Dear CCDF Participant:
Because of changes to the Federal Child Care Development Block Grant which supports child care assistance for eligible
families, changes will be made to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Participant Agreement effective July 31, 2023.
Providers who wish to continue participation in the CCDF program and continue to accept
vouchers are required to agree to the
changes in the Participant Agreement.
These changes are included in the new Participant Agreement and can be found on our
website at https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/child-care-assistance-program
The new changes include:
Section II: DEFINITIONS
R. Full-Time: Care for seven (7) or more hours per day. The hours do not have to be consecutive.
Z. Part-Time: Care for less than seven (7) hours per day. The hours do not have to be consecutive.
S. Holidays: A Day listed on the official Federal and/or State of Arkansas holiday calendar, with the exception of two
holidays (marked with an asterisk below). The days are:
- New Year’s Day
- Good Friday*
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
|
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday
- Memorial Day
- Columbus Day
- Friday after Thanksgiving
- New Year’s Eve*
|
- President’s Day
- Independence Day
- Veteran’s Day
- Christmas Eve
- Juneteenth
|
Section III: ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RESPONSIBILITIES
7. ADE is not obligated to pay any bills received more than thirty (30) calendar days after the date the service was
delivered without prior written approval from the CCDF Program Administrator. Approval can be given by the CCDF
Program Administrator on a case-by-case basis one (1) time every three (3) calendar years. Additional requests after the
first will require a Corrective Action Plan (CAP).
Section IV: PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITIES
A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
2. The Participant agrees to maintain a child care facility license, registration or church-operated exemption
and to comply with child care licensing or registration standards in accordance with the Minimum Licensing
Requirements. This Agreement terminates upon any final agency determination of adverse action against the
participant and will affect participation at any or all facilities licensed that have been identified in the adverse
action. (See definition of Licensure Adverse Action) The participant acknowledges that the Agreement will
terminate immediately upon revocation of license, license status changed to probationary provisional, loss of
Better Beginning status (below required level) (see section IV: G (1), and any placement on National
Disqualification List (NDL) and/or Arkansas Department of Education Exclusion List (ADEEL). The
Participant has no appeal rights regarding the final action taken above.
10. To meet the Federal requirements of improving the quality of care to children receiving subsidy CCDF
Child Care Assistance, the Participant agrees to work cooperatively with any ADE Contractor or ADE
Representative with any assessment initiatives that helps improve the quality of care for children. Refusal to
work with these programs violates this agreement and may lead to the termination of this agreement. All
Participants must be at a minimum Better Beginnings Level 2.
13. The participants understand the Federal laws concerning the use of illegal drugs. Marijuana holds
Schedule I controlled substance status under Federal Law. The Controlled Substance Act (CSA) prohibits the
manufacture, distribution, dispensation, and possession of marijuana except in federal government approved
research studies. The CSA does not recognize the distinction states are making between the medical and
recreational use of marijuana. There are currently no accepted medical use in the United States. Under
the principles of federalism, the federal government may preempt state marijuana laws and enforce the CSA.
Department of Justice (DOJ) has reaffirmed that marijuana growth, trafficking, and possession remain crimes
under federal law irrespective of states’ marijuana laws. Therefore, childcare facilities that receive federal
funds must prohibit the use of marijuana in any form in federally funded childcare centers i.e. vouchers.
B. INITIAL APPROVAL
2. The Participant agrees to conduct transactions by electronic means. Electronic transactions include but are
not limited to electronic mail, submission of the Participant Agreement, direct deposit, notices of action,
authorizations, adverse actions, and improper payments. Participant must provide a valid email address or
report any changes to the DESE Family Support Unit immediately. Electronic mail is considered “read”
five (5) days after it has been sent.
6. All rates must be entered and updated annually in the Arkansas State Child Care Licensing System (ELS).
7. The Participant may only charge the client late pick-up and late payment fees. The Participant also has the
option to charge the client for absentee days that exceed the limit allowed by this agreement. Fees must not
exceed those paid by private pay clients. Charges must be fully disclosed in a document provided to the client
and available to ADE upon request. TEA clients and foster care clients are exempt from all fees. DESE
has expanded the subsidy rate to cover any additional fees i.e., registration fee, semester fee, etc.
E. BILLING AND FINANCIALS
5. The Participant agrees to submit billing no later than thirty (30) calendar days after services were
delivered. ADE is not obligated to pay any bills received more than thirty (30) calendar days after the date the
service was delivered without prior written approval from the CCDF Program Administrator. Approval can
be given by the CCDF Program Administrator on a case by case basis one (1) time every three (3) calendar
years. Additional requests after the first will require a Corrective Action Plan (CAP).
7. Any facility using paper attendance forms and requesting a second review, may only submit missing
documents once. Any facility using an electronic attendance system and request a second review must submit
an Audit Summary. The Summary will display any edits posted following the initial review. Only one
additional review will be conducted for childcare providers.
8. A billing hold may be implemented to allow for attendance records to be verified. Billing hold may be
released after all billing discrepancies have been resolved. Current Year attendance records must be presented
when requested by ADE staff or authorized representatives within approximately one (1) hour of the request.
All other attendance records must be submitted by 10:00 a.m. the following business day after the request
from ADE staff or authorized representative. Attendance records must follow the guidelines listed in this
agreement. Site visits by ADE staff or authorized representatives may be unannounced.
10. ADE will permit billing for all approved holidays if the holiday is observed on a day when the child
would have been scheduled to attend. ADE will only permit holiday billing if the facility is closed. (See
definition of Holidays)
12. Arkansas Act 862 of 2017 allows a public-school district and open-enrollment public charter school to
develop a plan for alternative methods of instruction to be used on days when the superintendent closes
school due to exceptional or emergency circumstances. ADE will only permit public school districts and
public charter schools to bill AMI days due to exceptional or emergency circumstances.
- For public-school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools’ closure due to inclement weather
- ADE will permit billing when the facility is closed due to inclement weather (see #11 above)
- ADE will not permit billing for school age children during regular school session.
13. ADE recognizes that early departure/late arrival occurs for children in care. ADE agrees to pay the normal
daily rate when a child is picked up earlier than usual. For instance, if a child is scheduled for full-time but
only attends part-time on a day because of a doctor’s appointment, etc., ADE will pay the full-time rate since
that is the normal time of attendance. These days will not be billed as absentee days. If the temporary
situation of early departure will exist longer than two (2) consecutive weeks, then a new authorization with
the correct care type shall be written. ADE shall notify Participants when a child becomes ineligible for
continued payment.
15. The Participant agrees to accept responsibility for the reporting of funds received through ADE each
calendar year. The Participant is responsible for the payment of all required Federal and State taxes accrued.
Failure to pay Federal and States taxes may result in termination of this agreement.
I: Suspensions/Expulsions (BehaviorHelp Program)
o Failure to follow the procedure as outlined may result in the termination of the CCDF Program Participant Agreement
Section V: CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN PROCESS
For all adverse actions requiring a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) the following process shall be followed:
1. Notice of Action sent to Participant requesting a Corrective Action Plan (CAP).
2. Participant has fifteen (15) calendar days from the date on the Notice of Action to appeal or comply with submitting a CAP.
a. Failure to Submit
- If on the 16th day the CCDF Program Participant has not submitted the required CAP or an appeal, a
DESE Letter of Proposed Termination with fifteen (15) days to appeal shall be sent.
b. Denied CAP
- ADE shall send a letter of denial to the CCDF Program Participant.
- CCDF Program Participant has 15 calendar days to submit a new CAP.
- If CAP is still denied, DESE will send a Letter of Proposed Termination with fifteen (15) days to
appeal.
c. Approved CAP
- Follow-up review of the CCDF Program Participant shall be conducted within ninety (90) calendar days
to ensure compliance.
- If the facility is still out of compliance, DESE Letter of Proposed Termination shall be sent with
appeal rights.
SECTION VI: CANCELLATION OF THE AGREEMENT
3. The Participant or ADE may cancel this Agreement unilaterally, at any time, by giving the other party fifteen (15)
calendar days’ written notice and delivering notice of cancellation either in person or by certified mail, return
receipt requested, restricted delivery or electronic email. If the Participant is the party canceling the Agreement,
such notification must be sent to the CCDF Program Administrator or designee.
SECTION VII: ADMINISTRATIVE
1. The Participant may appeal any adverse action taken by ADE, excluding those found in Section IV: A (2),
(including audit, billing, payment, termination, etc.) by filing a written notice of appeal within fifteen (15) days
from the Participant’s receipt of ADE notification in accordance with ADE Administrative Appeal/Hearing
Procedures. A copy of the appeal procedures will be provided by ADE upon request.
For a complete copy of the CCDF Program Participant Agreement, please go to the link below.
If you have any questions about the Participant Agreement Training (PAT), please contact the Family Support Unit at 501-682-
8947 or 1-800-322-8176.