Alternative Payment Programs

Policies and Procedures

Parent Handbook

(Rev 12/1/14)

Dear Parents,

Welcome to Children’s Resource and Referral of Santa Barbara County (CRR), a subsidized Alternative Payment Program (APP). We have included information about the services and policies that govern all California Department of Education (CDE) Subsidized Programs. CRR is confident that the information in this handbook will be helpful in answering questions you may have and provide some guidelines for your successful participation in the program.

We suggest that you keep this handbook and refer to it when you have questions about the program. All the information presented is subject to revision based upon any changes to CRR contracts. Updates to this handbook will be provided online at Parents and Providers are responsible for adhering to the policies and procedures set forth. If any of the information in this handbook is unclear to you, seek immediate clarification with CRR Staff.

The purpose of CRR’s Subsidized Alternative Payment Program is to assist eligible families with partial or full reimbursement of their child care cost. CRR’s child care programs are Participant choice programs; Parents have the ability to select the type of child care setting that best suits their needs.

CRR is committed to working collaboratively with Parents and Providers. Maintaining an open line of communication will allow us to work jointly in supporting the growth and development of your child (ren). We look forward to working with you to promote these goals.

Sincerely,

Debora L. Harris

Alternative Payment Program Manager

CONTACT SHEET

Debora L. Harris
Alternative Payment Program Manager
(805) 925-7030
Office Hours:
Monday – Friday
8:00am-5:00pm
/ Jessica Fernandez
Program Support Clerk
(805) 925-7030
Office Hours:
Monday – Friday
8:00am – 5:00pm

Crystal Lopez
Case Worker
(805) 925-7030
Office Hours:
By Appointment Only

Case Files (Last Name): A-K / Eva Tagle
Case Worker
(805) 925-7030
Office Hours:
By Appointment Only

Case Files (Last Name): L-Z

Table of Contents

How do I qualify?
Child Eligibility Criteria………………………………………………………………………………………… / 8
Family Eligibility Criteria………………………………………………………………………………………. / 8
Family Need Criteria…………………………………………………………………………………………….. / 8
Child Care Funding – Qualifications and Criteria
C2AP Funding – CalWORKs Stage 2 ……………………………………………………………………… / 9
C3AP Funding – CalWORKs Stage 3 ……………………………………………………………………… / 10
CAPP Funding – California Alternative Payment Program ……………………………………. / 10
How Do I Enroll?
Admission & Enrollment ……………………………………………………………………………………… / 11
Enrollment Process………………………………………………………………………………………………. / 11
Enrollment by Transfer from another CalWORKs Agency ……………………………………. / 13
How am I eligible for services?
Documentation of Income Eligibility ……………………………………………………………………. / 13
Documentation of Child Protective Services and At Risk ……………………………………… / 15
Documentation of Homelessness …………………………………………………………………………. / 16
My Reason for Needing Child Care Services
Documentation of Need for Child Care Services …………………………………………………… / 16
Documentation of Employment …………………………………………………………………………… / 17
Documentation of Self-Employment ………………………………………………………………….... / 17
Employment or Self-Employment in the Home ……………………………………………………. / 17
Employed as an Assistant in a Large Family Child Care Home ………………………………. / 17
Documentation of Educational / Vocational Training …………………………………………… / 18
Documentation of Seeking Employment ……………………………………………………………… / 19
Documentation of Parental Incapacity …………………………………………………………………. / 20
Documentation of Child Protective Services and At Risk ………………………………………. / 20
Documentation of Seeking Permanent Housing …………………………………………………… / 21
Travel Time for Employment or Educational / Vocational Training / 21
Travel Time for Employment ………………………………………………………………………………… / 21
Sleep Time for Employment …………………………………………………………………………………. / 21
Agency Verification of Eligibility and Need for Child Care Services ………………………………… / 21
My Child Care Options
The Selection Process …………………………………………………………………………………………… / 22
Types of Child Care Available to Families ……………………………………………………………… / 23
Provider Enrollment ……………………………………………………………………………………………… / 24
Multiple Providers ………………………………………………………………………………………………… / 25
Alternative Provider when Primary Provider is Unavailable …………………………………. / 25
Changing Child Care Provider ……………………………………………………………………………….. / 25
Provider Notice Period …………………………………………………………………………………………. / 25
My Child Care Schedule and Certificate for Child Care Services
Child Care Schedules …………………………………………………………………………………………… / 26
Predictable Schedule …………………………………………………………………………………………… / 26
Variable Schedule ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. / 26
Certificate for Child Care Services ……………………………………………………………………….. / 26
Using Child Care Services
Unauthorized Child Care ……………………………………………………………………………………. / 27
24 Hour Care ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. / 27
When Services are Received from Other Subsidized Programs …………………………… / 27
School Age Child Care …………………………………………………………………………………………. / 27
Additional Child Care Hours
Inconsistent Hours of Care……………………………………………………………………………….. / 28
Child Care Costs I May be Responsible for
Definition of Family Fees ……………………………………………………………………………………. / 30
Determination of Family Fees …………………………………………………………………………….. / 30
Late Payment of Family Fees ………………………………………………………………………………. / 31
Family Fee Credit for Child Care Costs Paid to Other Providers …………………………… / 31
Co-Payments ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. / 31
Communication between me and CRR
How To read a Notice of Action ……………………………………………………………………………. / 32
Mail to Parents ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… / 32
Reporting Changes ………………………………………………………………………………………………… / 33
Recertification and File Update
Recertification ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. / 33
File Updates ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. / 34
Termination of Child Care Services …………………………………………………………………………………. / 34
Reasons for Termination ………………………………………………………………………………………. / 35
Attendance Records ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… / 35
Attendance Records ……………………………………………………………………………………………. / 36
Attendance Record Instructions ………………………………………………………………………….. / 36
Submission of Attendance Records …………………………………………………………………….. / 36
What if I Do Not Receive an Attendance Report?...... / 37
Accurate Completion of Attendance Records ……………………………………………………… / 38
Absence Policy
Absence Reasons and Limitations ……………………………………………………………………….. / 38
Best Interest Absences (Excused) ………………………………………………………………………… / 39
Unexcused Absences ………………………………………………………………………………………….. / 39
Non-Certified Days ……………………………………………………………………………………………… / 39
Attendance Notification Requirements ………………………………………………………………. / 39
Reimbursement of Holidays and/or Non-Operation Days for Licensed Providers ... / 40
Reasons for Non-Reimbursement ……………………………………………………………………….. / 40
Leave of Absence (Limited Term Service Leave)
Returning from Limited Term Service Leave ……………………………………………………….. / 41
Fraud and Ineligible Services
What is Fraud? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. / 42
When Fraud is Suspected by CRR ……………………………………………………………………..... / 43
The Health and Safety of Children
Parental Complaints in a License-Exempt Child Care setting ……………………………….. / 43
The Privacy of My Information ……………………………………………………………………………………….. / 44
Parent, Provider and Visitor Conduct Policy ……………………………………………………………………. / 44

The Alternative Payment (AP) Program is a child care subsidy program, operated in accordance with the California Code of Regulations, Title 5 and the California Department of Education (CDE) Funding Terms and Conditions. In order to participate on the program, your family must meet the eligibility and need requirements predictable forth by the State of California. You may select from a variety of provider types to meet your child care needs. CRR issues reimbursement to your family’s provider on your behalf for child care services used.

How do I Qualify?

Child Eligibility Criteria[Title 5, § 18407, 18107]

In order to receive subsidized child care services, a child living in your family’s household must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be a son or daughter of your family
  • Be your responsibility to support
  • Be under 13 years of age
  • A child who has exceptional needs and is physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself/herself as determined by a legally qualified professional, may qualify up to 21 years of age
  • Live in the state of California while services are being received

Family Eligibility Criteria[Education Code,§ 8263(a)(1)]

Your family must meet one or more of the following eligibility requirements:

  • Received Cash Aid in the past 24 months
  • Be income eligible
  • Have a child who is receiving child protective services through the county welfare department or is at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation
  • Be homeless

Family Need Criteria[Education Code,§ 8263(a)(2)]

Your family must meet one or more of the following need criteria:

  • Employment
  • Self-employment
  • Educational / Vocational Training
  • Seeking employment
  • Parental incapacity
  • Child Protective Services (CPS) or at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation
  • Seeking permanent housing

1

Child Care FundingQualifications and Criteria

The child care subsidies for the Alternative Payment Program are provided by state and federal funding; funds are distributed into the following contract types:

  • C2AP funding – CalWORKs Stage 2 Alternative Payment
  • C3AP funding – CalWORKs Stage 3 Alternative Payment
  • CAPP funding – California Alternative Payment Program

All of the contract types are regulated by the State of California. The eligibility qualifications for each type differ and the criteria for receiving child care services will depend on the contract type from which your family’s subsidy is funded.

Your family’s enrollment onto the program and continuation of services are dependent on available funding. In order to maximize our agency’s contracts, CRR reserves the right to change your family’s funding at any time to another funding for which you are eligible.

C2AP Funding – CalWORKs Stage 2 Alternative Payment[Title 5, §18406,18408]

Eligibility

Your family is eligible for CalWORKs Stage 2 child care services when one of the following circumstances applies:

  • You are currently receiving CalWORKs cash aid
  • You are a former CalWORKs cash aid recipient who received cash aid within the last 24 months
  • Your family has been determined to be eligible for diversion services by the county welfare department

Note: Current CalWORKs cash aid families do not need to meet income eligibility requirements.

Eligibility Duration

Stage 2 child care services for 24 months after you were no longer receiving cash aid. The 24-month time limit begins the first day of the month immediately following the month you are no longer receiving the cash aid.

If your family is receiving diversion services, you are eligible for Stage 2 services for 24 months. The 24-month time limit begins the first day of the month that your family is determined eligible for diversion services.

Need

For all families eligible for CalWORKs Stage 2 child care services:

  • You must meet need criteria as outlined above.

C3AP Funding – CalWORKs Stage 3 Alternative Payment[Title 5, §18421, 18423]

Eligibility

Your family is eligible for CalWORKs Stage 3 child care services when the following conditions are met:

  • Your family is income eligible and
  • You are a former CalWORKs cash aid recipient and were receiving Stage 2 child care services when you “timed out” (exceeded 24 months from when cash aid was last received). Your family will be immediately transferred from Stage 2 funding into Stage 3 funding; families cannot be enrolled directly into Stage 3 funding.

The following additional eligibility criteria may also apply:

  • Your family is receiving child protective services through the county welfare department or has a child who is at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, or
  • Your family is homeless

Need

Your family must meet one or more of the following need criteria:

  • Employment
  • Self-Employment
  • Educational / Vocational Training
  • Seeking Employment
  • Parental Incapacity
  • Child Protective Services (CPS) or at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation
  • Seeking Permanent housing

CAPP Funding – California Alternative Payment Program

[Education Code, § 8263(a)(1), 8263(a)(2); Title 5, § 18085.5(b)]

Eligibility

Your family is eligible for CAPP child care services when one of the following conditions is met:

  • Your family is income eligible
  • Your family is receiving child protective services through the county welfare department or has a child who is at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation
  • Your family is homeless

Need

You must meet one or more of the following need criteria:

  • Employment
  • Self-Employment
  • Educational / Vocational Training
  • Seeking Employment
  • Parental Incapacity
  • Child Protective Services (CPS) or at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation
  • Seeking Permanent Housing

How do I Enroll?

Admission and Enrollment[Education Code, § 8263; Title 5, § 18106]

Families are ranked for enrollment in accordance with the guidelines established by the State of California. Admission priorities are as follows:

  • Priority 1 –Children receiving child protective services through the local county welfaredepartment
  • Priority 2 –Children at risk of abuse or neglect, upon written referral from a legal,medical, or social services agency
  • Priority 3 –Families with the lowest gross monthly income adjusted for family size

If it is necessary, families shall be dis-enrolled in reverse order of the admission priorities.

Enrollment Process[Title 5, § 18081, 18082, 18100, 18107]

Before being enrolled in CRR’s Alternative Payment Program, you must meet with a CRRCase Worker to complete all paperwork required by CRR and the California Department of Education.

You must:

  • Supply documentation to prove your family’s income
  • Supply documentation to prove your family’s need for child care
  • Supply documentation of the number of parents residing in your home and picture identification to document the identity of each parent and establish relationship to the child. Acceptable proof includes a current:
  • Driver License
  • California ID
  • Passport
  • University ID
  • Military ID
  • Other verifying picture ID deemed acceptable by CRR (Ex: work ID, alien registration card, certificate of naturalization)
  • Supply documentation to identify all children in your family.This documentation must demonstrate therelationship between you and the child(ren) and will be used to determine your family size. Acceptable documentation may include, as applicable:
  • Birth Record
  • Court orders regarding child custody
  • Adoption documents
  • Records of foster care placements
  • School or medical records
  • County welfare department records or
  • Other reliable documentation indicating the relationship between you and the child(ren) deemed acceptable by CRR
  • Supply documentation to prove the presence or absence of a parent when documentation to prove the child’s identity (from the list above) reflects the name of a parent who does not reside in your family home. Acceptable documentation may include, as applicable:
  • Records of marriage, divorce, domestic partnership or legal separation or Court-ordered child custody arrangements
  • Evidence that you are receiving child support payments from the absent parent, or have filed for child support with the Santa Barbara County Child Support Services
  • Rental receipts or agreements, contracts, utility bills or other documents for your family residence indicating that you are the responsible party or
  • Recent departure of a parent –If, due to the recent departure of a parent fromthe family, you cannot provide any of the above documentation, a self-declaration signed under penalty of perjury may be submitted, explaining the absence of the parent. Within six (6) months, you must provide additional documentation of the parent’s absence verifying the family composition and family size as listed above.
  • Supply proof the child(ren) receiving services reside in the State of California. Acceptable documentation may include, as applicable:
  • Rental/lease agreement for the current lease period
  • Utility bill (Ex: gas/electric, cable/internet) dated within two (2) months or Legal child support forms reflective of current court order
  • Current drivers license or California ID card
  • Current vehicle registration card or vehicle insurance policy or
  • Other current documentation indicating the parent/child’s address deemed acceptable by CRR

Based on the documentation supplied, the CRR staff member conducting the enrollment appointment will complete an Application for Child Care Services; the application must be signed and dated by you and the CRR staff member. The CRR staff member will review the application and the supporting documentation supplied to determine if your family meets the need and eligibility requirements to receive child care services.

A written Notice of Action (NOA) will be given or mailed to you, stating whether services have been approved or denied. If services are approved, the Notice of Action will include your family’s “certified need for child care,” which reflects the days and hours of child care authorized based on your family’s basis of need. A Certificate for Child Care Services will also be issued, reflecting the maximum reimbursement amount to the provider for the certified need for child care.

You must not begin services with a child care provider until you have received a signed Certificate for Child Care Services from CRR. Child care services are not guaranteed for reimbursement prior to receiving approval.

Subsidized child care services are not entitlements. While staff will assist as much aspossible in helping you obtain the documentation necessary to meet the need and eligibility requirements, ultimately the burden of proof is yours, not CRR’s. If you cannot supply verifiable documentation to prove need and eligibility, CRR is prohibited by state regulations from providing subsidized child care services.

Enrollment by Transfer from another CalWORKs Agency [Title 5, § 18409]

When your family is transferred to CRR from a CalWORKs Stage 1 program, your family’s information will be obtained from the transferring agency and will be entered into CRR’s records.CRR will send your family a Letter of Confirmation, reflecting the information we have received. If any information is incorrect, you are required to update the information directly on the form. The form must be returned to CRR by the given due date, whether or not corrections are needed. A termination Notice of Action (NOA) will be issued to you if the form is not returned to CRR by the requested due date.

How am I Eligible for Services?

In order for a family to be eligible for services, your family must meet and continue to meet eligibility criteria listed below and as outlined in the contract type from which your child care services are funded.

Documentation of Income Eligibility[Title 5, § 18078, 18096]

When your family’s eligibility is based on income, you are responsible for supplying documentation of all income, for all the adults and children counted in your family size.

Countable income includes but is not limited to:

  • Gross wages or salary, advances, commissions, overtime, tips, bonuses, gambling or lottery winnings
  • Wages for migrant, agricultural, or seasonal work
  • Public cash assistance (CalWORKs, Welfare, TANF)
  • Gross income from self-employment less business expenses with the exception of wage draws
  • Disability or unemployment compensation
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Spousal support, child support received from the former spouse or absent parent, or financial assistance for housing costs or car payments paid as part of or in addition to spousal or child support
  • Survivor and retirement benefits
  • Dividends, interest on bonds, income from estates or trusts, net rental income or royalties
  • Rent received for room within the family’s residence
  • Foster care grants, payments or clothing allowance for children placed through child welfare services
  • Financial assistance received for the care of a child living with an adult who is not the child’s biological or adoptive parent
  • Veterans pensions
  • Pensions or annuities
  • Inheritance
  • Allowances for housing or automobiles provided as part of compensation
  • Portion of student grants or scholarships not identified for educational purposes, such as tuition, books, or supplies
  • Insurance or court settlements for lost wages or punitive damages
  • Net proceeds from the sale of real property, stocks, or inherited property
  • Other enterprise for gain

If you receive regular assistance for living expenses (Ex: rent/housing costs, utilities, child care fees, automobile payments, school expenses, etc.) these must also be reported and may be considered income.