Rule and Procedure Table of Contents

Section 359.54 Payments for Day Care Services

The following section describes the various types of day care and day care related services purchased by the Department. Certain factors such as eligibility, age level, approval level, preconditions, and payment documents are generally the same for the various types of day care services described in this section. Exceptions to these are noted in the Instructions for the particular type of day care payment category.

Eligibility: Procedures 302.330, Day Care Services, describes the types of day care services the Department will provide. In 1997 responsibility for employment related and training related day care was transferred to the Department of Human Services (IDHS). Procedures 302.330 also describe how referrals are to be made to IDHS. All requests for day care outside of Cook County are referred to the Regional day care staff. The Regional Office is responsible for approving and processing requests and payments for day care services. No payments will be made prior to the approval of the day care staff. In Cook County, day care may be requested and paid through the Cook County Office of Child Development.

Age level: Day Care is generally provided for children through age 12 or up to age 21 for children who are seriously handicapped or developmentally disabled.

Preconditions: In order to receive payment for day care services a facility must be licensed or license-exempt. The Department will not pay for day care which is required to be licensed, but is not licensed (Refer to Rules and Procedures 377, Facilities and Programs Exempt from Licensure).

A contract is required for providers receiving $10,000 or more during a fiscal year and the following documents must be completed:

For Regionally Administered Day Care the following document must be completed:

o CFS 2000 or CFS 2002 or 2003, Request for Child Care Service and Registration

o CFS 968-18, Day Care Provider Purchase of Service Contract

For Site Administered Day Care a contract is required to include the following documents:

o CFS 968-18, Day Care Provider Purchase of Service Contract

o CFS 968/Supplement D, Application for Subsidized Child Care

o CFS 968/Supplement E, Day Care Program Plan narrative

o CFS 968/Supplement F, Site-Administered Employment-Related Child Care Contract Exhibit

Approval Levels:

For both Regionally and Site Administered Day Care, signature of the Regional Administrator or designee and approval of the Director or designee is required for contracts.

Payment Documents:

The payment documents for day care services, unless otherwise noted in the Instructions are the CFS Child Care Monthly Enrollment Form, which is generated by the AS400 Child Care System. The payment documents for Site Administered providers are the CFS 420-21a & b, including locally computerized versions of these forms.

Reimbursable Attendance Days

A day care provider will be reimbursed for eligible days if attended days are at least 80% of the eligible enrollment days for the month. If the percentage falls below 80%, the day care provider will receive reimbursement for actual attended days. This required attendance level may be negotiated for Site Administered programs serving unstable populations, such as Day Care Infant Mortality HIV/AIDS Day Care. (See Appendix D for attendance exemptions.) The attendance percentage may be calculated by combining all regionally administered children or all site administered children regardless of funding appropriations.

Authorized Rates: See Appendix A (V) rates based on geographic location and type of day care provider.

a) Protective/Family Maintenance Day Care

Type Service Codes

0606 Protective/Family Maintenance Day Care Center

0607 Protective/Family Maintenance Day Care Home/Licensed

0608 Protective/Family Maintenance Day Care Home/License-Exempt

0609 Protective Day Care Babysitter

0610 Protective Day Care Relative

0617 Protective Day Care Family Home Network

0632 Protective Day Care Relative/Child's Home

0633 Protective Day Care License-Exempt Center

0634 Protective Day Care Licensed Group Family Home

Instructions: Payment can be made for day care for children living in their own homes by DCFS when the service is identified on the CFS 497 forms as necessary to protect the children or to maintain an intact family or for reunification. Day care may also be provided for non-DCFS families at risk of becoming involved with DCFS (special cases) where day care is not employment related but is needed due to severe parent disability, hospitalization or a child's severe disability.

b) Therapeutic Day Care

Type Service Code

0615 Therapeutic Day Care

Instructions: Therapeutic day care may be provided to children who are at risk of placement in order to keep the family intact. Payment may be made for day care that provides therapeutic intervention rather than only day care services. "Therapeutic day care" must include treatment of a child's physical, mental or emotional disability as an integral part of the programming (i.e. speech, physical or occupational therapy, behavior modification, psychological or psychiatric services to include periodic developmental testing.)

Therapeutic day care may also include programs with a parenting component that allows the day care home or center-based provider to model child management and other remediation techniques for the parent.

Eligibility for these programs is detailed in the contract program plan, and approval for payment is from the day care staff. Approval of payment for all other therapeutic day care must be sought from the day care staff prior to initiation of services, and requires the following: documentation of the child's physical, mental or emotional disability; a statement from a professional treating the child's disability that regular day care services have been tried unsuccessfully or have been determined inappropriate to meet the child's needs; and documentation of the special training, licensing or credentialing of the therapeutic day care provider. Contracts must be approved by the Director. The Regional Administrator or designee approves payment documents.

Preconditions are CFS 968-18, CFS 1410 (child or family case); and CFS 2000.

The payment document is the CFS 1042

Authorized Rates are negotiated by contract.

c) Healthy Moms/Healthy Kids (HMHK) (formerly Day Care Infant Mortality)

Type Service Codes

0619 Day Care Service (for high risk infants)

0620 Training and Development

0677 HMHK/Licensed Day Care Center.

0678 HMHK/License-Exempt Center

0679 HMHK/Licensed Group Day Care Home

0680 HMHK/Licensed Day Care Home

0681 HMHK/License-Exempt Home

0682 HMHK/Non-Relative/Child's Home

0683 HMHK/Relative/Relative's Home

0684 HMHK/Relative/Child's Home

0685 HMHK/Day Care Family Home Network

Instructions: Day care service provided for high risk or at-risk infants between the ages of 0 to 12 months and their preschool siblings, unless an exception is approved by the Director of DCFS. No payments will be made prior to approval of the day care staff.

Higher than standard rates may be negotiated as well as payment for necessary training, insurance and child care equipment.

Preconditions are CFS 968-18, CFS 2000, and Regional Day Care Form.

Payment documents are CFS 420-21a and b; or the CFS Child Care Monthly Enrollment Form, which is generated by the Child Care System.

Authorized Rates are negotiated by contract.

d) Foster Care Day Care

Type Service Codes

0663 Licensed Day Care Center/Foster Care Day Care

0644 License-Exempt Center/Foster Care Day Care

0655 Licensed Day Care Home/Foster Care Day Care

0666 License-Exempt Day Care Home/Foster Care Day Care

0667 Babysitter/Foster Care Day Care

0668 Relative's Home/Foster Care Day Care

0669 Licensed Group Day Care Home/Foster Care Day Care

0670 Day Care Agency/Foster Care Day Care

0671 Relative/Child's Home/Foster Care Day Care

0688 Family Home Network/Foster Care Day Care

Instructions: Payment for day care may be made for Department wards in Department or private agency foster care, if they require day care services due to employment or training leading to employment of the foster parent(s) or relative caretakers or for other documented and necessary reasons (see Appendix A (V) for amounts). A more complete description of this day care program is contained in Appendix E, Employment Related Day Care for Foster Parents.

A rate add-on of $5.00 applies to Type Service Code 0688 for Site Administered or Regionally Administered day care.

The Regional Administrator or Cook County designee approves contracts and payment documents.

Preconditions to payment are CFS 1410 (child or family case), CFS 2002, CFS 2003 and CFS 968-18.

e) Day Care Center Registration Fee

Type Service Code

0689 Day Care Registration Fee

Instructions: The Department will pay up to $50.00 per child per year for Registration/Admission to a day care center, if required.

f) Day Care Transportation

Type Service Code Document

1403 Day Care Transportation CFS 932

Instructions: Transportation to a day care center provider may be provided for children receiving Protective/Family Maintenance Day Care or Foster Care Day Care. No payment will be made prior to the approval of the day care staff.

Transportation will be provided for children through age 12 or up to age 21 for children who are seriously handicapped or developmentally disabled.

If the day care provider provides transportation, the rate approved for day care includes the transportation cost. No additional payment beyond the maximum rate may be approved for transportation provided by the day care program or a related party. If transportation services are approved and may not be provided by the day care provider, it may be purchased from an unrelated source, such as a bus company or a transportation company. If the total expenditures with any one provider are expected to equal or exceed $ 10,000 during the fiscal year, a contract between the Department and the provider must be on file with the Illinois Comptroller.

Preconditions for payment are CFS 1410 (child or family case), Regional Day Care Request Form, and CFS 968-45.

g) Drug Treatment/Project SAFE Day Care

Type Service Codes

0639 Drug Treatment/Project SAFE Day Care

0640 Drug Treatment Project SAFE/Day Care Expenses

Instructions: Payment may be made for day care services for children whose mothers are participating in Project SAFE programs or other Department sanctioned drug treatment programs, which are intensive outpatient alcohol/substance abuse treatment programs, and who are receiving other services from the Department. No payment will be made prior to the approval of the day care staff/Office of Child Development.

The approval for contracts and payment documents is at the Regional Administrator or designee level.

Preconditions to payment are CFS 1410 (child or family) case, CFS 968-18 (contracts if over blanket), CFS 2000 or Regional Day Care Request Form.

Payment documents are the CFS Monthly Enrollment Form and Day Care Billing Form, which are generated by the Child Care System.

h) Drug-free Families with a Future

Type Service Code

0637 Drug-Free Families With A Future

Instructions: Day care service provided for high risk, due to substance abuse, infants between the ages of 0 to 12 months and their preschool-aged siblings.

The Regional Administrator or Cook County designee approves contracts and payment documents.

Preconditions to payment are CFS 2000 or Regional Day Care Form (contracts if over blanket).

i) Day Care Pre-Admission Physical Exam

Type Service Code Document

1107 Physician Services CFS 932

Instructions: The Department will pay for the pre-admission physical examination for children for whom the Department is providing services when payment is not made through Medicaid.

Payment will be made for children through age 12 or up to age 21 for children who are seriously handicapped or developmentally disabled.

The Field Services Administrator approves the payment document, not the day care staff.

Preconditions for payment are a CFS 932; and CFS 1410 (child or family case).

Authorized Rates are in accordance with DPA rates, whenever possible

Rule and Procedure Table of Contents