Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and On My Way Pre-K (OMWPK) income eligibility is expanding for employees of regulated child care programs on September 30. This expansion allows more workers to qualify for child care assistance. This change is a result of Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 2, which passed earlier this year. 

The income eligibility threshold for child care workers will increase to 85% of State median income (SMI) from 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL). For reference, 85% SMI is $6,756 per month, while 150% FPL for a family of four is $3,900 per month. View the SMI chart.  

Prepare to Apply for Expanded Assistance 

• Newly eligible child care employees must be referred to the Eligibility Office by their employer or by a registered program administrator/supervisor at the site where they work.  

• To be ready for this change, child care administrators should ensure employee rosters in I-LEAD are updated and all employee contact information is correct.  

• Potentially eligible employees must have a completed background check, consent form, and current fingerprints on file to be referred to the Eligibility Office.  

This assistance is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis by region. The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) recommends providers make referrals and employees complete applications within the first two weeks of the application opening. 

Training for early childhood education and child care can now be funded through Employer Training Grants through Indiana's Department of Workforce Development (DWD). 

The Department of Workforce Development would like to learn more about Early Childhood Education. Join their upcoming Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 17 to share your insight on trends and validate industry data. 

There are several important reminders for providers with active vouchers:

• Include your license number and provide the full names of any children you mention when contacting the State or your eligibility office. This will greatly improve the processing time for your requests.
  
  
• You are required to report any changes in your vouchers to the eligibility office on a weekly basis. Please include the last day the child attended. These requests cannot be processed without that information.   
  • Eligibility offices can only make changes to future vouchers. Any adjustments needed for current or past vouchers will take longer to complete. Please be patient.
• For children who attend your program, Off Days should only be used for children who do not attend full time and must be the same days each week. Full-time children should always be marked Absent when they do not attend (whether this was planned or not). 
  
  
• For children who are no longer attending your program, if you have requested children be removed from your roster, mark them as Off Days and not Absences until they are removed. This will keep families from being terminated from the program for excessive absences, and payments will be reclaimed by the State.
  
  
• If you submitted attendance and believe there is an error with your payment (or you were overpaid for children who are no longer enrolled), it is your responsibility to reach out to paymentquestions@fssa.in.gov as soon as possible.
  
  
• Payments will be held if a provider misses two submission periods in a row. You must submit all missing periods before you submit the most recent one. All payments will be released and paid on the next payment date.
  
  
• You are not required to submit attendance through a Child Care Management System (CCMS). You can choose how you want to submit attendance, and this can be changed at any time in the future. You cannot change your data entry method for a past date.  
  
  
• Providers now have 16 paid closures per calendar year for any closure reason, including federal holidays. All paid closures should be used before entering a non-paid closure.
  

Get Pay by Enrollment Assistance

The Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (INAEYC) has several ongoing opportunities, including:   

INAEYC Non-Formal CDA Project: Child Development Associate (CDA®) credential courses are now available through the Indiana Non-Formal CDA Project. These courses are provided at no cost, thanks to funding from The Child Care Development Fund and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD). INAEYC is recruiting providers that work in the following counties with openings:

• Monroe and surrounding counties
• Parke and surrounding counties
• Jennings and surrounding counties
• Washington, Scott, Clark, Floyd, Harrison, and Crawford counties  

To learn about eligibility requirements, visit the Indiana Non-Formal CDA Project. If you are interested in applying or want more information, email pd@inaeyc.org.

CDA Resource Event: If you're a family child care provider, early childhood teacher, or student preparing to apply for a CDA credential, join your peers at an upcoming CDA resource event. Join us at 10 a.m. ET on September 25 for Elevate Your Education: A CDA ® Resource Event. Learn more and register now.

Career Coaching and Taking on Turnover: Program leaders who want extra support to implement professional development plans with staff, pursue higher education, or take the next step in their careers can contact a Workforce Coordinator to explore career coaching opportunities. If you'd like to gain strategies for attracting and retaining staff, join a Taking on Turnover Session in September or October.

• Essential computer skills
• Essential software skills 
• Daily technology use