Rule and Procedure Table of Contents
I. Contractual Days and Reimbursement | II. Objectives and Types of Exemptions | III. Calculations and Procedures | IV. Examples
The following procedures specify the objectives of the attendance exemption policy, types of exemptions that are allowed, and instructions regarding how and when to use/obtain an attendance exemption.
I. Contractual Days and Reimbursement |
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The maximum number of days per year which the
Department will reimburse for any one child is 256. This maximum is applicable
to all types of facilities (i.e., day care homes, day care centers, in-home
care, and care by a relative) and for all types of day care (i.e., Foster
Parent Day Care, Protective and Family Maintenance, and Infant Mortality
Reduction Initiative).
The attendance rate for day care centers is 80%. This means that a day care center will be reimbursed for all eligible child days only if the attendance days of eligible children are at least 80% of the eligible days for these children. This is applicable for all types of day care with the exception of some Site Administered programs, serving unstable populations, where a lower percentage has been negotiated.
II. Objectives and Types of Exemptions |
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Exemptions to the attendance requirements are aimed at the following objectives:
o To encourage funded day care centers to provide day care services even during extraordinary circumstances.
o To lessen the financial impact of certain events which are beyond the control of the day care center.
The two types of exemptions are as follows:
1. A snowfall such that schools, offices and/or industries are closed for the day.
2. A natural disaster, such as a flood or a tornado.
3. A mechanical breakdown, such as a boiler breakdown, electrical outage, frozen water pipes, etc., which is of long enough duration to inhibit providing services.
4. An epidemic, such that at least 50% of the
children are absent on a certain day(s) during the month. This includes common
illness such as chicken pox, flu, common cold, head lice, etc. (When a case of
communicable disease occurs in a day care center, this fact shall not be
considered a reason for the facility to close, except in the event of an
emergency.)
5. Other extraordinary circumstances which will be individually examined by the appropriate Regional Day Care Unit.
1. Excused absences such as vacations, court ordered visitation, hospitalization or an extended illness in excess of five days.
2. Swing shift workers who may not work a five-day week every week.
III. Calculations and Procedures |
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1. Determining Eligibility
Substantially less than normal attendance occurs when the attendance of subsidized children on a particular day(s) is less than 50% of the average attendance of subsidized children for that month. To determine eligibility for the attendance exemption, the average attendance is calculated excluding the date(s) for which the attendance exemption is requested. After average attendance has been determined, the attendance percentage for the day(s) for which a waiver is requested is then calculated. This is done by using the attendance of subsidized children on that day, divided by their average attendance. (The Attendance Exemption Request Form outlines the method of calculations in greater detail.)
2. Request/Approval of an Attendance Exemption
The Regional day care staff must be notified within five (5) working days of such an event for which the day care center is requesting an attendance exemption. At the end of the month a CFS 420-26, Attendance Exemption Request Form must be completed in duplicate by the day care center. The original CFS 420-26 must be submitted to the Regional day care staff prior to submitting the Monthly Enrollment Report. (The copy of the CFS 420-26 should be retained by the center.)
Any documentation that the center has regarding the occurrence of an extraordinary event should be submitted along with the CFS420-26. Such documentation may include newspaper articles on school closings due to snow, natural disasters or epidemics. The Regional day care staff will approve or deny the Attendance Exemption Request (via the CFS 420-26) and return the form to the center. The center must submit a copy of the approved form when a Monthly Enrollment Report is submitted.
3. Attendance Calculations
a. If approval is granted for an attendance exemption and the center was open on that date to provide services, an attendance day will be credited to each subsidized child claimed on the Monthly Enrollment Report, regardless of whether that child was in attendance or not.
b. If approval is granted for an attendance exemption and the center was closed, the number of children credited with an attendance day and an eligible day on the Monthly Enrollment Report for that day will equal the average attendance of the month as computed earlier.
c. If approval is granted for an attendance
exemption, the approval must be in writing from the Regional day care staff and
must be received by the day care center before the Monthly Enrollment Report is
completed.
The person completing the Monthly Enrollment Report should include (on line 8) the date(s) for which an exemption was approved. The Regional day care staff must send a memorandum that documents the approval of an attendance exemption to for the Regional staff person responsible for POS billings. The memorandum must be received before payment can be authorized and must list each date that was approved during a particular month.
1. Excused Absences
Individual excused absences are permitted for events over which the center has no control. Such circumstances include: vacations, court ordered visitations, and extended (over five days) illnesses or hospitalization. An exemption is also permitted for children of swing shift workers whose scheduled enrollment may not be for five (5) days every week. (Scheduled enrollment is the number of days that a child is expected to be in attendance.)
2. Documentation
Required documentation for absences, with the exception of illness, is a signed statement from a parent. Absences involving an illness or hospital stay of more than five (5) days require a signed statement from the child's parents or guardian. The statement must, at a minimum, include the date, the child's name, date of absence, reason for the absence and a signature. The original statement must be maintained in the child's file at the center. Failure to maintain the documentation for the absence will result in non-payment by the Department.
If the attendance exemption is used for swing shift workers, a statement with the above information is required at the end of each month. The statement must list the days that the parent worked during the month.
3. Attendance Calculations
The exemption process is designed to yield the new number of days eligible; therefore, the number of days allowed for the excused individual absence will be subtracted from the number of days the child would normally have been eligible. This number will be used when completing the eligible days portion of the Monthly Enrollment Report.
When the Monthly Enrollment Report is completed, an asterisk (*) should be placed by the name of the child for whom the individual excused absence is being given.
IV. Examples |
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The following examples may be used by the day care center to determine if an attendance exemption should be requested.
1. Center Closed
A center closes for a day due to a blizzard. The center informs the Regional day care staff within five (5) working days and submits a CFS 420-26 along with any documentation that the center has. If the request is approved, the center will add to each child (equal to that month's average daily attendance) an attended and an eligible day for each approved attendance exemption day when completing the Monthly Enrollment Report.
2. Center Open
A center experiences an outbreak of the flu, but remains open to serve the healthy children. The center informs the Regional day care staff within five (5) working days and submits a CFS 420-26 along with any documentation that the center has. (A CFS 420-26 has been attached to show examples of the calculations used.) If the request is approved, the center will credit each subsidized child enrolled with an attendance day when completing the Monthly Enrollment Report.
1. Vacation
Naomi Jones' mother has a one week vacation. Naomi does not attend the center during this time but stays home with her mother. During the month, Naomi also missed one other day. Therefore, she was at the center for a total of 15 days.
The center applies for an individual excused absence exemption by using the following procedures:
a. Obtain a signed statement from the mother. The statement shall contain the date, the child's name, the date(s) missed and the reason for the absence (i.e., vacation).
b. Calculate a new number of eligible days for Naomi. She would have been eligible for 21 days, but had a five day individual excused absence. Therefore, the five days are subtracted from the 21 days to arrive at 16 days eligibility.
c. Complete the Monthly Enrollment Report: Place an asterisk (*) next to Naomi's name; put 15 under days attended and put 16 under days eligible.
d. Retain the original statement in Naomi's file.
2. Swing Shift Worker
Steve Smith's mother is a swing shift worker. Therefore, at the end of each month she must complete a statement giving the days she worked during that month. Her schedule for this month allows her four weekdays off.
At the end of the month, the center shall:
a. Calculate the eligible days for Steve. If he had attended every weekday that month, he would have had 22 days attendance but due to his mother's work schedule he missed four days. Therefore, the four days are subtracted from the 22 to arrive at 18 days eligibility.
b. The Monthly Enrollment Report will show 18 days attendance and 18 days eligibility. An asterisk (*) must be placed next to Steve's name.
c. Each statement from Steve's mother must be retained in his file.
EXAMPLE
Information
1. Date(s) for which an exemption is requested: January 12, 1981
2. Reason for the exemption request: Flu outbreak
3. Documentation of the reason: Newspaper articles on outbreak in public schools.
4. Was the day care center open? Yes X No
Calculations
Fill in the daily attendance of the DCFS funded children only, for each service day of the month, by date. Circle the day or days for which an exemption is requested.
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SERVICE DAY |
DATE |
ATTENDANCE |
SERVICE DAY |
DATE |
ATTENDANCE |
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
01/02 01/05 01/06 01/07 01/08 01/09 01/12 01/13 01/14 01/15 01/16 01/19 |
30 45 43 42 44 40 10 30 38 42 45 44 |
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
01/20 01/21 01/22 01/23 01/26 01/27 01/28 01/29 01/30 --- --- |
44 43 44 45 45 43 44 45 45 -- -- |
Add the attendance of all the dates not circled and divide by that number of days to calculate the average attendance for the month.
Total of Attendance Days Not Circled = 851 = 43 Average Attendance for Month Total Number of Service Days Not Circled 20
The attendance for the date(s) an exemption is requested is: 10
Exemption Date Attendance = 23%
Day Care Center Name: Jones Day Care Center
Day Care Center Phone Number: 999 123-4567
Person Completing Form: Anybody Jones
CFS 420-26