Background
Governor DeWine has established Ohio PROMISE, a new statewide
initiative that will Promote Resources, Opportunities, and Meaningful Inclusion
through Support and Education. This initiative is focused on increasing access
for children with special needs through new:
- Professional development to prepare and support
professionals;
- A program designation to create awareness for
families; and
- Services and supports for programs and
families.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is using
Supplemental Discretionary Funds awarded through the American Rescue Plan Act
of 2021 to support the Inclusive Child Care Program (ICCP).
Pilot ICCP Child Scholarship Program
Beginning October 10, 2023, limited scholarships will be
available for families who attend an ICCP designated program providing care to
children with special needs when the family is over the income limit for
publicly funded child care (PFCC). These funds are paid to the provider to
assist families with the cost of child care.
Scholarship funds are available for ICCPs that are both PFCC and
non-PFCC (private pay) child care centers, family child care home providers,
approved day camps, and Ohio Department of Education (ODE) preschool and
school-age programs. This includes programs that were grandfathered into the
ICCP designation.
ICCP programs will receive $500 per month when a child meeting
the eligibility criteria below has attended the ICCP at least one day in the
month. Payments will continue for care provided through August 31, 2024 or
until funds are depleted.
Family Eligibility
To be considered for the pilot ICCP child scholarship, the
family must meet the following requirements:
- Have been denied PFCC for being over income in
the past sixty days and have a household income at 146-200% of the Federal
Poverty Level (FPL). (See chart below
for more information.)
Family Size
|
Monthly Income must be above (145% FPL)
|
Monthly Income must be below (200% FPL)
|
2
|
$2,383.00
|
$3,287.00
|
3
|
$3,004.00
|
$4,144.00
|
4
|
$3,625.00
|
$5,000.00
|
5
|
$4,247.00
|
$5,857.00
|
6
|
$4,868.00
|
$6,714.00
|
7
|
$5,489.00
|
$7,571.00
|
8
|
$6,110.00
|
$8,427.00
|
- The child(ren) in need of special needs care
must have either an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for infancy
through two years of age or an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for
children three years and older.
How to Apply for the ICCP Child Scholarships
Beginning on October 10, 2023, families who have met the
eligibility requirements above can apply for the ICCP child scholarship by
submitting the following to ODJFS using the email address childcareprograms@jfs.ohio.gov:
1.A complete JFS
00601 "Inclusive Child Care Program (ICCP) Child Scholarship
Application." Part A is completed by the family. Part B must be completed
by a provider that has the ICCP designation. Families can go to the ODJFS child
care search page childcaresearch.ohio.gov
to locate a provider with an ICCP designation.
2.A copy of
Section 5 of each child's most recent IFSP or the signature page of each child’s
most recent IEP.
3.A copy of their
PFCC denial letter issued within the last sixty days. If the family has an
account in the Ohio Benefits Self-Service Portal (SSP), a copy of the denial
letter can be found in the document section.
Program Requirements for the ICCP Child
Scholarships
To participate in the pilot ICCP child scholarships, PFCC and
non-PFCC (private pay) ICCP providers must:
- Be awarded the ICCP designation.
- Complete Part B of each family's JFS 00601
scholarship application.
- Track each approved ICCP scholarship child's
attendance, including arrival and departure times, and submit attendance to
ODJFS by the 10th of the following month. Instructions for submitting
attendance will be emailed to the provider. Payments will be issued to the ICCP
on a monthly, per-child basis in the month after submission for child care
provided as a result of an approved ICCP scholarship. For example, payment for
any attendance submitted for October will be issued in November.
- The program may not charge the family more than
their private rate minus the scholarship.
- Non-PFCC (private pay) ICCP providers must add
their banking information into the Ohio Child Licensing and Quality System
(OCLQS) provider portal using the "Initiate Private Pay Only
Financials" button in order to receive payment. A job aid with
instructions to do this is available here:
OCLQS
Licensing Job Aids | Job and Family Services (ohio.gov).
Funding Supports for the First 50 ICCP Designated Child Care
Centers and ODE Preschools
In phase 2 of the pilot, the first 50 ICCP designated centers
who received the first payment of $15,000 are eligible to receive a second
payment of $15,000 as detailed below in the pathway examples.
Funds are to be used to continue inclusive child care support
including, but not limited to improving inclusive child care programming,
assisting with operating expenses and staff expenses, or the purchase of
adaptive or specialized equipment. These 50 programs must select one of the two
pathways below to qualify for the phase 2 funds:
Pathway #1- ICCP program caring for a child who
qualifies for the PFCC 100% enhanced rate for special needs care
|
Step 1
|
ICCP has a child with special needs who has an
authorization for PFCC
|
Step 2
|
ICCP applies for the PFCC enhanced rate for special
needs child care through the process found here,
which includes submitting the JFS 01231"Request for Payment Rate for
Special Needs Child Care." (PFCC approvals must be in place no later
than August 31, 2024 for the program to receive funding.)
|
Step 3
|
ICCP receives an award notice of the PFCC enhanced rate
for the child from ODJFS
|
Step 4
|
ICCP receives the phase 2 payment of $15,000 from ODJFS
|
OR
|
Pathway #2- ICCP program caring for a child not eligible
for PFCC who qualifies for the ICCP Child Scholarship
|
Step 1
|
ICCP and family receive approval notifications from
ODJFS
|
Step 2
|
ICCP receives the phase 2 payment of $15,000 from ODJFS
|
Grandfathered ICCP Designated Programs
Centers that received the $20,000 incentive for providing
enhanced special needs child care from July 1, 2022- June 30, 2023, as detailed
in Child
Care Manual Procedure Letter No. 163, are not eligible for the pilot phase
2 funds. However, the grandfathered programs are eligible for the ICCP child
scholarships.
Questions
Please contact the Child Care Policy Help Desk at
1-877-302-2347, option 4, or at childcarepolicy@jfs.ohio.gov
with any questions.