Licensed Family Home Child Care Providers
Authorization Changes for All Children, Effective July 1, 2021
Monthly Units - Beginning July 1, 2021, all base rate payments for licensed family homes will be authorized as a monthly unit. DCYF authorizes:
- Full-Time Monthly Units when:
- A child is eligible and scheduled to be in care with the provider full-time (or full-time in the summer for school-age children).
- A child is authorized for care with only one provider.
- Part-time Monthly Units for all care not meeting the criteria for a full-time authorization. Part-time monthly units are based on the average actual scheduled full and half days with a provider.
- School-age Monthly Units for school age children.
Additional Monthly Units may be authorized for:
- Scheduled overtime – only if the base monthly unit is not adequate to cover the scheduled overtime.
- Scheduled sleep time – if base monthly unit is not adequate to cover the scheduled sleep time.
- Temporary care for an approved activity – that are not expected to be scheduled for every monthly of the consumer’s eligibility period.
Claiming Monthly Units
Claim “1” monthly unit if the child was in care during any day covered by the authorization.
Note: Families must maintain eligibility. Families who are terminated, do not complete their eligibility reviews, or who are not eligible at their review will have their authorization close.
If you have questions, contact us at providerhelp@dcyf.wa.gov or call 1-800-394-4571.
Find more information about Monthly Units at https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/services/early-learning-providers/subsidy
Licensed Center Child Care Providers
Authorization Changes for School-Age Children
All school-age children authorized for 30 half-day units will have their authorization increased to 46 half-day units for June, July, and August 2021. The authorization will decrease to 30 half-day units for the school year, September 2021 through June 2022, for all families who maintain eligibility. Providers will receive social service payment system (SSPS) notices after changes are made.
Families who are terminated, do not complete their eligibility reviews, or who are not eligible at their review may have authorizations that end before June 2021.
Authorizations change to 30 half-days beginning in September 2021 for school-age children. For children newly enrolled for the 2021-22 school year and authorized 23 full days, their authorizations will change to 30 half days. SSPS notices will be mailed in August.
SSPS Invoice: For June 2021, claim one half-day unit for each day the child is in care less than five hours or absent before summer break. After summer break begins, claim two half-day units each day the child is in care or absent. For July and August, claim two half-day units each day the child is in care, absent, or for the July 4 holiday.
Examples: During June, July, and August, the child is authorized 46 half-day units:
- Before summer break, the child attends 7 to 8 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.: claim one half-day unit
- Before summer break, the child is absent: claim one half-day unit
- During summer break, the child attends 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.: claim two half-day units
- For the year, the child attends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: claim two half-day units
- On the July 4 holiday, the provider is closed: claim two half-day units
- The child is absent during summer break: claim two half-day units
Please contact us at providerhelp@dcyf.wa.gov or call 1-800-394-4571 with any questions or concerns.
Family, Friend, or Neighbor Child Care Providers
Authorization Changes for School-Age Children
Your authorizations will not change for school-age children. You may claim up to 115 contingency hours in June, July, and August. The contingency hours are available so you can claim for the time the children are in care during the summer. During the school year, monthly contingency hours are reduced to 35-70 hours per month.
If you have questions, contact us at providerhelp@dcyf.wa.gov or call 1-800-394-4571.
* Families must maintain eligibility. Families who are terminated, do not complete their eligibility reviews, or who are not eligible at their review may have authorizations that end before June 2021.