Relating to state child care assistance payments to child care providers for days a child receiving foster care is absent from scheduled child care

The state child care assistance (CCA) program assists lower-income families who meet certain requirements by reimbursing child care providers (providers) for child care provided to the children of the lower-income families. This bill defines “child care facility” as a child care center, a preschool, or a registered child development home. The bill defines “child care provider” as a person that provides child care and that is eligible to receive reimbursements from the CCA program. The bill defines “foster child” as a child receiving child foster care. The bill requires the department of health and human services to amend its rules to provide payment to a provider for a foster child not in attendance at the child care facility operated by the provider in an amount not to exceed 16 half days per consecutive 12-month period, provided that the foster child is regularly scheduled to receive child care during those half days, and the child care provider also charges individuals not participating in the CCA program for days an individual’s child is absent.