Colorado Child Care Assistance Program

  • Become a CCCAP Provider

    Contact your county department of human/social services for information. If a parent or caregiver has selected you as the child care provider for their children, the county will send you a packet of information detailing the necessary documents and training including:

    • A Fiscal Agreement, or the contract between you and the county, which outlines each party’s responsibilities, policies and the rate you will be reimbursed for child care services. You will need a Fiscal Agreement with each county that you will accept children from under the CCCAP program.
    • A Form W-9 (IRS) used for identification purposes to report payments made by CCCAP. You will receive a 1099 Form (IRS) at the end of each calendar year for tax purposes.
  • Licensed Child Care Provider Requirements

    Whether you own or operate a Child Care Center, a Family Child Care Home, or a School-Aged Child Care Center, it must be licensed.

    As a provider:

    • You must have a valid Colorado child care license number and be in compliance with the rules and regulations.
    • You must provide your published private-pay rate, the rates you charge non-CCCAP clients, sheet from your parent handbook when you apply and every time you renew your Fiscal Agreement. You must notify the county department of human/social services if your private-pay rates change. You will not be paid more than you charge for non-CCCAP child care clients. You may be paid less than the rate you charge private-pay clients, depending on the county reimbursement rate.
    • If you have a Fiscal Agreement with more than one county, you may be paid at different rates because each county determines what rates they pay.
  • Qualified Exempt Provider Requirements

    What if I’m a relative or friend of the child’s family? Will I still need to be licensed?

    Some child care providers may be legally exempt from licensing, meaning a person can still contract with the CCCAP program without having a license. For example, if the provider is a friend or relative of the family, they may not need to apply for a child care license. For CCCAP purposes, this person is identified as a Qualified Exempt Provider and will need to register with CCCAP to meet certain county requirements, including background checks for child abuse and neglect or other crimes. Contact your county department of human/social services for details about becoming a Qualified Exempt Provider.

     

    Will I need to turn in special forms as a Qualified Exempt Provider?

    You will be asked to turn in a Fiscal Agreement (available through your county), a Form W-9, a Point of Service (POS) Device Provider Agreement, verification of POS training, a Citizenship Affidavit, a Statement of Criminal History, an Authorization to Supply Information, a Provider Information Form, and an agreement listing the Child Care Standards for Non-Licensed Providers signed by you and the CCCAP client requesting care. Keep a copy of these documents for your records while receiving CCCAP payments. If you fail to meet these standards, the county may end your Fiscal Agreement.

    If you are an Out of Home Non-Relative Provider, a home visit is required and will be arranged once you have started the Qualified Exempt Provider process.

  • Parent Fees

    How are parent fees collected?

    In most cases, parents will be required to pay a portion of their child care costs, and the amount will be based upon their household size and gross income. This fee is paid directly to you, the provider, within each month that care is provided. It is applied to the total amount the county pays for care.

     

    What if the client doesn’t pay the parent fee?

    If the client fails to pay the parent fee, child care benefits may end and they must pay you even if they change child care providers. You must report unpaid fees to your county office within 60 days of the month when the fees were due.

     

    What does the parent fee cover?

    The parent fee covers the number of hours a client is allowed to use CCCAP, as recorded on the client authorization letter. Remember, you may not charge the CCCAP client more than the county’s rate, even though your private-pay rates are higher. ​

    You may charge for extra hours if the client goes over their authorized hours. This includes charging them late fees for picking up their child after hours.​

    You cannot ask CCCAP clients to give you a paid notice, even if your policy requires two weeks paid notice before a client leaves your facility. In most cases, the county department of human/social services will attempt to give you as much notice as possible of any changes, such as in cases of a client planning to move or change providers.

  • Provider Reimbursement Rates and Payment

    How does the county decide rates?

    Counties consider a number of factors in setting rates, such as how the local economy is doing, how many child care facilities are available, county budgets for the CCCAP program and the statewide Market Rate Survey. CCCAP provider payment rates are now tiered, based on Colorado Shines Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Levels 1-5. If you have a Fiscal Agreement with more than one county, you may be paid at different rates because each county determines what rates they pay.

     

    Are there limits to how much a county can pay with CCCAP?

    Counties are not allowed to pay more than a child care facility’s private-pay rates for the same services. In addition, each county sets a rate ceiling or the maximum rate the county will pay. The provider’s private-pay rates are compared to the county ceiling and the provider is paid the lesser of the two.

     

    How will the county know how many CCCAP clients I have?

    Your clients will be required to use a CCCAP card at your location with the POS device to record attendance. They will swipe the card (just like a credit card) to show the county that they have checked in to your child care facility. Your county office will help you with using this system. This is detailed in the POS agreement and training.

     

    How do I use the Point of Service (POS) device to track clients?

    Clients will swipe their CCCAP card through the POS device to record their attendance. You will be paid for the services you provide each time their presence is recorded. On rare occasions, you may be required to manually turn in claims for services provided to the county for payment. Manual claims require prior approval and instruction from the county.

     

    How do I recieve payment from the county?

    Weekly payroll made through the use of the POS device is released every Thursday. Depending on your bank’s policies, direct deposit payments can be made immediately or within a few days.

    Payments are made only for the care that is authorized by the county department of human/social services, so make sure you have that paperwork from the county BEFORE providing care.

     

    Will I need to pay taxes for CCCAP?

    You are responsible for taxes that may be due on the income you receive from CCCAP. You will receive a Form 1099 from the county at the end of each year for filing with the IRS.

  • Forms
  • Provider Self-Service Portal (PSSP)
    Access the Provider Self-Service Portal (PSSP).  

    Provider Self-Service Portal (PSSP) Training
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  • Attendance Tracking System (ATS) Information and Resources

    CLICK TO LOGIN TO ATS

    Need assistance setting up or logging into ATS? Click here for important tips and frequently asked questions.​


    Attendance Tracking System Updates

    Watch this section for regular updates as we prepare to launch the Attendance Tracking System!


    Learn more about the Attendance Tracking System (ATS) and access training materials. Need more information? Review frequently asked questions or basic provider requirements for ATS.

     

    Devices

    • Instructions to return Point of Service (POS) Devices
    • ATS Devices: We do not endorse any specific devices. However, the device you choose must operate using the iOS or Android operating system and it must be able to access the Apple App Store or Google Play. We recommend searching for "affordable tablets" online if you are still looking to purchase a device. We also recommend purchasing a secure device holder, which will allow you to attached a tablet or smart phone to a secure item to prevent someone from walking away with it. Examples of secure device holders are here and here.


    Training

Questions? Need more information?

Contact your county department of human/social services for assistance.​