July, August CCW Payment Modifications Due to COVID-19

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has released the Announcement: ELRC-20 #09: Child Care Works Payment Modifications Due to Impacts related to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) to provide further flexibility for Child Care Works (CCW) Subsidized Program payments for child care services.

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The Announcement provides additional information to child care programs participating in CCW and the Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRC) in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This is an updated policy, providing additional information and replaces ELRC Announcement 20 #08.

This announcement focuses on the clarification of payments for CCW for the period of July 1, 2020 through August 31, 2020.

During this emergency period, child care providers are encountering complex challenges that exceed the scope of normal operations, including mandated closures for significant periods of time. In order to continue supporting child care providers through facility closures resulting from COVID-19, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is updating its previously issued guidance.

Effective July 1, 2020, CCW payment will continue to providers, with the exception of providers who have been closed by Certification due to a negative sanction, who have reported permanent closure, or who serve school-age only children and are closed for the summer. Providers will continue to be paid based on enrollment, as of March 13, 2020, for those children who remain eligible for CCW through normal invoicing and payment methods.

In most cases, the ELRC is not terminating CCW eligibility for families during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, there are some instances where eligibility must end, including the following circumstances: 

• over income; 

• voluntary withdrawal; 

• loss of appeal; 

• child turns 13; 

• family moves out of Pennsylvania; 

• family assets over $1 million; 

• intentional fraud; and/or 

• TANF cases determined ineligible by the County Assistance Office

• Not meeting the work requirements at redetermination, if a parent/caretaker has a job to return to but chooses not to return to work.

• Delinquent copayment for families whose children are attending child care, but are delinquent in paying the copayment. .  

Providers will no longer be paid for children for whom an adverse action was issued. This policy will be in effect through August 31, 2020.  

Child care providers who are closed will not collect copayments from families for CCW for the period of the closure. If a provider is open the provider may collect copayments from families whose children are actually in care. A provider who is open may not collect the copayments from families whose children are not currently receiving care.

Providers who are open should continue to report to the ELRC delinquent copayments for families whose children are attending care but are not paying the required copayment. Beginning July 1, 2020, the ELRC will send families Adverse Action notices for delinquent copayment.

The status of this policy will be reviewed and updated before the end of August 2020 to provide guidance to ELRC and inform the child care community of the policy beginning September 1, 2020.

For more information, view the announcement in its entirety.