Help with DHS Payments

[midaycare]

I have my first DHS client, although I signed up to receive DHS a while ago.

New dcm works and goes to school 1 day per week. She told me she is eligible for 95% DHS and 100 hours bi-weekly. That seems like alot ...

Anyway, I did call DHS to confirm that they will pay her, and that her rate is 95%, but they could not confirm the amount of hours with me at that time.

I'm aware that it takes 45-60 days to go through the processing. What I'm wondering is: What is the process for DHS to start working the first time? I'm trying to figure out where we are in this process.

Also, dcm seems certain that she will be approved for 100 hours bi-weekly, but on Mondays, she doesn't have class until 11:00 am, but wants to drop off at 8:30 am. I don't think I would get reimbursed for that ... ???

It has to match her work/school hours, right? So confused!

[Cradle2crayons]

I have my first DHS client, although I signed up to receive DHS a while ago.

New dcm works and goes to school 1 day per week. She told me she is eligible for 95% DHS and 100 hours bi-weekly. That seems like alot ...

Anyway, I did call DHS to confirm that they will pay her, and that her rate is 95%, but they could not confirm the amount of hours with me at that time.

I'm aware that it takes 45-60 days to go through the processing. What I'm wondering is: What is the process for DHS to start working the first time? I'm trying to figure out where we are in this process.

Also, dcm seems certain that she will be approved for 100 hours bi-weekly, but on Mondays, she doesn't have class until 11:00 am, but wants to drop off at 8:30 am. I don't think I would get reimbursed for that ... ???

It has to match her work/school hours, right? So confused!

Every state is different. Here, I submit attendance by the 10th of the month after and around the 15th I get a check in the mail for the entire previous month. Here they do a DAILY rate. The exact hours they are here doesn't matter at all. They are basically either present more than 4 hours or less. End of story. They have a max number of days per month they reimburse. Last month I think was 22 days. Which if 10 hours a day would be 220 hours a month. Or 110 every two weeks.

So what mom is saying in that respect sounds right.

In the beginning there was a. Few week lag, but they are like clock work now. They used to be direct deposit and I liked that. Now they mail checks. I hate this because there are only TWO of my banks in the entire state and each are 45 minutes away. That's why I don't accept checks from parents.

Our voucher program has a website for providers that explains FAQ. Maybe call your Dhs and ask if they have something like that??

I love state pay here. I have 2 on it right now and one who has applied. Of course, I would like it a lot more if they paid more than $40-45 bucks a week per child

[midaycare]

What is the next step? Does DHS contact me? I filled out paperwork from dcm, and she turned it in 2 weeks ago.

[Blackcat31]

Yes, like C2C said every state is different but in my area NO care is provided until I have the actual authorization agreement in my hand or the worker has called and verified that the parent qualifies for x amount of care at x rate beginning on x date.

Until then the parent pays out of pocket and anything the state covers that they already paid for will be reimbursed.

The way I look at it is, the family is receiving the assistance not me so I don't want to wait to be paid...and I will NEVER provide services without payment in advance.

[Blackcat31]

What is the next step? Does DHS contact me? I filled out paperwork from dcm, and she turned it in 2 weeks ago.

Scroll through these threads... I noticed several of them were related to DHS and Michigan.

Perhaps one of them has the answer you are looking for.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=michigan

[midaycare]

Scroll through these threads... I noticed several of them were related to DHS and Michigan.

Perhaps one of them has the answer you are looking for.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=michigan

Thanks BC! This is an adventure, that is for sure.

[Childminder]

I am in MI and accept DHS subsidy. You should have received the approval letter from DHS stating the information that the parent received, an exact copy stating her hours and amount approved, the same day as she got hers in fact. Have her bring her copy to you and scan it or take a phone pic of it for your records. If she is to get 100 hours, which seems excessive to me because the most is 90 I believe, you can only bill for hours that the parent is in school and/or work.

So usually a forty hour work week and five hours of lunch and breaks = 45 hours x 2 or 90 per pay period. You may not bill the State for travel or social hours. You may bill the parent for those hours.

Feel free to call me or text and I will help you through this if I can. I will PM you my phone number. I'm not on this site all day so if you PM me I might not get back to you in a timely fashion.

[Unregistered]

MIDAYCARE

You will receive notification form DHS saying this person is authorized - usually in the form of a letter. 95% does not mean 95% of her childcare bill - it is 95% of the DHS hourly rate. I run a center here in MI and it's so tough to get the parents to understand that the percentage is not a percentage of the total bill - it is a percentage of the hourly rate that DHS will pay. When they hear 100% they hear nothing else but FREE Childcare which is not the case. It also depends on the age of the child. You should be able to go in the MI.gov/dhs website and pull up the CDC Reimbursement rates. For example- The maximum hourly rate that DHS will pay for a SA age is $ 2.50 an hour - that would what parents refer to 100% - still an hourly rate. Say I have I have a SA that is authorized for 95% - that rate is $2.38 an hour. They are here for 9.5 hours x 2.38 equals $22.00 - that is what DHS will pay for that day - my rate is 30 a day so the parents end up owing 8 for that day - the less hours they are in your care they more the parent will end up paying.

Hope this helps.

[midaycare]

Thank you everyone!

For the future, in case any other newbies need to know, I called DHS again today, and this is what they said:

1) Dcm should have a sheet stating what her benefits are (she does)

2) Dcm should be given a sheet by her caseworker in which she has to fill out some things, and so do I. I have to provide my Provider ID number, name, and address, if I remember correctly. Provider ID is different from license number, and the only way I even knew what it was is from calling DHS the first time. So dcm and I already filled this out.

3) Once dcm gives this form back to her caseworker, the caseworker checks to make sure I am legitimate. Then the information gets sent to another office.

4) Then I am issued a pin, which according to DHS, was mailed this morning. Once I receive it, I may login to whatever website is on the paper they give me (must be the DHS payment and billing link) and I may set myself up as a provider and begin the billing process.

5) She said it can take a while for the payments to start, and I understand this is because there is a 3, or maybe 4 week lag time.

Whew! I am nervous about the hours matching, so I will just check with dcm and make sure we submit the same thing.

[midaycare]

MIDAYCARE

You will receive notification form DHS saying this person is authorized - usually in the form of a letter. 95% does not mean 95% of her childcare bill - it is 95% of the DHS hourly rate. I run a center here in MI and it's so tough to get the parents to understand that the percentage is not a percentage of the total bill - it is a percentage of the hourly rate that DHS will pay. When they hear 100% they hear nothing else but FREE Childcare which is not the case. It also depends on the age of the child. You should be able to go in the MI.gov/dhs website and pull up the CDC Reimbursement rates. For example- The maximum hourly rate that DHS will pay for a SA age is $ 2.50 an hour - that would what parents refer to 100% - still an hourly rate. Say I have I have a SA that is authorized for 95% - that rate is $2.38 an hour. They are here for 9.5 hours x 2.38 equals $22.00 - that is what DHS will pay for that day - my rate is 30 a day so the parents end up owing 8 for that day - the less hours they are in your care they more the parent will end up paying.

Hope this helps.

This helps a lot, thank you. I had looked up the rates before so I knew it wouldn't completely cover everything, but it comes close. I think dcm will owe me $5 a day, or something like that. She's pretty easy going about it, just happy to be receiving the help from the state that she is. She is not taking it for granted, I appreciate that about her.

[midaycare]

I am in MI and accept DHS subsidy. You should have received the approval letter from DHS stating the information that the parent received, an exact copy stating her hours and amount approved, the same day as she got hers in fact. Have her bring her copy to you and scan it or take a phone pic of it for your records. If she is to get 100 hours, which seems excessive to me because the most is 90 I believe, you can only bill for hours that the parent is in school and/or work.

So usually a forty hour work week and five hours of lunch and breaks = 45 hours x 2 or 90 per pay period. You may not bill the State for travel or social hours. You may bill the parent for those hours.

Feel free to call me or text and I will help you through this if I can. I will PM you my phone number. I'm not on this site all day so if you PM me I might not get back to you in a timely fashion.

I will be bugging you as soon as I do my first billing! Thanks for the offer!

[rebekki78]

Thank you everyone!

Whew! I am nervous about the hours matching, so I will just check with dcm and make sure we submit the same thing.

So far for me, the daycare parents do not submit anything, only the provider. I would ask for documentation proving her hours though, so you do not get jacked. You cannot claim drive time, only time parent is AT approved activity. GOOD LUCK! I have been audited and I am on probation because parent was not at work when she was supposed to be and I claimed the hours. I got in trouble because I was lied to by the parent. Never again. I suggest having parent pay rate every week. When you receive the DHS payment, subtract that off of what parent owes for the week. You claim on the second weeks Friday, and get paid two Fridays later. So you will not receive DHS payment until the 4th week.

[midaycare]

So far for me, the daycare parents do not submit anything, only the provider. I would ask for documentation proving her hours though, so you do not get jacked. You cannot claim drive time, only time parent is AT approved activity.

GOOD LUCK! I have been audited and I am on probation because parent was not at work when she was supposed to be and I claimed the hours. I got in trouble because I was lied to by the parent. Never again. I suggest having parent pay every week. When you receive the DHS payment, subtract that off of what parent owes for the week. You claim on the second weeks Friday, and get paid two Fridays later. So you will not receive DHS payment until the 4th week.

Sounds fabulous I think if I have one bad experience with DHS, I'm done. It's a pain. This is a trial to see how it goes.