Consult your state for the answer. You can pay yourself and then give him a bonus. Under federal rules, lead agencies must ensure that parents of children receiving Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) assistance have unlimited access to their children while they are attending child care. There are two components of North Carolina's Child Care Stabilization Grants. Providers closed due to an inactive status pending the outcome of an investigation may not recertify until the investigation has been closed and corrective action has been approved by EEC. Q: Can we pay ourselves in 2022 with grant money from 2021? In each monthly submission, you will complete two sections: NOTICE: All CCSG providers must now use the NEW monthly reportlaunched beginning with the grant award for September 2022. Thus, we suggest that, if any Lead Agency adopts this interpretation, the agency should check eligibility at the time of termination of benefits to determine whether the minimum 12-month eligibility requirement applies or not. You can use it for free during a 30 day trial period. You may view payment status by logging in. The C3 grant funds may be used for wages and benefits for child care program personnel, including compensation for any staff supporting a child care center or family child care providers and their employees. Specifically, providers serving children who receive CCDF services would need to meet requirements for health and safety standards, training, inspections, and background checks. Federal law defines income for SNAP. However, if the family is no longer eligible due to other eligibility requirements (e.g., age of child, working, or attending training/education) at redetermination, their subsidy may be terminated. The provider should keep two copies of all receipts from purchases made so that one can be kept for her IRS records and the other can be used if required for grant reporting. The ARP Act stabilization funds are designed to support the child care market as a whole by covering business related expenses. Persons that require a reasonable modification based on language or disability should submit a request as early as possible to ensure the State has an opportunity to address the modification. (45 CFR 75.2Visit disclaimer page). These funds represent an unprecedented opportunity that will be difficult to realize without adequate staffing. The dynamic environment associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for federal, state, and local policy makers charged with the administration of the CCDF program. The February 10th webinar was sponsored by KidKare. CCDF Federal matching funds are available to states, provided that states match those funds at the Federal medical assistance rate (FMAP). Yes. Q: In your opinion, if I dont need the grant, should I take it? Supporting Centers in Preparing for Child Care Stabilization Grants Broader considerations could include asking: Testing capabilities vary among communities and may be changing often. Upon approval of the waiver, the Lead Agency has 60 days from the date of approval to submit any associated amendments for the waiver. That's according to a recent national survey of early childhood educators, which found 63.3% of Wisconsin centers are experiencing staffing shortages and that . Here is a link to the US Department of Labors webpage on UC benefits related to the COVID-19 outbreakVisit disclaimer page. Provider A receives a $3,500[1] grant and uses the entire amount of the grant to pay herself; the full amount of the grant will be taxable, but the provider can spend the funds on whatever she wants (e.g., pay down personal debt, save for an emergency, save for retirement, go on vacation). For most Medicaid beneficiaries, the definition of what counts as income for Medicaid is determined at the federal level and includes all income reported to the IRS as part of a tax filers Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), plus some non-taxable income sources. Lead agencies may define what it means to be regulated or registered in the state, territory, or tribe. Providers must submit a monthly report on how all grant funds have been spent. Yes, Tribes may amend their CCDF Plan to change their definition of Indian Child. While Tribal Lead Agencies have some flexibility in defining "Indian Child," the definition must be limited to children from federally recognized Indian Tribes, consistent with the CCDBG Act's definition of Indian Tribe (45 CFR 98.2). Building Equitable Early Childhood Systems, Early Care & Education Quality Initiatives, Harnessing Opportunities for Positive Early Childhood (HOPE), The True Cost of Providing Safe Child Care During the Coronavirus Pandemic, Help is on the way! The CARES Act and the CRRSA Act do not address the minimum 12-month eligibility period for essential workers; accordingly, regular CCDF/CCDBG rules apply. A: If you dont spend all of the grant money on items used 100% for your business, it will increase your business profit. Lead Agencies may submit a waiver to ACF to reduce the eligibility period for essential workers. When and where will a copy of the slide deck from the C3 training sessions be available? The $3.5 billion in supplemental CCDF CARES Act funding is subject to the same tax rules as regular CCDF funding. Q: If I use the grant money to pay myself and then use the money to repair my home or fix my basement, can I deduct this as a business expense? Step 1: Submit an OK Child Care Application Step 2: OKDHS reviews the application Step 3: OKDHS approves the application Step 4: Child care program is notified of approval via email Step 5: Payment will be delivered after the application period ends and your application has been approved. The purpose of the child care stabilization grants is to support child care centers and home-based child care providers to stay open or reopen. Furthermore, given finite CCDF funding to meet child care needs, the federal Office of Child Care encourages Lead Agencies to set parameters that restrict the use of CCDF for child care services during times when schools are open and children are able to attend safely in person. Some page levels are currently hidden. The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law in March 2021, providing South Dakota with additional funds designed to help stabilize the child care industry as the state continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. To access your existing Child Care Stabilization Grant application, please go to childcare-grants.ocfs.ny.gov. Depending on a lead agencys licensing and health and safety rules, Head Start and Early Head Start programs may meet the criteria to be considered eligible for ARP Act stabilization subgrants. Are the C3 Child Care Stabilization grants taxable? OCC notes that the availability of some program funds, such as PPP, have been inconsistent and the extent to which child care providers can access them may be limited. Is there a limit to the number of programs that will be funded? Funds will be available to child care providers in the form of: Lead Agencies have the flexibility to establish continued assistance periods for more than 3 months. This is consistent with the statutory requirement at section 658E(c)(2)(S)(ii) of the Act that requires Lead Agencies to support the fixed costs of providing child care services by delinking payments from an eligible child's occasional absences due to holidays or unforeseen circumstances such as illness, to the extent practicable. Segregate funds from each of the different grant funding sources. However, families who participate in TANF, SNAP, or Medicaid and additionally have either expecting mothers or children under the age of 5 are automatically eligible for WIC. Self-employed FCC providers should keep separate accounts and records for business and personal finances. Q: Can I pay myself in one lump sum or do I have to pay myself weekly or biweekly? pdf Child Care Restoration Grants Funding Summary . Other investments to improve program quality such as supplies, curriculum, screening tools, etc. Q: My son is a part-time assistance that I dont do payroll taxes for him. Tribal lead agencies may determine which provider types to include in their stabilization subgrant programs, as long as those providers are eligible and qualified, as defined in the ARP Act, which may include limiting subgrants to tribally operated centers. Child care providers also may not involuntarily furlough employees employed on the date of submission of the application. ATTENTION: Announcing the ARP (American Rescue Plan) Act 2021 Child Care Stabilization Payments. Yes. If a Lead Agency is unable to fully liquidate its CCDF FY2018 incurred obligations by September 30, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are three options to consider. a Are the grant funds taxable? Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3)/ Child Care Stabilization Grants, contact the Department of Early Education and Care, Personnel costs, benefits, premium pay, and, Rent or mortgage payments, utilities, facilities maintenance and improvements, or insurance, Personal protective equipment, testing supplies, cleaning and sanitation supplies and services, or, Structural changes to the foundation, roof, floor exterior, or load-bearing walls of a facility, Extension of a facility to increase its floor area. How do I treat this on my taxes? Tribal lead agencies may use CCDF funds from more than one funding stream (i.e., Mandatory, Discretionary, Supplemental, or stabilization funds) to fund a construction or major renovation project, as indicted in their application for construction or major renovation (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/policy-guidance/tribal-construction-or-major-renovation). Therefore, the applications must include a way for child care providers to certify they will meet these requirements. For more information, visit the CCSG FAQ section. Retention of Child Care Staff. In addition, all tribal lead agencies were allocated $30,000 as a base amount of the ARP Act stabilization funds prior to allocating funds based on the number of children served. In order to be eligible for an ARP Act stabilization subgrant, a child care provider must be open to provide child care services or temporarily closed due to public health, financial hardship, or other reasons relating to the COVID-19 public health emergency on the date of application. The terms included in the Act are broad, and lead agencies have the flexibility to define them. A: No! If a child care provider intends to cover an individuals family subsidy co-payments, they must use funds other than those from EEC. Lead Agencies have the flexibility to determine which children qualify as receiving or needing to receive protective services, and could include families affected by COVID-19 circumstances in that definition as a temporary, short-term measure. Yes, Lead Agencies may pay child care staff based on a childs enrollment rather than attendance. Lead Agencies should amend their CCDF Plan with respect to such changes. Providers may also consider using technological options that allow parents to check-in remotely, including the ability to see their child and child care provider in the child care setting. But, they will reduce your federal and state taxable income. Thus, lead agencies should check their own laws and procedures to ensure that using funds for incentives is acceptable practice.