Government Assisted Families

[dan18ny]

Hi Guys,

How do you go about receiving families who are under government assisted programs? Do you need to be added to a registry? I live in Cali.

[Michael]

Some previous threads here: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...ment+subsidies

[finsup]

Depends on your state. Here (Maine) anyone can get set up to take assistance families. But they will pay hardly anything to a legally unlicensed provdior and make it so you cannot charge the family any additional amount. They pay the most to licensed center based care. Most home care providers don't accept them, the money thing is hard and it is a huge hassle to deal with the state on anything here .

[Crystal]

Contact your local resource and referral agency to sign up. They are who provides subsidies. You will need to type up a rate sheet, stating the fees you charge, whether or not you offer a sibling discount and if you charge for vacation/holidays, etc.

You can find your local R&R here:

http://www.rrnetwork.org/

They also offer free provider trainings, etc.

[dan18ny]

Contact your local resource and referral agency to sign up. They are who provides subsidies. You will need to type up a rate sheet, stating the fees you charge, whether or not you offer a sibling discount and if you charge for vacation/holidays, etc.

You can find your local R&R here:

http://www.rrnetwork.org/

They also offer free provider trainings, etc.

Thanks for your response! So if someone from those agencies came to us wanting daycare service would we be able to take them in even if we aren't signed up yet to those services? We just got our license and we have people who need daycare ASAP but we haven't signed up for these agencies yet.

[Baby lady]

Thanks for your response! So if someone from those agencies came to us wanting daycare service would we be able to take them in even if we aren't signed up yet to those services? We just got our license and we have people who need daycare ASAP but we haven't signed up for these agencies yet.

You will need to be signed up with the agency paying you. Do not accept anyone saying they will have subsidized care that will pay you later. Until you and the client are not approved by the agency you will not be paid.

Typically, even once it's approved, you will be paid much later than a regular client. You would submit paperwork for the month in which care was provided and receive a check 3 or more weeks later. Also, if your usual rate is over what the agency pays, and it often is here in California, the client is responsible for paying that difference. You should have them pay that amount on the same schedule as any othe client.

[Thriftylady]

Yes sign up before you ever take a child on subsidy. And make sure you understand the program before you enroll a client. I am staying legally unlicensed here in Ohio, have the only reasons I have to get lic. is to have more kids (6 is enough for me so no need there), or to get on the food program and get state assistance kids. I don't really want the hassle with the state. I would do the food program again, but I can live without it also. I took the state assisted kids in Kansas, and some of the parents were pretty good, but I had a ton of them that thought the rules were not for them. One of them brought me her laundry one day to do for her. The scary part is I didn't have a clue how to say NO and I did it!

[dan18ny]

You will need to be signed up with the agency paying you. Do not accept anyone saying they will have subsidized care that will pay you later. Until you and the client are not approved by the agency you will not be paid.

Typically, even once it's approved, you will be paid much later than a regular client. You would submit paperwork for the month in which care was provided and receive a check 3 or more weeks later. Also, if your usual rate is over what the agency pays, and it often is here in California, the client is responsible for paying that difference. You should have them pay that amount on the same schedule as any othe client.

Ok cool! So which agencies are you signed up for (if any) if you don't mind me asking?

[Baby lady]

Ok cool! So which agencies are you signed up for (if any) if you don't mind me asking?

I currently have only one client on any type of subsidized care. This one is through the foster care system, so it comes from the county. I was not signed up with them initially, they paid my full rate for the first few weeks while they were getting approved, and while my paperwork was getting done.

More commonly clients have come from the Resource and Referral agency, but I haven't been signed up with them for a few years.

What would often happen is the client would call me and ask if I took xxx subsidy, and I would say, not yet, get me the info.

Talking to the R&R would be the place to start

[Thriftylady]

In Kansas and Ohio, it goes through the welfare department, where you get foodstamps and such. But as PP said, your R&R can tell you licensing can probably also. I would start by calling those three places. It can take some time to set it up also. In Kansas, the gal that did it had to come out and see my house and all that also.

[Unregistered]

Dcf's bring me paperwork for assistance. I'm a listed provider now.

[Unregistered]

Look up the department of human services for your state. Dhs.

[daycare]

I personally have never taken asst and plan to never take it....

In the past I worked at places that accepted it and from what I saw of it, I hated every last things regarding it. From the paper work to not getting paid days the kids don't come and then and this sounds horrible...... the families. most of the families that were on govt asst at the preschool I worked at were the worst families there.


Before you guys flame me, I am not saying that govt asst families are horrible. I am just saying that dealing with all of the paper work that is required on the schools behalf and the parents behalf is horrible. Some of the families never signed paper, then the school didn't get paid, or they worked crazy shifts so the kids came at odd times of the day and were always off everyone else's schedule.

When I opened my own business, I just decided that I didn't want to deal with all of the other hoops to jump through just to get paid. If you are in an area where this can't be avoided i understand.