Legally-Exempt
Catholic Charities is the enrollment agency in Otsego County for Legally-Exempt child care providers that receive child care subsidy money to care for one or more children.
Parents who are eligible and have applied for child care subsidy with Otsego County Department of Social Services and would like to use a legally-exempt child care provider (someone who is not registered or licensed to do day care in their home or a licensed day care or school age child care center) must get an application for enrollment from DSS. Both the prospective child care provider and the parent should fill out the application for enrollment. Once the application is filled out it should be returned to the Child Care Connection. Once the application is deemed complete, the Child Care Connection will do a review of the application. The application review includes checking the sex offender registry and looking at the criminal history for the provider and all household members over 18 years of age, looking at the provider's history of suspension or revocation of a child day care license or registration, looking at the provider's history of the Article X court ordered removal of a child from their care and the history of the termination of parental rights of a provider. After all of these background checks are complete a provider may be enrolled or denied.
Once a provider receives a notice of temporary enrollment or a notice of enrollment, the provider os eligible to receive payments from subsidy monies for eligible children whose parent or caregiver was approved for child care subsidy. The Otsego County DSS issues billing statements and payments to providers for child care. The Child Care Connection does NOT issue payments.
Enrolled legally-exempt providers that do subsidized care in their homes are eligible to participate in the Child and Adult Food Care Program and be reimbursed for meals served to the children in their care. Legally-exempt providers who do not participate in CACFP and who do care in their homes, not in the child's own home, are required to be considered for inspections of their home during care hours. Legally-exempt providers are also eligible for technical assistance for any problems or issues related to child care.
Legally-exempt providers may take 10 or more hours of training per year for an enhanced (higher) rate of payment for child care provided. To be approved, the training must cover one or more of the following topics: principles of childhood development, child care program development, nutrition and health needs of infants and children (including medication administration), shaken baby syndrome, child abuse and maltreatment, safety and security procedures, business record maintenance and management, statutes and regulations pertaining to child care.
For more information, please call our office.