) for the given monthly payment. The Child Care Counts website will provide accurate information about each months payment amounts under How Payments are Determined. You must update your bank account information with FIS in order to receive your payment into the correct bank account. If you are family provider, expenditures do not need to be prorated using the "time and space" method for the purposes of theChild Care Counts Stabilization Payment Program. Providers who have already been approved for payment may still be eligible to receive payment if a child, or children, are absent the entire Count Week due to COVID-19 exposure.