Welcome

West Central Child Care Connection is a resource and referral agency dedicated to supporting children, families and the child care community by promoting options in accessibility, affordability and quality care.

We hope you enjoy the information and resources we offer on our website. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

 

CCAP Information

IDHS’ Division of Early Childhood is aware of issues with CCAP payment amounts for a specific set of child care providers whose payments were entered between 1/1/23-1/12/23. For some affected providers, co-payments may have been deducted more than once; union membership dues may not have been deducted; and/or some providers received multiple payments for the same certificate.

IDHS is working closely with Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies and with SEIU to resolve these issues for child care providers as quickly as possible, and IDHS will be in contact with affected providers directly regarding next steps to resolve the issues. If you would like to reach out to us for assistance, you may:

• Call our automated phone line to check on the current status of your own payment: 800-804-3833
• Call our automated phone line for general information regarding the status of all child care payments: 217-524-9041;
• Leave a voice message regarding your specific child care payment issue or concern: 217-785-9160;
• Send an email and receive a response from a member of DEC staff: DHS.DEC.CSI@Illinois.gov

IDHS apologizes for the impact and inconvenience this has caused to our valued child care providers. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the children and families of Illinois.

 

Starting with payments issued in late May 2022, SOME providers that have been receiving child care payments as paper checks may suddenly find  their payments were issued to the Illinois Child Care Debit Master Card.  DHS recently sent a report to The Office of the Comptroller to add new providers that had recently signed up for the card; however, that list erroneously included providers who had been previously been paid by debit card in the past but had not requested to return to debit card payment.  Providers affected have recently been paid through paper check.   

If a providers payment is issued, or will be issued as a debit card payment, and they did not recently sign up for the card, they need to do the following: 

• If the provider still has their card, and it’s not expired, the payment(s) should be on that card.
• If the provider no longer has the card, or if the card has expired, they will need to call the debit card company and request a new card. 
• The debit card company is available 24/7.  Their Customer Service number is: 1-866-338-2944.  The automated system will ask callers for their card number.  If they know the card number, do not put it in.  Next, the message will go through some options.  The caller should always choose Option 4, which is for lost, stolen or damage cards..  Next they will be asked for their Social Security Number, Zip Code, and PIN Number.  Callers should only enter their Social Security Number and Zip Code.  At that point, a Customer Service Representative should come on the line to assist.  The provider then tells the representative that they were just paid on the card, and need a new card.  The representative will have a new card mailed.  The card should arrive in 5-7 business days.  A card can be expedited in 2-3 days for a $15.00 charge. 

Future payments will also go to the card.  If a provider wants to shut off the debit card option, and return to paper checks,  they need to complete Section 2 of The Illinois Debit Master Card Payment Option Form.  The forms are available on most CCR&R web sites,   or the Illinois Department of Human Services web site:  https://www.dhs.state.il.us , or call your CCR&R, or DHS Child  Care.

 

For additional questions, call (217) 558-6182

 

1099 Instructions

An online version of provider 1099 forms for 2022 are available now.  The paper version of the 1099 will be mailed by 1/31/23, but if providers wish to print their 1099, they can do so now at:

www.illinoiscomptroller.gov

• On the home page providers need to go to the Vendor Tab.
• In the Vendor Tab, click Vendor 1099 Forms.
• Providers must enter their social security number, or sole proprietor FEIN, along with their name.
• The next step is to click on the appropriate security image, then click submit.
• They can then print their 1099.

 

90-day Grace Period

Families who are no longer employed should report that to the CCR&R or Site Administered provider.  They will be given a 90-day job loss grace period.

 

Enrollment Attendance and Payment Policies

Effective July 1, a provider must be open and serving children in order to be paid for CCAP services.

• Provider may not bill for more children than they can legally serve under DCFS emergency rules.

• Line out children on the billing certificate that have dropped out or are no longer enrolled due to reduced capacity and list the last day of care or notify your CCR&R to have them removed.

• Only children that are in attendance should be counted as “attended”. Distance learning activities to CCAP children that are not physically in attendance do not count as attended.

• The 80% payment rule is being revised to 70%. Licensed and license-exempt centers and licensed home providers will be paid for all approved days of care if children attend at least 70% of the days.

 

Child Care Restoration Grants

The Illinois General Assembly has directed at least $270 million of the state’s Coronavirus Urgent Remediation Emergency (CURE) Fund to support the economic health of child care providers as our economy reopens. The Child Care Restoration Grant Program is designed to support licensed child care programs that lost revenue due to a restriction of their business as a result the COVID-19 public health emergency. Providers can get more information at:  https://www.ilgateways.com/financialopportunities/restoration-grants.

 

Strengthen and Grow                Child Care Grants for FCC

The Strengthen and Grow Child Care program, abbreviated as SGCC, is designed to give family child care programs the resources needed to keep their programs open, helping them do their best in caring for children.

The SGCC gives eligible family child care providers grant money each quarter – or every three months – to provide additional, predictable, and stable funding for your program. At minimum, a family child care provider will receive $2,500 per quarter and a group family child care provider will receive $3,750 per quarter. This money is meant to help each family child care provider improve their program by investing in personnel and other program needs.

There is a toolkit document for family child care providers available on the webpage at the following link to download the file:

https://www.ilgateways.com/docman-docs/financial-opportunities/covid-19-relief/sgcc-grant/2235-family-child-care-sgcc-application-guide/file

The tool kit provides:

• Access to all the information needed to apply to the Strengthen and Grow Child Care Grant program for family child care providers
• Family child care specific examples and links to resources
• Links to all existing SGCC resources in one place that is easily accessible

Application for the SGCC has been extended through February 24, 2022. 

Don’t delay!  Apply today!

 

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

The ACP is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to help low-income households pay for internet service and connected devices.

 

Eligible households may receive:

• Up to $30/month discount on internet service.
• Up to $75/month discount if the household is on qualifying Tribal lands.
• A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)

Eligible households can enroll in the ACP through an approved provider or by visiting one of two simple and easy-to-use websites: ACPBenefit.org or GetInternet.gov.