HUMAN SERVICES

A document may serve to prove more than one requirement and need not be submitted more than once. The following is a list of acceptable proof for each requirement: A. Proof of Age (child)1) Long Form Birth Certificate 2) Record of Live Birth for children under the age of three (3…

Income - the total of all countable income, excluding non-countable income (see below) received by the parent(s) or responsible adults of the child. A. Calculating Income - the CCPS calculates income automatically based on documentation provided by the applicant and entered into …

Parent(s) must work at least twenty-five (25) hours per week; or be enrolled in a full-time educational program; or a combination of both. In two parent families, both parents must meet the work/education requirement. A. Proof of Work - parents must provide proof of work for the …

A. Documents must contain both parent/applicant and child's name. Acceptable proof includes: 1) Long form birth certificates, or 2) Court documents indicating custody, or 3) Elementary/Middle/High School registration documents produced by the school. B. If the child's parent is u…

A. The address on the documents must verify a Mississippi address, and at least one (1) must verify the address listed on the application. The address listed on the application should accurately reflect where the applicant resides, even if on a temporary basis. Acceptable forms i…

Acceptable forms include: 1) One (1) Photo ID for the applicant: a. Driver's license, or b. Other state issued photo ID, or c. Passport or other government issued photo ID 2) If no Photo ID available, must submit two (2) forms of identity verification for the applicant.a. Work or…

The Division of Early Childhood Care and Development (DECCD) will pay an annual registration/activity fee of $50 for each child enrolled in the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP). This payment will only be paid once a year when a new child care certificate is issued. Payment will …

Co-payments are based on the full-time and part-time status, and the child's age. Parents must pay the designated fee once a month to the child care provider, in which his/her child(ren) is enrolled. Co-payments are assigned by MDHS. Providers shall not charge parents co-payment …

The child care provider shall not charge parents any cost over the assigned co-payment fee unless the cost for child care to the general public is higher than the amount paid by the CCPP. Full-time and part-time status is based on the child's age and the time of year the child is…

Co-payment fees shall be paid during the current month directly to the child care provider according to the child care certificate issued by DECCD. Child Care providers shall maintain proof of collection of co-payment fees, identified separately from tuition overage payments made…

When incorrect co-payments amounts are assessed, the amount must be reimbursed to the parent or child care provider. 1) Higher Rate If a parent's fee was assessed at a rate higher than the correct fee and the parent has made payment to the provider, the parent must be reimbursed …

The assessed co-payment fee reflects a monthly rate regardless of attendance. If a child is enrolled between the 1st and 15th of the month, the full monthly co-payment fee shall be assessed for the first month of service. If the child is enrolled between the 16th and last day of …

A. Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) approves the following types of child care providers: 1) Center Based Child Care Providers - A non-residential facility that regularly provides shelter and personal care for six (6) or more children who are not related to the operator within t…

Any child care provider interested in participating in the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) must complete an application through the Division of Early Childhood Care & Development (DECCD), and meet the following requirements before CCPP approval: A. Licensure Requirement (may be…

Once all requirements have been met, DECCD will process the application, and email the approved provider an eligibility effective date. No payment may be issued prior to the effective date. MSDH performs the following required CCPP functions for Providers (as mandated by Mississi…

Standard designation is a minimum quality requirement of all child care providers. All existing providers must have a standard designation prior to October 1, 2019. All new providers must have completed the process prior to CCPP approval. The designation will be renewed no more t…

The Health and Safety Orientation training is one of the requirements to become a CCPP approved provider. It is a three (3) hour training, and all existing staff, including Directors, employees, and volunteers, as well as new hires must complete the training within ninety (90) da…

The health and safety orientation training must be completed every two (2) years by every staff member. Additionally, licensed and unlicensed providers must follow MSDH regulations requiring 15 contact hours of professional development each year. License exempt providers must adh…

All child care providers and all responsible parties must report child abuse and neglect immediately if they suspect or have evidence that a child in their care is being abused or neglected by a parent, family member, child care worker, or other individual with access to the chil…

All child care providers should establish practices for promoting developmentally appropriate social-emotional-behavioral health practices and procedures for discipline and intervention. These procedures and practices shall be clearly communicated to all staff, families, and comm…

MDHS strongly discourages the use of expulsion, suspension, and other exclusionary discipline practices; these practices should only be used as a last resort. Child care providers are encouraged to access the technical assistance (TA) and resources provided by MDHS through TA par…

Once a family is approved for child care subsidy a child care certificate is issued to both the parent and the provider. In addition to other details, the certificate contains the following: 1) The name of the child approved for care. 2) The rate of subsidy reimbursement for whic…

Ledger payments contain a list of disbursements issued to the child care provider for attendance for services rendered on behalf of children who are participating in CCPP. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 17-8.10 45 CFR 98.45; Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-2(4); Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-4 Revised:…

An adjustment shall be made in CCPS reflecting a change, if it is necessary to adjust the amount of funds issued based on the attendance information submitted to MDHS by the child care provider. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 17-8.11 45 CFR 98.45(l); Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-2(4); Miss. C…

MDHS's Payment Adjustment Request must be used for reporting any necessary adjustment(s) by the child care provider to MDHS with 10 (ten) business days of ledger submission. This form is available on the MDHS website. Child care providers must submit this request, along with supp…

A. Standard Care 1) Full-Time Child Care - Full time care is assigned to children ages six (6) weeks to five (5) years of age who attend the facility more than six (6) hours. 2) Part-Time Child Care - Child care provided for fewer than six (6) hours. B. Non-Traditional Care - Chi…

A. Full-time reimbursement rates shall be issued to child care providers for the following: 1) Full-time care provided by CCPP-approved centers when the primary school setting is closed and not offering or requiring online instruction. 2) Full-time care provided by CCPP-approved …

Garnishment/levies are court ordered recoupment of a debt owed by a provider to a third party. When MDHS receives notice of a garnishment or levy action against a child care provider, MDHS must submit payment to the garnishing party until the provider's debt has been paid in full…

Any child care center closed by MSDH Licensure Department will be immediately closed in the CCPP. A. CCDF funds cannot be used to pay a child care provider if the license has lapsed at any time. Funds shall be recouped for any lapse in time the license was not valid. If a provide…

When a change of status occurs, the change must be reported to MDHS within 10 (ten) calendar days of the occurrence. A significant change of status requires completion of a new CCPP application and new e-Ledger training webinar (if more than 6 months since completion of the last …

A. MDHS shall only issue payments through the CCPP to the individual or entity attached to the Employee Identification Number (EIN), also referred to as the Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Social Security Number (SSN) on record. B. The TIN or SSN is required by the Internal Re…

1) The CCPP is a third-party reimbursement model, paying providers a fee for services, based on agency established reimbursement rates. The current rates were established by conducting a Market Rate Survey (MRS) of the state's average child care rates, and multiplying those rates…

1) CCPP providers may charge reasonable late fees but they must be published to the public, and in all marketing materials, and must apply equally to CCPP and non-CCPP children. 2) If CCPP providers elect to charge more than the published reimbursement rate, the provider is respo…

CCPP providers will submit ledgers each month to request payment for services provided. CCPP pays providers based on child enrollment with the center. CCPP providers must submit a ledger in the Child Care Payment System (CCPS). All child care providers are required to maintain a …

Parent choice is a fundamental tenet of the CCDF program. Parents are free to choose any provider that has been previously approved to participate in the CCPP. The selected provider is listed on the certificate after the child has been approved for program participation. A. Paren…

Parents and providers receiving CCDF subsidy are expected to follow MDHS policies and the selected child care provider's internal policy. Failure to do so shall result in sanctions and/or penalties in the program, however, each parent enters into a contractual relationship with e…

A. Absences - Child care will be paid based on the child's enrollment with a provider. Excessive absences from care may result in changes or termination of the child care certificate. Providers must maintain and report accurate child attendance for monitoring purposes. Funds paid…

A. Subsidy providers must be available to serve the needs of parents. A child care center shall remain open in accordance with the months, days, and hours of operation that was provided upon application for subsidy or is currently on file with the MS Department of Health, Divisio…

Payment ledgers shall be submitted electronically through the Child Care Payment System (CCPS) once a month. Providers may choose to submit ledgers during one (1) of two (2) payment cycles during the month; however, providers shall only receive one (1) payment per month for servi…

As lead agency for the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has responsibility for ensuring compliance with all federal statutes and regulations, state statutes, and policy. MDHS employs multiple mechanisms to ensure compliance, …

Improper payments occur when MDHS makes a payment to a provider on behalf of a recipient who is ineligible for the CCPP subsidy, or if the payment was calculated in error. Improper payments can occur due to Agency Errors (AE), Unintentional Program Violations (UPV), or Intentiona…

Per Rule 9.10, the responsible party may be allowed to continue to participate in the program while paying the improper payment back, unless the responsible party was suspended or terminated from the CCPP. A. Recoupment: MDHS may collect payment for AE, UPV and IPV by recoupment,…

A provider shall receive the following penalties when non-compliance with any written CCPP program policy is violated. This Rule applies to only those policy violations that do not result in an improper payment. Examples of non-compliance include but are not limited to: 1. Provid…

A participant shall receive the following penalties when non-compliance with any written CCPP program policy is violated. This Rule applies to only those policy violations that do not result in an improper payment. Examples of non-compliance include but are not limited to: 1. For…

An administrative agency appeal hearing is available for any child care provider, applicant or recipient upon written request to the Administrative Hearings Division of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of MDHS. An administrative agency appeal hearing provides an opportun…

MDHS may pursue civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction if a parent or child care provider breaches a repayment agreement. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 17-9.15 45 CFR 98.11; Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-27; Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-2(4); Miss. Code Ann. § 43-1-4 Revised: March 2020 …

If there is sufficient evidence of a Suspected Intentional Program Violation (SIPV), the evidence shall be referred for criminal prosecution if the potential improper payment amount is over $50,000. Criminal prosecution shall be consistent with state and federal law. MDHS shall c…