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Per Executive Order 20-12 the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) temporarily modified some policies to support families and providers in response to COVID-19.
This memo gives information for child care providers on temporary policies that allow providers to bill for absent days through expanded use of medical exemptions and allow payments to closed providers, which have been updated and extended through May 2, 2021.
For more information, visit Information for Child Care Providers - Responding to COVID-19. This memo supplements and clarifies information provided in previous memos.
A. Temporary policy changes
1. What temporary policy changes does the Child Care Assistance Program allow?
Temporary policy changes:
- Expand absent day exemptions if a child is absent due to COVID-19
- Allow payment to providers that close temporarily due to COVID-19
- Permit payment to two providers for the same child, for the same days and times, during the time payment is temporarily allowed due to COVID-19 for a closed provider.
For more information about these temporary policies, refer to all previous memos uploaded to the CCAP Updates: Memos and Bulletins page on County Link.
2. How have temporary policies changed?
Temporary policies in effect through January 31, 2021:
- Permitted absent day exemptions for COVID-19.
- Allowed payment to a provider who closed due to COVID-19 for up to four weeks. This policy also permitted payments to two providers for the same child, for the same days and times, during the time payment is temporarily allowed for one provider that closes due to COVID-19.
Beginning February 1, 2021:
- The end date for the temporary policy for expanded absent days currently extends through May 2, 2021*.
- The temporary policy for providers that close due to COVID-19 allow for payment up to six weeks, or an additional six weeks if the provider received payments under previous temporary closure policies. The six-week modification continues to allow payments to two providers for the same child, for the same days and times, during the time payment is temporarily allowed for one provider that closes due to COVID-19. This policy currently extends through May 2, 2021*.
Beginning April 5, 2021, temporary policies for expanded absent days allow local child care assistance agencies (counties and tribes) to close service authorizations if data indicates that a child has not attended care for two consecutive biweekly periods (4 weeks in a row).
All other policies and procedures related to these temporary modifications remain the same.
*Temporary policies go through June 27, 2021, or for three biweekly billing periods after the end of the peacetime emergency, whichever is earlier. With each possible peacetime extension, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will send updates regarding the ending dates.
3. What do I need to know?
Absent day exemptions
- For previous requests, no action is needed.
- Families and providers may continue requesting absent day exemptions due to COVID-19.
- For new absent day requests related to COVID-19, exemptions can be retroactive and begin no sooner than March 13, 2020 and must end on May 2, 2021.
Payments to closed providers, including payments to two providers when one is closed
- Enter a note in the Billing Form’s Comment section regarding the closure on each bill submitted (applies to paper and electronic bills).
- Not mark absent days on billing forms.
- For paper forms, mark closed days with a “C.”
- For electronic forms submitted via MEC² PRO, bill as if the child is present.
- Not bill for more closed days than CCAP can pay. Overpayments could result if you receive more CCAP than the law allows.
- If your program is open to care for any children, you do not qualify for temporary closed policies. Children not in attendance must have an absent day exemption in order for you to be paid more than 25 absent days (or 10 consecutive). This includes situations when your program closes to specific age categories or classrooms (see below).
- If the department previously approved closed payments under past temporary policies, you may be paid for an additional six weeks of closed days beginning as early as February 1, 2021.
What if a specific classroom closes, but I stay open to care for other children?
- Bill as usual. This means:
- Billing children who attend as present; and
- Billing absent days for children who do not attend (including children whose classrooms close).
- Temporary policies for providers that close due to COVID-19 do not apply, but you may contact the local CCAP agency (county or tribe) to request absent day exemptions for children whose classrooms close.
- Do not notify the Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Care Assistance Program staff of partial closures. Only contact DHS child care assistance staff if your entire program closes.
NOTE: If your entire program closes for a holiday on a day when a classroom is closed due to COVID-19, bill a holiday for all children scheduled and authorized to attend on the day(s) that meet holiday criteria (including children whose classrooms closed for COVID-19).
B. Who do I contact with questions?
General questions
Visit the State of Minnesota’s website with COVID-19 child care information for families and providers: https://mn.gov/childcare/.
Child Care Assistance Program questions
Contact your local Child Care Assistance Program agency (county, tribe or other agency that administers the program) with any questions. Local agencies must handle all specific case and payment actions.
For general policy questions, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Child Care Assistance Provider Line at 651-431-4848, or by email at .DHS.CCAP@state.mn.us.
Licensing questions
Call the Child Care Provider Hotline: 1-888-234-1268
Option 1: Child Care Centers and Certified Child Care Providers
Option 2: Family Child Care Providers
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