ELRC-18-02: Updated Provider Agreements for Certified, Relative, and In-Home Child Care Providers

ELRC-18-02

Updated Provider Agreements for Certified, Relative, and In-Home Child Care Providers

To:

Early Learning Resource Center Grantees

From:

Suzann L. Morris, MPA
Deputy Secretary, Office of Child Development & Early Learning

Issue Date: July 12, 2018
Effective Date: August 1, 2018
End Date: N/A

Purpose

To provide Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) grantees with updated versions of the following documents:

Certified Provider Agreement and Appendices
Relative Provider Agreement and Appendices
In-Home Care Parent/Caretaker Provider Agreement and Appendices
Letter to certified providers from the ELRC
Letter to certified providers from Philadelphia and Allegheny counties
Letter to relative providers
Letter to in-home providers

To provide ELRC grantees with instructions for establishing provider agreements between the ELRC grantee and all of its providers. New provider agreements must be signed and in place no later than August 20, 2018, for services rendered in July 2018. If the ELRC has an earlier payment date, it may make payments only to providers who returned their agreements by that date.

To provide ELRC grantees with instructions on how to collect private-pay rates, enter them into PELICAN Child Care Works (CCW), and convert them to the subsidy payment rates. NOTE: Rates may be collected with the provider agreement; however, the ELRC cannot enter the rates into PELICAN CCW until August 1, 2018 or later.

Background

The provider agreement establishes the contract between the payer and a child care provider who gives care to children that participate in the subsidized child care program. The opening of the ELRCs requires new provider agreements, as the payer has now changed to the ELRC. Every provider who participates in the subsidized child care program must have a current signed agreement with an ELRC.

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) revised all provider agreements to reflect the payer as the “ELRC”. OCDEL made additional revisions to the agreements to reflect the most up-to-date language and policies for payment.

NOTE: Philadelphia and Allegheny agencies will not need to get new signed provider agreements. They will continue to use the Child Care Information Services (CCIS) provider agreements that are currently on file.

As part of establishing the provider agreements, the ELRC will collect the provider’s current private-pay rates. This will permit the ELRC to convert the provider’s rates to the subsidy rate so they can be paid the higher Maximum Child Care Allowance (MCCA).

For further information on rate increases refer to OCDEL Announcement ELRC- 18 #01 Increasing Base Payment Rates for STAR 1 and STAR 2 Providers and Improving the Maximum Child Care Allowances for All Providers.

NOTE: Philadelphia and Allegheny agencies must collect the certified provider’s rates and must convert those rates to the subsidy rate. This will ensure providers receive the new MCCA.

Discussion

Provider Agreements

The owning ELRC region must send the appropriate provider agreement to each provider. The provider must return the signature page and required appendices to the ELRC by August 20, 2018. The ELRC must enter a provider comment into PELICAN CCW indicating the date the agreement is received.

Instructions for Certified Provider Agreement

The ELRC will send the Certified Provider Agreement and all of the appendices, with the exception of “Appendix B Closed Days” and “Appendix G Provider Service

Schedule”, to each certified provider, including out-of-state providers, along with the certified provider letter. There is no need to send Appendix B and Appendix G because the closed days have already been entered into the system for fiscal year 2018-19 and schedules would remain the same. The provider is required to return the following:

Certified Provider Agreement completed page one (1) and signed page six (6)
Appendix C-1 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates
Appendix F Multiple Locations, if appropriate
A copy of the provider’s published private-pay rates

Note: Philadelphia and Allegheny agencies will send the CCIS version of the “Appendix C-1 CCIS Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates” to certified providers, including out-of-state providers, along with the provider letter.

Instructions for Relative Provider Agreement

The ELRC must send a new Relative Provider Agreement and all of the appendices to each relative provider, including out-of-state relative providers, along with the relative provider letter. The ELRC does not need to collect rates for relative providers as they are paid the MCCA based on the county in which they reside. The MCCA will be raised for relative providers. The provider must return the following:

Relative Provider Agreement completed page one (1) and signed page five (5)
Appendix E Disclosure Statement signed page two (2)

The provider is not required to return “Appendix D Parent/Caretaker and Related Provider Attestation of Relationship to Child,” as this is already on file.

Instructions for In-Home Care Parent/Caretaker Provider Agreement

The ELRC must send a new In-Home Care Parent/Caretaker Provider Agreement and all appendices along with the in-home provider letter, to each parent who receives in- home care. The parent must return the following:

In-Home Care Parent/Caretaker Provider Agreement completed page one (1), two (2), and seven (7), which must be signed by both the parent and the provider
Appendix E Disclosure Statement page two (2) signed by provider

The parent is not required to return “Appendix D Parent/Caretaker and Related Provider Attestation of Relationship to Child,” as this is already on file.

Entering Provider Rates

Certified providers must send their payment information into the ELRC. The provider may not enter the rates through Provider Self Service because the ELRC must verify the provider’s published rates. When the provider returns “Appendix C-1 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Reported Rates” along with the provider’s published private-pay rates, the ELRC will do the following:

Enter the providers’ published rates into PELICAN CCW
Use August 1, 2018, as the effective date
Convert the rates and save as “Converted Payment Rates”
Generate and send to the provider the “Appendix C-2 ELRC Subsidized Child Care Provider Payment Rates”

Note: The ELRC will not need to enter rates for relative or in-home providers. The ELRC will have to generate and send to both types of providers, “Appendix B Subsidized Child Care Relative Provider Payment Rates.”

To find further directions on converting provider rates, refer to PELICAN CCW Online Help under “Updating Provider Converted Payment Rates (For Certified Providers)”, “Managing or Converting Provider Private-Pay Rates (For Certified Providers)” and “Updating Provider Converted Payment Rates (For Unregulated Providers)”.

The ELRC will not increase rates for any certified provider who does not return Appendix (C-1) along with the provider’s published rates.

Next Steps

Review this information with appropriate staff.
Beginning July 1, 2018, with the exception of Philadelphia and Allegheny counties, use the appropriate revised provider agreement and appendices for new providers.
Develop and implement a plan to obtain signed new provider agreements for all existing providers currently doing business with the ELRC by July 16, 2018.
Enter into PELICAN CCW and convert rates for all certified providers starting on August 1, 2018.
Generate and send to providers Appendix C-2 or Appendix B as appropriate.
Direct questions to your program representative.

View full announcement as a PDF.