Health & Safety Tips and Tools

Background Check Requirements for Child Care Staff

Federal law requires all states to ensure that all staff in regulated child care programs pass state and federal criminal background checks. Required background checks play an essential role in ensuring your child is safe in a child care program. Child care programs must submit requests for background checks before the staff member is hired and then at least once every 5 years. The background check process ensures staff don’t have a history of convictions that could put your child’s health and safety at risk.  For information about offenses that would prevent a person from being employed by a child care provider, please see Section 6 of 922 KAR 2:280​.​
 
For more additional information, please visit:
https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dcbs/dcc/Pages/find-care.aspx
and
https://www.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dcbs/dcc/Pages/nationalbackgroundcheck.aspx

Changes to License

Any changes to the license (i.e. director, hours, email address, adding classroom, etc.) must be submitted with all qualifying documents to: chfsoigrccportal@ky.gov or fax to: (502) 564-9350. Be sure to write the license # on every piece of paper that is faxed. If you fax, follow up with a phone call to ensure receipt (502) 564-7962 ext.0.

Child Care Regulation Committee

Send regulation questions to the Child Care Regulation Committee at childcare.regulation@ky.gov.
Attach pictures as needed to provide additional clarification. The CCRC will provide a written response regarding regulatory matters.
Note: The CCRC will not respond to a question regarding an active survey or investigation.

Kentucky Child Care Regulations

Regulations are overseen by Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Division of Child Care. A full list of child care regulations is available in Chapter 2 Day Care at: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/TITLE922.HTM

Child-care center staff shall be provided with a copy of 922 KAR 2:090, 922 KAR 2:120, and 922 KAR 2:280.

The KYNECT Public Child Care Search lists providers certified or licensed through the Division of Child Care. You can also view inspection reports, hours of operation, and Kentucky All STARS levels.

Standards of Practice for Child Care Providers

This document is intended to educate and inform child care providers, Cabinet for Health and Family Services Division of Regulated Child Care employees and child care Technical Assistance providers about the regulatory standards for licensed and certified family child care providers.

Updated! Effective 7/21/22

https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/922/002/120reg.pdf

  • Changes to food preparation and meal requirements for centers who provide meals and centers who do not provide meals
  • Changes to screen time limits
  • Changes to physical activity requirements
  • Changes to serving sugary drinks
  • Requirements on lockdown/shelter-in-place drills
  • Changes to safe sleep requirements

**Search Tip** On your keyboard, hold down both the Ctrl key and the F key to use the “Find on Page” shortcut. A search bar will appear at the top of your screen that allows you to find words or phrases quickly.

Celebrate a child’s big day with festive yet educational resources for families. Download this free new line of cards designed to help families track developmental milestones and “act early” should any concerns arise.

Good afternoon, Providers,

Below are reminders about CCAP processes that may help you in your day-to-day operations:

Email CCAPProviderPayments@ky.gov with all CCAP concerns instead of individual DCC staff.  Although staff have county caseloads assigned, emailing the inbox first will allow for assistance if the staff person is out of the office or unavailable.  When emailing the inbox, include your license number and case number for the enrollment in question.

CCAP has been reimbursing based on enrollment and not attendance since December 2022.  This process will continue until 12/31/23.  

When using enrollment-based payments, code 40 and 45 should not be used for a child absence.  Providers should only code for days the center was closed for a holiday, vacation, training, or other days that care was not offered to families. All providers, Licensed, Certified and Registered, will submit the PBF blank, unless the prefilled codes do not accurately reflect the child’s schedule and an exception needs to be made.   A copy of CCAP Exceptions and Care Schedules is attached for your convenience.

CCAP will continue to pay the parent copay portion of the CCAP payment until 12/31/23.

Transitional Child Care (TCC) is designed to assist families whose household income exceeds the CCAP guidelines at recertification or at case change.  These families will receive 6 months of CCAP at a reduced rate.  Here is how a provider can recognize a TCC case: 

  • The co-payment is always zero ($0).
  • The reduced rate is calculated at 50% of the Provider Subsidized Rate or the State Max Rate (whichever is lower). Example: If the State Max Rate for the child’s care level is $20, during the TCC period, the rate paid by the state would be $10.
  • The family is responsible for any overages charged by your center.
  • You will receive a DCC-94 – Notice of Change that outlines the new reimbursement rate and end date for each child. This will serve as your notice of eligibility discontinuance.

CCAP reimbursement is not guaranteed until the enrollment process is complete.  The attached (CCAP Enrollment Process ) outlines the enrollment process and details the forms that will accompany the process. Allowing families to attend child care without the complete enrollment process is a business decision for each program.  DCC discourages providing care without the complete enrollment process.

The Child Care Employee Exclusion allows child care employees to apply for CCAP and have all household income excluded from the case.  The application process is the same for employees as other families who apply for CCAP.  The household must meet all technical eligibility requirements and verify all household income.  Once the income is verified, it will be excluded from the case. By excluding all income from the CCAP case, applicants who were previously over the income guidelines will now qualify for the program and have a $0 copay.  Employment must be with a CHFS regulated (licensed or certified) child care provider. The employer must provide a letter stating the employee is not their child’s primary teacher for all Licensed programs.  Certified programs with employees seeking the income exclusion, must work at a different child care program than their child attends.  For more details or questions concerning this initiative email CCAPProviderPayments@ky.gov

The Employee Partnership Child Care Program (ECCAP) is a program for Kentucky businesses to partner with the state and parent to assist with the cost of quality child care.  It is geared toward the Employer as a hiring incentive for employees.  Child care employees should apply for CCAP not the Employee Partnership program as CCAP will cover 100% of the costs up to the State Max rate. The ECCAP program requires the Employer to contribute to the total cost of child care. 

The DCC website provides valuable information for providers.  Exploring the website is beneficial as reference material and all applicable DCC forms can be found there along with the KICCS portalhttps://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dcbs/dcc/Pages/provassist.aspx

Thanks for all you do to support Kentucky’s families and children!

Hello,

Attached are handouts/resources from the Department of Public Health (DPH) that reference COVID-19, colds and RSV. 

Thank you,

DCC

Interstate Background Check Process

The Division of Child Care (DCC) is now responsible for requesting all interstate background checks. We hope this added support will benefit your child care program.

Please see the attached flow chart and the Interstate Background Process below for additional information:

  • DCC will request an interstate background check from state(s) the prospective staff member has resided in the last five years. The background check request will include:
    • state sex offender registry 
    • state child abuse and neglect registry and database
    • state criminal registry
  • DCC will make an eligibility determination within 45 days.
  • Based on various states requirements, DCC staff will contact the child care provider or prospective staff member if more information is needed.
  • DCC will upload the determination of eligible or ineligible into KARES and notify the child care provider and prospective staff member via email to check KARES for the status change.
  • When there is an ineligible determination, DCC will notify the prospective staff member of the results of the background check including information related to each disqualifying crime, and information on the opportunity to appeal the ineligible determination.
  • If you have questions regarding background checks, please email CHFSDCCNBCP@ky.govfor assistance.

Additional Background Check Information

  • “Provisional” status has been removed from KARES. The new status, “Under Supervision”, shall be chosen for the current or prospective staff member undergoing an active appeal process for the following:
  • child abuse or neglect substantiation
  • current or prospective staff members rehabilitative review is in process
  • The Legal Guardian of a prospective staff member under the age of 18 is required to fill out the “Parental Consent Form” attached. Then, the child care provider will upload that document into the KARES application. 

Thank you,

Division of Child Care, Fitness Determination Section

Good afternoon,

Governor Beshear has announced an additional $50 million investment in state funds to support child care. The Division of Child Care (DCC) will use these funds to issue another stabilization payment in December 2023. These funds will be issued to regulated (licensed, certified, registered) child care providers who have been open and serving children for at least 6 months as of June 30, 2023.  As with all stabilization payments made with federal relief funds, the pay rate for the provider’s award will be based on the program capacity for certified and licensed child care programs. For registered providers, the payment will be based on the CCAP enrollment at the time of the award.   

DCC is also pleased to announce that the final American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Stabilization Payment to be issued in September 2023 will be higher than previous rounds. You may be questioning how that is possible. Kentucky received $470 million designated specifically for stabilization payments. The Cabinet dedicated 95% of this funding to eligible child care programs opened by the federal cutoff date of March 11, 2021, with the remaining 5% being dedicated to administrative expenses. The estimated administrative expenses were lower than anticipated, leaving approximately $20 million to be included with the last ARPA Stabilization Payment. Please make sure you complete your monthly data sheets and submit them by September 5, 2023 to ensure your program receives the appropriate payment.

DCC and its third-party vendor, PCG, will provide further information and technical assistance about the application process and disbursement of funds in the coming months.

Thank you for all you do to support Kentucky’s families and children!

Division of Child Care