Effective Date - October 1, 2009
1203 Child Care Payment Process
|
Child Care - ARW, Chapt. 1, Purchase of Service |
A. Allow payment only to a provider who has a provisional or full license unless the provider is exempt from licensing.
1. Contact the DFS regional licensing specialist to obtain written or verbal verification the provider is licensed or exempt from licensing and document this in the case record;
2. Realize providers exempt from licensing are:
a. Relatives; or
b. Grandparents caring for their own grandchildren and two unrelated children or children from one immediate family, as long as the total number of children does not exceed six; or
c. Caring for two or fewer children not related to them; or
d. Caring for children in children's home; or
e. Providing occasional or sporadic care; or
f. Caring for children from one immediate family; or
g. Other situations as specified in W.S. 14-4-102(b), as may be exempt. (Contact the licensing specialist in these situations.)
3. Disallow payment to a provider when:
a. Abuse/Neglect has been substantiated against or a criminal history exists for the child care provider or any individual residing in the provider’s home.
(1) Case files must be documented that Central Registry and DCI checks have been make;
(2) Inactivate the provider on JAS;
(3) Send the DFS-206 to the provider to notify him/her of ineligibility for payment and options for disputing the report(s);
(4) Forward the results of a fingerprint check to the state office for final determination of eligibility for payment when the criminal history report is disputed by the provider; and
(5) Reactivate the provider if the DFS-SO reviews the criminal record and approves the provider for payment or the Central Registry record is removed.
b. The provider has been denied/revoked licensing due to not meeting standards; or
c. The provider has committed fraud against DFS or is disqualified for IPV;
d. An outside provider is selected and a parent is in the home and available to care for the child(ren):
(1) Payment to an outside provider is allowable in a stepparent or minor parent situation if the child is at risk of abuse or neglect if the stepparent or grandparent provides care;
(2) Allegations of abuse/neglect must be substantiated as verified by CPS.
e. A legally exempt relative or non-relative provider has failed to submit verification of current certification in infant/child CPR and first aid within 90 days of the date payment begins; or
f. The provider is in violation of compliance with federal, state or local laws applicable to operating a Child Care business.
4. Generate a notice of adverse action prior to terminating the authorization(s) and issue payment to cover the last day the provider gave care or the effective date of the notice, whichever is earlier;
5. Payment for substitute providers will be the responsibility of the provider who hired the substitute.
B. Require the person to be registered (DFS 203a/b and Child Abuse/Neglect Record Check and Criminal History Prescreening) as a DFS provider and at least 18 years old, unless emancipated by Wyoming law, in order to receive a DFS payment.
C. Require the child care provider who is exempt from licensing to meet the minimum health and safety standards as outlined on the DFS 203b, Registration Form for Unlicensed Providers.
D. Allow payment only to providers who permit parental access to the facility and their child(ren) during business hours.
E. Make payment directly to the child care provider and not to the client.
1. DO NOT exceed the actual eligible authorized child care used at the lowest rate of the actual charge, DFS provider rate or statewide limit;
2. Deduct payments made by or available from other sources prior to determining DFS payment amount; and
3. Understand that the quality capacity payments outlined in Section 1101 Q. are paid in addition to the charges for child care and are not reduced if the provider has rates that are less than the DFS market rate.
F. Require the client and provider to complete DFS 201, Bill for Child Care Services and return it to the DFS-FO within 90 days of the month the service was provided for DFS to make any payment.
G. Follow these recommended guidelines for issuing payments:
1. Authorize payment on DPAC within 15 working days of the date that all properly completed billing forms have been received.
2. Require the billing form to be reviewed for approved activities (see Section 701) and audit purposes before payment is authorized;
3. Require the DFS district manager or designee to assign who reviews/audits the billing form prior to payment authorization;
4. Refer to the form instructions of DFS 201 to determine if the form is properly completed.
H. Require the provider to be located in Wyoming.
I. Require the parent(s)/caretaker(s) to submit a completed DFS 204 to verify the provider meets health and safety standards.
J. Allow the Child Care Center (CCC) payment rate for:
1. Facilities established as child care centers exempt from licensing because of their status;
2. Centers located at the University of Wyoming, Wyoming's community colleges and the Wind River reservation.
K. Disallow payment to more than three providers within a six month period unless good cause has been established. (see Attachment A-3 for Good Cause)