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GA Child Care

This topic explains what the Georgia Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program is, how it works, and what services it provides. CAPS is Georgia's implementation of the Federal Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) allocated to each State to increase the availability, affordability, and quality of early childhood and school age care. You may read through the topic or jump to specific sections by using the links to sections of this topic below.

Links to Sections of this topic

·          Childcare Support Services for Working Families

·          Is Your Family Eligible For CAPS?

o    TANF Families

·          How Does The CAPS Program Work?

o    Eligibility Criteria

o    Family Income Limits

o    Fees

o    Reimbursement Rates

·          Choosing a Childcare Provider

·          Funding

·          Priorities For Serving CCDF-Eligible Children

·          Quality Initiatives

·          Contact Information

·          If You Are Not Eligible

·          Additional Information

Childcare Support Services for Working Families

When parents are working, they need reliable, affordable childcare in their communities. For some families, the cost of childcare is a burden that makes it hard to pay all of the bills.

The Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program helps families in Georgia pay for early childhood and school age care and education programs. Parents or guardians who have a limited income and are working, attending school, or in training may qualify to receive subsidized child care. Subsidized care is available for children from age birth to age 13 or up to age 18 if the child has special needs.

Families that qualify for the CAPS program can choose the child care providers that they want to care for the children. Some eligible families pay a portion of the child care fee to the provider and CAPS pays a portion of the fee to the provider. The fee is based on the number of people in the family and the amount of income that the family earns.

To apply for the CAPS program, the parent or adult responsible for the child needs to contact the local Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office in the county where they live. A staff member at the county DFCS office can tell you if funding is available and if you are eligible for child care assistance.

CAPS is available in all of Georgia's 159 Counties.

Is Your Family Eligible For CAPS?

The Department of Human Resources helps many families afford child care through the Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program. The local Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) has child care workers that meet with families who apply for the CAPS program. The child care workers determine if the families meet the eligibility requirements. If the family is eligible, then the workers can help them find and arrange for child care.

To be eligible for the CAPS program, the parent(s) or responsible person(s) in the family must work, attend a job training program, or attend GED or high school classes. Some adults may be eligible for CAPS while they are looking for a job.

Families that qualify have limited incomes. The income that a family can earn and qualify for CAPS is based on the number of people in the family. There are no "resource" limits for CAPS; you may own a home, a car, etc. and still be eligible if you meet income requirements and if there are funds available to serve additional families.

To apply for CAPS, call or visit your county DFCS office to make an appointment with the child care worker. When you make the appointment, the worker will tell you the things you need to bring to the meeting. For example, you will need to bring social security cards for yourself and the children and pay stubs that indicate how many hours you work and how much you make.

TANF Families

Georgia requires all parents and adults who are included in a Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) grant to participate in employment services unless they meet the exemption criteria.

When needed to participate in a work activity, child care is available at no cost to all TANF applicants and recipients. Families leaving TANF for work related reasons have access to subsidized child care for one year if program requirements continue to be met during the year. They are assessed a minimal fee if they receive any type public assistance during this transitional year. If no one in the family receives public assistance, the family's fee is based on gross income and family size. After one year of transitional care, they can continue in the program as long as they meet eligibility requirements and funds are available.

Georgia allocates funds for families who are at risk of becoming dependent on TANF. They can receive subsidized care if they meet program requirements. They are assessed fees based on gross income and family size. If anyone in the family unit receives any type public assistance, the fee is set at the state's minimum level.

How Does The CAPS Program Work?

When a family is approved to receive child care assistance from the CAPS program, the parents or guardians may choose child care provided by child care centers, after school programs, family child care home providers, or group home providers. Or the adult could choose an informal provider like a relative, neighbor, or friend. The Child Care Licensing Section of the Office of Regulatory Services sees that informal caregivers meet basic health and safety standards.

Most parents or guardians pay some of the child care costs on a sliding scale based on the family's income and size. CAPS pays the remainder of the child care costs, up to the state's maximum reimbursement level, to the provider.

Eligibility Criteria

By statute, all eligible children must be under the age of 13 (or 18 if they have special needs) and reside with a family whose gross income does not exceed 85% of the State Median Income (SMI) for a family of the same size and whose parent(s) are working or attending a job training or educational program or who receive or need to receive protective services. Children who are who are under court supervision or who are physically and/or mentally incapable of self-care are eligible with an upper age limit of 18.

There are other eligibility requirements for CAPS: each adult in two adult families must participate in approved activities (job, job training, etc.) for at least 35 hours per week. In single adult families, the adult must participate in approved activities for at least 25 hours per week.

NOTE: Georgia has chosen to implement maximum income levels that are substantially below the 85% SMI statutory limits. These lower income levels limit eligibility to the program, especially when the family's size is small. The income limits are approximately 160% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, based on family size.

Family Income Limits

The Maximum Allowable Income Per Family Unit Size is shown in the Maximum Allowable Income and Weekly Family Fee Scale of the State Plan. (Note that this link requires Adobe Acrobat.)

Gross Income includes gross wages or salary and unearned income. Garnishments are included when considering gross income.

Gross Wages or Salary is income earned from work/employment, including base pay, and tips, commissions, piece rate payments and cash bonuses, which equals minimum wages prior to deductions.

See the Applicable and Non-Applicable Income Definitions of the State Plan (requires Adobe Acrobat)for a detailed description of:

·          Applicable Income Sources, which are included in the computation of monthly gross income, and

·          Non Applicable Income, which are sources that are to be excluded from computation of monthly gross income.

Fees

A sliding fee scale, which is used to determine each family's contribution to the cost of child care, varies based on income and the size of the family. A copy of this sliding fee scale for child care services may be seen in the Maximum Allowable Income and Weekly Family Fee Scale of the State Plan (requires Adobe Acrobat).

Eligible families choose the provider that best meets their needs. If a family selects a provider who charges more than the state's maximum reimbursement rate less the family co-pay, then the family makes arrangements with the provider to pay the difference.. Adults applying for or receiving TANF are assessed no family co-pay.

Some families with income at or below the poverty level for a family of the same size are not required to pay a fee. Fees are not assessed for child care when:

·          The child receiving care is in DFCS custody;

·          The adult is a TANF applicant or recipient who is participating in state approved work activities; or

·          The child is receiving care only on an occasional part-time or hourly basis.

Reimbursement Rates

See the Early Childhood Care & Education Maximum Reimbursement Rates of the State Plan (requires Adobe Acrobat) for lists of reimbursement rates based on type of service setting and geographical area.

Georgia determines the reimbursement to all providers from the data received in a market rate survey. In most areas of the state, providers accept the reimbursement rate from DFCS without charging families additional amounts. This allows parents who receive child care subsidies equal access to child care services

Georgia has widely differential child care rates statewide. In urban and suburban areas, the cost of care is higher than in small towns and in rural areas. Based on the market rate survey, Georgia has divided the state into three payment "zones." Child care is reimbursed at the highest rate in the zone where the market rate has demonstrated that care is more expensive.

The market rate survey data indicates that child care costs vary by the type of child care setting. It also indicates that child care costs are highest for infants and toddlers, moderate for preschoolers, and lowest for school age children. Georgia has structured the reimbursements to providers so that care for the infants and toddlers is reimbursed at the highest rates, for preschoolers at the moderate rate and lower for school age children.

Choosing a Childcare Provider

Parents that receive DFCS subsidies for childcare may choose to have childcare provided by a childcare center, childcare group home, family childcare home, or a friend, neighbor, or relative.

If you need help in finding child care providers near your home, job, or school, you can contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. The child care specialists at the agency maintain a computer database that lists center based programs, family child care homes, group child care homes, after school programs and summer care programs. The specialist can tell you what hours the program operates, the fees for care, where scholarships are available, etc. If you aren't sure which Child Care Resource and Referral Agency serves your county, call 1-888-893-4582 or 912-382-9919.

Funding

Funding for the CAPS program comes from the federal Child Care and Development Funds and the State of Georgia through the Division of Family and Children Services.

The federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) assists families with low incomes, families receiving temporary public assistance, and families transitioning from public assistance in obtaining child care so that the adults can work or attend education or training programs.

The purpose of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is to purchase child care services for low income families as well as to increase the availability, affordability, and quality of child care services. The federal funds are allocated to the state in order to:

·          Assist low income families with the financial resources to find and afford quality child care for their children.

·          Enhance the quality and increase the supply of child care for all families, including those who do not receive any direct assistance from the CCD funds.

·          Provide parents with a broad range of options in addressing their child care needs.

·          Strengthen the role of the family.

·          Improve the quality of, and coordination among, child care programs and early childhood development programs.

·          Increase the availability of early childhood development and before and after school care services.

Families who are eligible for subsidized child care receive certificates for child care services. Parent(s) or the adult(s) responsible for the child may select any legally operating child care provider. Child care providers must meet basic health and safety requirements set by the state.

The Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program has more than doubled in size since it began in 1991. At times, eligible families must be placed on a waiting list.

Priorities For Serving CCDF-Eligible Children

Georgia has established service priorities to ensure that certain populations receive subsidized child care, if eligible, without being placed on a waiting list. These priority guidelines are applied statewide. The populations who receive priority services are:

·          TANF applicants or recipients participating in state approved work, school or training activities;

·          TANF applicants or recipients who have their TANF denied or terminated due to employment related reasons who need transitional child care;

·          Families with an active child protective services case or court-ordered supervision case where child care is part of the safety/case plan and other funds are not available;

·          Children who are in DFCS custody;

·          Adults who receive TANF as payees only for children in their care;

·          Minor parents attending high school;

·          Families whose children have special needs;

·          Families whose children attend Head Start or Georgia lottery funded Pre-Kindergarten and need extended day care for the child; and

·          Children in Family Foster Homes when the foster parent is working.

Families who inquire about subsidized child care are screened to determine if they meet the criteria for priority services. Families who do not meet the criteria for priority services are placed on an inquiry list. As funds become available, these families are served on a first-come, first-serve basis, if eligible.

Quality Initiatives

The Georgia Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) program collaborates with agencies and individuals to enhance the quality and increase the supply of child care.

Quality child care programs reach beyond the minimum health and safety standards required by state agencies. Some of the federal Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) allocated to Georgia must be used to improve the quality of child care and offer additional services to parents.

The CAPS program contracts through the Georgia Department of Human Resources to strengthen the quality of child care programs.

Contact Information

To apply for the CAPS program, the parent or adult responsible for the child needs to contact the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) office in the county where they live. To find your local DFCS address and phone numbers, visit the Georgia DHR Division of Family and Children Services website at:
http://dfcs.dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHR-DFCS/menuitem.76e501556de17147077a8110da1010a0/?vgnextoid=8eb92b48d9a4ff00VgnVCM100000bf01010aRCRD

If You Are Not Eligible

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements for DFCS childcare subsidies, you may still qualify for a childcare scholarship. Contact your local childcare resource and referral agency and ask the consultant to help you locate childcare providers that have scholarship funds available. A list of local childcare resource and referral agencies is available from Quality Care for Children at:
http://www.qualitycareforchildren.org/.

Additional Information

In April 2004 the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation that created a new department that focuses on early childhood care and education issues. As of October 1, 2004, the Georgia Child Care Council's role and responsibilities are now under the auspices of Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). Also on October 1, 2004, the Child Care Licensing section of the Office of Regulatory Services in the Department of Human Resources (DHR) officially merged with DECAL. Information about DECAL can be accessed at:
http://www.decal.state.ga.us/

The complete State Of Georgia Child Care And Development Fund Plan For Fiscal Year 2008-2009 is available at:
http://www.files.georgia.gov/DHR-DFCS/DHR-DFCS%20CAPS/08-09%20CCDF%20State%20Plan%20-%20acf-rev-9-07.pdf

NOTE: Income limits, fees, and reimbursement rates discussed in this topic are in effect for the time period October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2009.

Back To:

Georgia Benefit Information System Overview

Source

Most of the information for this topic was drawn from the CAPS website at:
http://dfcs.dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHR-DFCS/menuitem.5d32235bb09bde9a50c8798dd03036a0/?vgnextoid=16fa2b48d9a4ff00VgnVCM100000bf01010aRCRD.

Additional information came from the Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning website at:
http://www.decal.state.ga.us/.

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