Background
Currently, providers operating a licensed child care program can
only be eligible to provide Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) if their program
is rated through the Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) program, unless exempt. House
Bill 45 of the 134th Ohio General Assembly added two new exemptions to the SUTQ
participation requirement outlined in paragraph (A) of rule 5101:2-16-09 of the
Ohio Administrative Code (OAC). With the implementation of House Bill 45,
certain child care programs will no longer be required to be SUTQ rated to
provide PFCC.
Implementation
Effective the date of this letter, the following child care
providers will no longer be required to participate in SUTQ to receive payment
for PFCC services.
- Type A and type B family child care (FCC) home
providers.
- Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
(ODJFS) licensed child care centers and Ohio Department of Education (ODE)
licensed preschool and school-age programs providing PFCC to less than 25
percent of the program’s capacity.
Beginning April 6, 2023, ODJFS will begin reviewing center,
preschool and school-age program’s PFCC utilization to determine compliance
with this exemption.
Rule 5101:2-16-09, of the OAC, is being revised to reflect these
changes.
Scenario
|
Procedure
|
I am a licensed child care provider who currently does
not provide PFCC services. How do I sign up to become a PFCC provider now
that I meet a SUTQ exemption?
|
To provide PFCC services, licensed providers can begin
the process in the Ohio Child Licensing and Quality System (OCLQS). This desk
aid is available to assist with this process.
|
What is my payment if I choose to no longer be SUTQ
rated?
| Programs that withdraw from SUTQ will receive the lower
payment of either: The provider's customary rate to the public; or The rate outlined in appendix A to Rule 5101-2-16-10,
of the OAC, for non-rated programs in the provider's county. The payment
change takes place the Sunday following the day the SUTQ withdraw is
effective. |
How do I withdraw my program from SUTQ if I meet one of
the new exemptions?
| A program can withdraw from SUTQ by submitting a JFS 01556 "Request to Withdraw from Step Up To Quality" to
their licensing specialist. The effective withdrawal date is the date requested on
the JFS 01556 or 30 days from the signature date on
the JFS 01556, whichever is later. |
The following applies to ODJFS child care
centers and ODE preschool and school-age programs providing PFCC services.
What if I withdraw my ODJFS child care center or ODE
preschool and school-age program from SUTQ then later exceed the 25 percent
PFCC service threshold?
|
The program will be notified by ODJFS that they must
submit a SUTQ registration.
|
If my program’s SUTQ rating was removed within the last
year due to a serious risk non-compliance (SRNC) or an accumulation of
moderate and SRNC points, can I still provide PFCC?
|
Yes. At the end of the exemption period stated in the
ODJFS notice, the program must submit a SUTQ registration and become rated if
they provide PFCC to 25 percent or more of the program’s license capacity.
|
The most recent version of the ODJFS form referenced in this
procedure letter can be accessed through Forms Central.
Please contact the Child Care Policy Help Desk at
childcarepolicy@jfs.ohio.gov or 1-877-302-2347, option 4, if you have any
questions.