Child Care Vouchers

New applicants for vouchers through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and On My Way Pre-K (OMWPK) programs are being added to the waitlist. If you have an existing voucher, as long as funding remains available, you will still receive your benefits but must complete the reauthorization process once your current approval is over.

On My Way Pre-K applicants, families who earn below 100% of the federal poverty level, and children of child care workers will be prioritized for voucher assistance.

FSSA is continuing to reauthorize families with current vouchers as long as funding permits. To remain eligible, families with current vouchers must complete the re-authorization process once contacted by their eligibility office. Failure to do so will result in loss of voucher.

Once an application is submitted, a priority is assigned if applicable, and a family is placed on the waitlist in priority order. Families who are not in a priority group will receive vouchers on a firstcome, first-served basis, as available. The state’s waitlist is not the same as a provider’s waitlist. The state’s waitlist is to receive a voucher that can be used at a CCDF-participating provider location in the state, including centers, homes and ministries. Provider waitlists are for a child spot (or seat) in a specific program.

The waitlist will operate statewide. Vouchers will remain accessible to families across the state, and the waitlist will not favor any county or region.

With current funding, the State can support approximately 50,000 children with CCDF or OMWPK vouchers moving forward.

Waitlists are common in many states when demand for child care vouchers exceeds available funding. In fact, Indiana had a waitlist as recently as 2018 due to similar challenges.

After submitting their application for a CCDF or OMWPK voucher, families will receive an automated email notifying them of their placement on the waitlist. While on the waitlist, families will receive regular updates to reconfirm their interest in receiving child care assistance. To remain on the waitlist, families must reconfirm their contact information, employment status, and income every 90 days. An eligibility specialist will contact families by email or mail when it is time to enroll.

It’s difficult to predict exactly how long any specific family will remain on the waitlist. New vouchers will be issued regularly as funding permits.

Yes, priority on the waitlist is given to:

• On My Way Pre-K applicants
• Families earning below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
• Children of child care workers

All others will be served on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can update your information online via your account on EarlyEdConnect. You may also contact your local eligibility office to update your information. To remain on the waitlist, families must reconfirm their contact information, employment status, and income every 90 days.

To determine if they still qualify for assistance, families with current vouchers will need to seek reauthorization of their vouchers before the date their voucher ends. Your eligibility office will reach out to you with the following documents, which you must complete and return before your subsidy period ends:

• Applicant Worksheet: Fully completed, signed, and dated.
• Proof of Residency: Includes the full name, address, and a date within 60 days of the Applicant Worksheet submission.
• Proof of Eligible Service Need: At least one pay stub dated within 60 days of the worksheet signature or a current school schedule showing the applicant’s name, school name, dates, and participation hours.
• Other Countable Income: Documentation of any additional countable income sources.

The application cannot be completed if a family does not have the required documents to complete the reauthorization.

An eligible service need that qualifies a family for child care assistance includes employment, actively seeking employment, or enrollment in an education or training program.

If you have a question about the waitlist, you can email the Office of Early Childhood and Out-ofSchool Learning at OECOSLproviderinquiry@FSSA.IN.gov.

Providers will not experience any interruptions initially, as FSSA will continue to reauthorize existing vouchers for families as long as funding permits. However, providers may receive inquiries from families seeking new vouchers. In these cases, providers should direct families to their local eligibility office or call 211 for support and guidance.

In addition, you can support families with existing vouchers by helping them stay on track with the reauthorization process. This includes monitoring voucher expiration dates in the Pay by Enrollment provider portal and ensuring that families are aware of the required documentation and deadlines for reauthorization. Please encourage families to report any changes in household or service needs and to comply with all CCDF guidelines, including attendance requirements. If families have questions about their voucher status or need assistance with the reauthorization process, please direct them to their local eligibility office for further support.

Families no longer use swipe cards to record attendance. The new model also includes an excessive absence policy. Warning letters are issued to families and providers at 10, 20, 30 and 35 days with voucher termination at 40 days. Vouchers will also be terminated if a child reaches 20 consecutive absence days. This new policy increases children’s time in care which can lead to improved learning outcomes. Providers are encouraged to use the warning letters to talk with families and stress the importance of regular attendance. Providers no longer have to maintain a POS device or have a landline phone system, but are required to track and maintain attendance records via internal business methods (e.g., within their child care management system, via paper records, etc.)

This change is designed to make attendance reporting faster and easier, reduce errors and avoid missed information.  After submitting bi-weekly absences, a provider is paid full-time until a child reaches their excessive absence limit of 40 days (or 20 consecutive absences) per enrollment year. If a child is no longer enrolled or enrolled but never attended the program, it is the provider’s responsibility to report this to the eligibility office within five (5) business days to avoid overpayment and repayment of funds for an ineligible child.

This new model modernizes families’ service experience, reduces hassles related to daily and missed swipes and facilitates expanded access and choice of care as more providers may participate in voucher programs.

Providers no longer need to manage daily or missed swipes, which makes reporting easier, streamlines administrative tasks and allows them to focus more on the children they are supporting. The new system also creates greater financial stability for child care voucher payments, making it easier and more beneficial for providers to participate.

The change went into effect on July 15, 2024.

Providers are responsible for tracking attendance internally and recording child absences in the provider portal or in a state preferred CCMS. Absences are tracked against an excessive absence policy of 40 days (or 20 consecutive absences)  across all providers where a child is enrolled. Warning letters are issued to families and all providers where a child is enrolled at 10, 20, 30 and 35  days with voucher termination at 40 days (or 20 consecutive absences). The provider will continue to be paid up to this point as long as the child is attending and enrolled in the program.

The number of paid closures (holidays, vacations, sick days, in-service days, inclement weather days) that a provider can claim has changed. A provider now has 16 paid closure days per calendar year. This policy change took effect on July 15, 2024.

OECOSL replaced Conduent as its payment vendor and host of the provider portal. Providers now use a new provider portal and new payment vendor, Tyler Technologies. Providers had to register in this new portal, where they are responsible for tracking attendance internally and recording child absences.

OECOSL notified families of the change beginning in June. Communications encouraged families to work with providers to address any missed swipes or late attendance before the system change on July 15, 2024. Providers were equipped with communications templates to share and reinforce this messaging with families.

When the new system launched, families received a letter in the postal mail with instructions for how to register and activate their new portal account. Their parent portal contains read-only information to help families monitor absence counts and keep track of their reauthorization dates. Families are not required to register their account. Even if they do not register, their vouchers will remain active. Their account status has no bearing on provider responsibilities or payments.

Auditors for the state will monitor attendance data submitted through the new provider portal. Providers who do not submit any absences for all children in care for three (3) consecutive months are automatically subject to audit. Providers are still required to keep their back-up attendance method (e.g., CCMS, electronic tracking, paper attendance) for licensing and auditing purposes. Providers should maintain these records for at least three (3) years.

The parent of any child who will not be using care for two (2) weeks or more should notify the eligibility office to set up a gap in their voucher so the absences do not continue to accumulate against the excessive absence total.  No payment will be made to the provider during that gap.

Yes. To facilitate the shift to enrollment-based vouchers, OECOSL transitioned to a new provider and a new family portal  which went into effect on July 15, 2024.

For the best experience, providers need an up-to-date computer with an internet connection and access to frequently used browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari to record absences. Alternatively, a mobile device can be used if it is up to date and using the default browser for that phone (e.g., Safari for an iPhone).