As part of the 1996 welfare reform law,
the Federal government is committed to support the work
efforts of current and former welfare dependent families
working toward self-sufficiency. The Child Care and
Development Fund (CCDF) provides Federal funding to
States, Tribes, and Territories to support child care
services for low-income children whose parents are working
or attending a job training or educational program.
Eligible families may receive subsidies for child care
through the voucher program. Child care programs in
churches, synagogues and mosques may be eligible to
accept these government subsidies for child care.
What is the Child
Care Voucher?
A voucher (also called a "certificate") is payment
issued by a State or local government directly to or
on behalf of a parent for child care services. Vouchers
are flexible enough to allow funds to follow the child
to any participating child care provider the parent
selects, including faith-based providers.
Voucher systems vary by State, but as long as funds
are available States must offer assistance through child
care vouchers to eligible families. Being an "eligible
family" means children must be under the age of 13 and
must reside with a parent who is working or attending
a job training or educational program and whose family
income does not exceed the State's limit for eligibility.
Parents may apply for child care vouchers at the local
office of the State agency that administers the funds
or at any local agency or provider that has contracted
with the State to determine eligibility. Child Care
Resource and Referral (CCR&R;) agencies exist in all
States to direct parents to different types of child
care in their local area, whether the parents use vouchers
or not.
Parents using the voucher may choose any legally operating
child care provider authorized by the State and willing
to participate in the program. A child care provider
is defined as one who provides child care in a center,
a group home, a family home, the child's own home, or
a relative's home. In some communities, faith-based
organizations are an active part of the child care community
and receive CCDF funds through the voucher program,
making them a valuable resource for families.
Faith-based providers (with the exception of family child care) using the child care voucher may not discriminate on the basis of faith in the admission of children. Within certain limits, faith-based providers may give preference to members of their own organization in admissions and employment. Additionally, faith-based providers using
the voucher may retain the religious nature of their
programs including religious instruction, worship, prayers,
and curricula. For more information, see "Guidance to
Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering
with the Federal Government" at http://www.fbci.gov.
Churches, synagogues and mosques may become eligible
to accept vouchers from parents of eligible children
by contacting the appropriate agency responsible for
administering the subsidy program, often the department
of human resources or other social services agency in
your state. These local agencies provide information
on the guidelines governing the voucher program and
the responsibilities of both providers and parents.
Although not all States require that every child care
provider meet licensing requirements, States will
require some form of registration for payment purposes,
and to ensure that the facility and provider meet basic
requirements for the health and safety of children.
Although regulations vary by State, child care providers
who wish to participate in the voucher program must
be operating legally within the State. Some States require
all child care providers to meet State and/or
licensing laws while others require only child care
centers and group homes to be licensed. In most States,
small family child care homes, in-home providers (care
provided in the child's own home), and informal care
providers (family, friends, neighbors or others providing
care) are not required to be licensed. However, they
must meet basic health and safety requirements. Typically,
these include measures to prevent and control infectious
diseases, ensure the physical safety of children, and
provide minimum health and safety training for caregivers.
Some States exempt religiously-affiliated child care
centers from licensure. In these States, faith-based
providers may find that voluntarily becoming licensed
increases their reimbursement rate, gives parents a
greater sense of security, or provides an opportunity
to evaluate their program against an external standard.
Levels of reimbursement to child care providers using
vouchers vary by locality. Some States pay higher rates
to providers that are accredited or offer hard-to-find
care, such as weekend and evening hours, or infant care.
Reimbursement rates for providers that are exempt from
licensing by State statutes may be limited to a lower
payment rate.
Families must contribute to the cost of care on a sliding
fee basis. States determine a family's contribution
based on family size, income, and other factors. Child
care providers need to determine whether the combined
value of the voucher and the parent co-pay is enough
to cover the actual costs of providing care. Sometimes
it is necessary to make up the difference in other ways.
Let the Child Care Resource & Referral agency know
about your child care center or home. In every State
there are non-profit CCR&R; organizations and programs,
most of them local, that help parents find child care
and that work with child care providers and community
organizations.
Make sure your community knows about your services
so families can select you as a child care provider.
Put together a solid business plan for your child
care operation.
Join the early care and education advisory group
or coalition in your area and make sure that your
perspectives are represented. Contact the local school
district or your CCR&R; for information on any local
advisory group or coalition.
Take advantage of the free resources in your area
that support early literacy and cognitive development,
such as libraries, children's museums, and local workshops
sponsored by PBS Ready To Learn Television.
Questions for Child
Care Providers to Ask State or Local Officials
Is there something I need to do to be sure my child
care program is able to accept vouchers?
How will parents know that I am an eligible provider?
Is there a waiting list for child care vouchers
in my State?
Does my State exempt faith-based providers from
licensing? And if so, are unlicensed providers eligible
for the same payment rates as licensed providers?
Does the State allow faith-based providers to voluntarily
become licensed? What does it take to become licensed
in my State?
What is the child care capacity in my area? What
is the need for child care?
How much will I be paid for the type of care I provide?
How does the reimbursement system work in my State?
Parent application process?
Record-keeping requirements?
Timeliness of payments?
Paid by the child care "slot" or by hours the
child actually attends?
Paid more for sick children, odd-hour care,
or children with special needs?
Where can I find out about:
Training opportunities, and
Other faith-based organizations that offer child
care services in my area?
Which children are eligible and what will be the
parents' share of the cost? (It is important to plan
what to do if the parents' co-payment and the State's
share total less than the cost of care.)
When does a participating parent become ineligible
for a subsidy? Are there time limits? What is the
maximum income level for a family to participate?
What are the rules for parents to participate in work,
training and/or education programs?
National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)-Answers
questions and provides free information resources. Offers
information on faith-based child care initiatives, funding
sources, licensing regulations, and program start-up
to assist the faith-based community. Includes a listing
of State Child Care Administrators. 1.800.616.2242 http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/faithbased.html
Child Care Aware (CCA)-Operates a national toll-free
information line and website providing child care information
and other parenting resources to families in both English
and Spanish. Connects families to local child care experts
-child care resource and referral (CCR&R;) centers, that
assist families in finding, selecting, and paying for
child care and other parenting needs. 1.800.424.2246
www.ChildCareAware.org
National Association for Child Care Professionals (NACCP)-Works
to strengthen the skill level of leaders in the field
of early child care and education. Sponsors and offers
information on the National Accreditation Commission
(NAC). 1.800.537.1118 www.naccp.org
National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC)-Offers membership, resource materials, and conferences
for all providers; administers a voluntary accreditation
system. 1.800.424.2460 www.naeyc.org
National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)-Offers
an accreditation program designed to promote and recognize
high quality, professional family child care. 1.801.269.9338
www.nafcc.org
Ecumenical Child Care Network (ECCN)-Provides information
on church-based or early childhood pre-school programs.
1.800.649.5443 www.eccn.org
Child Development Education Alliance (CDEA)-Offers
information on faith-based accreditation, professional
organizations and training.904.278.9737 www.CDEAlliance.org
National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child
Care (NRC)-Offers information on State child care licensing
regulations, health and safety guidelines for out-of-home
child care programs, and other information related to
health and safety in child care. 1.800.598.KIDS (5437)
http://nrc.uchsc.edu
Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Child Care Bureau
Switzer Building, Room 2046
330 C Street, SW
Washington DC 20447
202.690.6782
The Child Care Bureau is the federal agency that oversees
the child care voucher program. The Bureau's web site,
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb,
is a central link to all the research, data and technical
assistance projects funded by the Bureau, including
CCA (see above, "Helpful Child Care Resources" section).
If you would like additional copies of this brochure,
please call NCCIC at 800.616.2242 to place an order.
This brochure can also be accessed by linking to /programs/ccb/providers/faithbased.pdf.