10260 Special Types of Payments
Substitute Care - Providers
should be encouraged to find a substitute provider to come into their
facility for temporary care per KDHE regulations.
When a client needs a substitute provider outside the facility, the
client should choose a second DCF approved provider and notify EES
staff in advance, if possible, or within 10 days of the substitution.
Child care plans shall not be modified for substitute care as clients
will be able to pay the substitute provider with EBT benefits.
Enrollment Fees - DCF can
subsidize clients up to $50 per child per case towards an enrollment
fee for an approved provider if the provider charges an enrollment
fee to the private sector.
If the provider charges the private sector more than the maximum benefit
and will not accept the maximum DCF payment benefit as full payment,
the client will be responsible to pay the difference. DCF will subsidize
no more than the maximum in a 12-month period. If client chooses to
change providers within a 12-month period, the client will be responsible
to pay the additional enrollment fee, if necessary. The 12-month period
begins with the month for which a benefit for enrollment fees is authorized
and may be different for each child on a child care case. The 12-month
period does not follow the child if they move to a different child
care household, and a new enrollment fee could be authorized on the
new case.
A membership fee to an organization which entitles the member to other
benefits in addition to child care shall not be considered an enrollment
fee.
Clients should request this type of payment from DCF.
Transportation Fees - Transportation
fees for child care shall not be subsidized by DCF. If the provider
charges the private sector for transportation, DCF clients may also
be charged.
Enhanced Rate for
Special Care - Parents of children with a physical, emotional,
or mental disability may request an enhanced benefit rate for child
care services. Approval from regional child care provider enrollment
staff is necessary to authorize the enhanced rate.
Enhanced rates are available to children in all subtypes of child care
and should be based upon the individual needs of the child (the child's
condition may not require additional accommodation or an enhanced
child care rate). The parent's eligibility for a specific child care
subtype should determine which subtype is used.
Examples may include:
A child with multiple casts or a body cast who
cannot participate in regular activities; or
A child who requires injections for a specific
diagnosis or condition; or
This rate is available for children who have been
identified by a physician, therapist, social worker, early childhood
or special education specialist, or public health nurse as having
one or more disabilities such as:
Documentation of the child's disability must be provided by a party other than the care provider. Additional information must be provided by the care provider indicating the type of enhanced child care being provided to the child and what type of education or training the provider possesses in order to provide the care.
The need for a new Request for Enhanced Rate for Special Care form 1627a at review will depend on information listed on the current 1627a regarding the duration of the child’s condition that requires enhanced care from the child care provider. The caseworker will need to check the 1627a at review, and if the 1627a and supporting documentation indicates that the condition is permanent, it will not be necessary to repeat the form and documentation, unless there is a change in providers.
Short-term conditions requiring
an enhanced rate should be time limited and reviewed within 90 days.
NOTE: See KEES user manual for the Child Care
Enhanced Rate for Special Care Process.
Differential
Payments - Direct
payments, as determined by the agency, may be made to licensed child
care providers. These payments are tied to specific children, focusing
on high need areas and vulnerable populations. Payments are
issued monthly, directly to child care providers in the month
following the month service is provided. It is possible that
not all subsidy eligible children served by a provider will meet the
specific criteria determined by the agency to qualify for these payments.
Providers will receive a notice telling them which children
they are receiving payment for, and how much is attributed to each
child. These payments may not be requested by either a family
receiving child care assistance or a child care provider, and are
based on information available in the KEES eligibility system. Payments
are not in any way guaranteed, and may be discontinued at any time
at the discretion of the agency, based on selected criteria or on
available funding.
10270 Payments for In-Home Relative Child Care - DCF pays a standard rate for in-home child care regardless of county of residence. This rate is $2.42/hour for the State. The provider shall not be a member of the child care case or physical household.