CHILD CARE CHILD CARE PROVIDERSPROVIDERSARE ESSENTIALARE ESSENTIALThis was true before the novel coronavirus and will continue to be as we rebuild our economy and strengthen our communities. One way the state government is looking to support the child care sector through this public health crisis and beyond is by making Child Care Connection Hawaii (CCCH) subsidies available to more families.

During this crisis, DHS is temporarily expanding eligibility. Some of the most notable changes include:

• No income cap – CCCH subsidies will be awarded to all families impacted by this emergency, with priority given to underserved and at-risk families, so long as money is available.

• Suspension of activity requirements – parents temporarily do not have to meet activity requirements to assist families who have lost jobs and are looking for new employment.

• Suspension of subsidy co-payments – parents may have their family co-payment portion of the subsidy payment waived.

• Ability to hold spots – families who have kept their child at home during this crisis or whose providers have temporarily closed can still get subsidies to hold their child’s spot until their child returns.

This is good news for providers. Many more of your families may now be eligible for these subsidies. We urge you to share the information about the changes for subsidies with all of your families.

Preparing as a ProviderPreparing as a ProviderIf you have not previously served families who receive subsidy assistance, now is the time to start! Below are the simple steps you’ll take when one of your families is eligible for CCCH assistance.

FOR ALL PROVIDERS• Complete the Child Care Certificate and Provider Confirmation

Form (DHS 918) when a family provides it to you.• To sign up for deposits to be forwarded to you electronically,

please contact your assigned Child Care Licensing Unit.• Provide families with their child care receipt each month when

you receive payment.

FOR UNREGISTERED OR UNLICENSED PROVIDERSIf you are not a registered or licensed provider, you may still serve families who receive subsidy assistance. You’ll need to go through additional screening. This screening will be limited at this point as we limit in-person interactions. You can expect this screening to include:• Background checks of all household members or all staff at the

facility, which include: national and state criminal records, national and state sex offender registries, state child abuse or neglect registry, and state adult abuse or neglect registry.

If you are already registered with or licensed by DHS, you do not need to undergo any additional requirements. Simply fill out the DHS 918 form (noted above) when a family brings it to you.

I’ve never taken families who receive subsidies before; what do I need to do if my families want to apply?There is some basic information on the first page of this handout. If you have any questions, please email or call your Child Care Licensing Unit.

My families already are getting child care subsidies, but I’ve temporarily stopped providing child care. Are you going to stop sending families their child care subsidies?We will continue to provide child care subsidies on behalf of CCCH families as long as those families remain enrolled. These families may still be enrolled even though you have temporarily stopped caring for their children and intend to reopen when the emergency subsides.

I understand that my families can still receive CCCH subsidies even though I’ve temporarily closed my facility or home. Is there anything else I need to do during the temporary closure?Yes, please make sure you mail or otherwise provide CCCH families receipts for every month you have been paid by the family or had subsidy payments forwarded to you. Families will need to provide these receipts to DHS as a reporting requirement.

How long will these subsidies be available?Hawaii was allocated almost $12 million to support essential workers and impacted families with child care and child care providers more broadly. We cannot say how long we will take to exhaust this funding. Please encourage your families to apply for CCCH assistance and to do so as soon as possible. If they have questions, they can contact the Child Care Connection Hawaii office nearest to them.

I’m not required to be licensed or registered as a child care provider, but I take care of children. Can the families I serve still get subsidies to help pay me?Providers who are legally exempt from child care licensing or registration requirements may still care for children whose families receive subsidies. Please see the first page of this handout for more information. Families should contact their nearest Child Care Connection Hawaii office for more questions.

FAQs for ProvidersFAQs for Providers