Louisiana Child Care Assistance Program Application And Instructions

Qualifying for Child Care Assistance

• Are you responsible for paying child care costs for a child under 13, or a disabled child under 18, who lives with you?
• Do you, your spouse, and any other parents of children who live in your home, work or attend an educational or training program? If not participating in one or a combination of these activities, do these persons receive disability income?
• Is your household's monthly gross earned income (before any deductions from paycheck) and unearned income less than the amount listed below for your household size?

Apply For Child Care Assistance

The application can be submitted at any Economic Stability parish office or  you can call 1-888-LAHELPU (1-888-524-3578) for assistance.

An interview is not required for CCAP. The following verification of information must be provided:

• 4 most recent check stubs for all jobs for each household member who is working 
• Proof of any of these types of income if received by any household members: child support, adoption subsidy, alimony, SSI, Social Security, Veteran's Administration benefits, Unemployment Compensation, Worker's Compensation, and any other retirement or disability benefits 
• For any adult or parent (including a minor unmarried parent age 16 or older whose child is in need of care) attending school, statement from the educational or job training program verifying hours of attendance each week and the anticipated date of completion
• Social Security cards or proof of application for Social Security cards for all household members
  Note:  Social security numbers are not required for Child Care Assistance eligibility and eligibility cannot be denied for failure to provide social security numbers. If provided, social security numbers may be used to verify income and need for assistance or for data collection or statistical purposes.
• Birth certificates for all children in the home.
• Proof of citizenship or alien status of children in need of care.
• Verification of disability (doctor’s statement, etc) if not receiving SSI, Social Security Disability benefits, or VA Disability benefits. 
• Immunization verification for all children in need of care.

After ApplyingYyou may be contacted by phone or mail for more information. You will not not need to come into the office for an interview. The worker has up to 30 days to process your application. A written notice will be sent telling you of the decision reached. If found eligible, you will receive a notice of eligibility and payment amounts.

Before a decision is reached on your application, you must take the CCAP Rate and Availability Verification form for each child in need of care to your child care provider to complete. It will be your responsibility to return the form completed by your provider and any additional information requested by the due date given. If determined eligible, all payments are made directly to eligible providers.

You may choose care in:

• A licensed Class A Day Care Center 
• A Family Child Day Care Home that meets registration requirements and cares for no more than six children 
• A school program 
• Your own home (provider cannot live at the same residence)
• A licensed child care center determined by the Department of Defense

The amount that is paid is based on household size and income, the number of hours you and any other adults/parents work or attend an educational or training program, the number of hours your child is in care, and the applicable maximum rate. You will be responsible for paying the provider the difference between the total amount charged and the amount the program pays.

Providing false information, withholding information, or failing to report changes is subject to penalty under the law. If providing false information or withholding information causes an overpayment for child care, you may be required to repay to the Office of Family Support the amount of ineligible benefits that you received.  If you purposely fail to report any information that causes you to receive benefits you are not eligible for, you may have fraud charges brought against you and you may be disqualified from participating in the program. If intentional program violation is established, penalties are as follows: (1) six months for the first violation, (2) twelve months for the second violation, and (3) twenty-four months for the third and for any additional violations.

What is the Louisiana Quality Rating System?

It is a quality rating system (QRS) for child care. The goal of QRS is to increase the quality of child care and early learning for all children throughout Louisiana, and to give parents and consumers the ability to understand, assess and demand higher quality.

• Louisiana Quality Rating System

For Child Care Providers

Becoming a CCAP Provider/Renewing a CCAP license

• How to become a CCAP provider - Information on applying to become eligible to receive CCAP payments.
• For existing CCAP providers - Information on renewing CCAP eligibility.

in the event of an Emergency

In the event that a hurricane or other disaster occurs and produces widespread evacuation and extensive property damage, action may need to be taken to help ensure the safety of all children being cared for by licensed, registered, or certified providers. If a disaster occurs and you are in one of the AFFECTED PARISHES, it may be necessary to suspend your license, provider registration, or certification WITHOUT NOTICE until your facility or home can be verified as safe to provide child care. This may be accomplished by a required State Fire Marshall inspection, State Health inspection, on-site Licensing inspection and/or other agency-mandated procedure to ensure the safety of children in care. Your license, provider registration, or certification would remain suspended until your facility is verified as safe.

If such a disaster occurs, check the DCFS website to determine if your facility or home is located in an affected parish and for additional information and instructions in the procedures for re-instatement of your license, registration, or certification. In addition, licensed child care providers should contact the Child Care Licensing and Regulatory Section at (225) 342-9905 as soon as possible once the hurricane or event has passed if instructions on how to reinstate your license is not available on the website. All other child care providers should contact the DCFS Provider Directory at 1-800-680-9098 for instructions on how to reinstate Child care Assistance Program (CCAP) eligibility.

If you do not follow the necessary procedures to reinstate your license and eligibility for CCAP, it may result in a break in your licensure status, closure of your licensing file and/or a break in or loss of CCAP payments.

Other Services Provided to Families and Child Care Providers

In addition to the subsidy program, Child Care and Development Fund is used for a variety of other activities that improve the availability of child care in Louisiana.

• Training and Technical Assistance 
• Resource and Referral
• Child Care for Protective Service Cases 
• Child Care and Development Fund Advisory Council
• Licensing and Monitoring
• Quality Incentives 

Publications

• Brightstart: LA Early Childhood Comprehensive System Strategic Plan
• Louisiana Early Learning Guidelines and Program Standards: Birth through Three
• LA Child Care Market Rate Survey (2009)
• Current Louisiana CCDF Plan (October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2011)
• Investing in the Child Care Industry
• Report of the Advisory Council on Child Care & Development Block Grant
  

Related Links

• American Public Human Services Association
• Federal Regulations for Child Care
• Child Care Bureau
• After-school Programs
• LA State Fire Marshal Family Child Day Care Homes