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To: Licensed Family Child Care Providers
Licensed Child Care Centers
From: Reggie Wagner, Licensing Division Director
Cindi Yang, Child Care Services Division Director
Patrick Carter, Background Studies Manager
Subject: Department of Human Services to Cover Initial Costs of New Enhanced Background Studies for Existing Licensed Providers
DHS is preparing to implement the enhanced background studies that will impact all licensed child care programs starting this fall. (Non-licensed providers participating in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) are also impacted by these changes.) These new enhanced background studies are required by changes in federal law. For more information on the new study requirements, go to https://tinyurl.com/mnchildcarefaq.
The federal Office of Child Care has informed States that they are able to use certain child care block grant funds to help providers pay for the new enhanced background studies.
Accordingly, DHS will pay for the cost of the new background studies for existing providers and their staff/family members that already have a current background study when the new enhanced studies are rolled out. (Non-licensed providers participating in CCAP will also have their costs covered and will receive a separate letter from DHS.)
- If you hire new staff or there are new household members after the roll-out date of the enhanced studies, those individuals will need the enhanced study and DHS funds will not cover the costs.
- In the case of licensed family programs, when a minor who has had a name and date of birth study turns 18 years old, that person will need an enhanced study, and DHS funds will not cover the costs.
- When the new background studies are implemented, the cost for adults will be $49.10 ($40 for the study plus a fingerprinting fee of $9.10), and the cost for a name and date of birth study for minors residing in licensed family programs will be $20. The costs will apply to new staff and/or family members who are not covered by the DHS one-time funding, as described above.
- For most people, the new enhanced background studies will be good for 5-years before they have to be repeated and updated, and DHS one-time funding will not cover the cost of that updated study. As DHS rolls out the new studies later this fall, staff will host stakeholder sessions and online webinars, finalize information on the DHS website and provide more information about when a new study might be required in the future.
IMPORTANT: The new enhanced studies are not yet available. You do not need to take any action to comply with new enhanced study requirements based upon this notice. Within the next 4-6 weeks, currently licensed providers will receive more detailed information about how these new studies will be rolled out statewide over a 2-year period.
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