Child Care and Development Block Grant (93.575)

 

Program

93.575 Child Care and Development Block Grant

 

Federal Agency

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Authorization

42 U.S.C. 9858; Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990; Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Public Law 104-193; Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Public Law 105-33; Consolidated Appropriations Act.

 

Program Number

93.575

 

Last Known Status

Active

 

Objectives

To make grants to States and Tribes to assist low- income families with child care and to: (1) Allow each State maximum flexibility in developing child care programs and policies that best suit the needs of children and parents within State; (2) promote parental choice to empower working parents to make their own decisions on the child care that best suits their family's needs; (3) encourage States to provide consumer education information to help parents make informed choices about child care; (4) assist States to provide child care to parents trying to achieve independence from public assistance; and (5) assist States in implementing the health, safety, licensing, and registration standards established in State regulations.

 

Types of Assistance

Formula Grants.

 

Uses and Use Restrictions

Lead agencies shall assure that a substantial portion of the Discretionary Funds will be used to provide assistance to low-income working families. Not more than five percent of the aggregate amount of funds expended by the State may be expended for administrative costs incurred by the State to carry out all of its functions and duties. The term `administrative costs' does not include the costs of providing direct services. A State shall use not less than 4 percent of the amount of funds to improve child care quality and availability including comprehensive consumer education, activities to increase parental choice, and other activities such as resource and referral services, provider grants and loans, monitoring and enforcement of requirements, training and technical assistance, and improved compensation for child care staff. Except for approved construction of child care facilities by tribal grantees, no CCDF funds may be used for the purchase or improvement of land, or for the purchase, construction, or permanent improvement of any building or facility (other than for minor remodeling and for upgrading facilities to meet State and local child care standards.) Certain amounts of discretionary funds must be used for specific purposes: quality expansion; infant and toddler quality improvement; and child care resource and referral and school-age child care activities. A portion of funds is designated for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to carry-out research, demonstration, and evaluation projects. In the 2001, Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress directs that the funds must be used to supplement, not supplant, State general revenue funds for child care assistance for low-income families.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

All States, the District of Columbia, Territories (Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), federally recognized Tribal Governments, Tribal organizations, Alaska Native organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Children under age 13 (or, at the option of the grantee, up to age 19, if physically or mentally incapable of self-care or under court supervision), who reside with a family whose income does not exceed 85 percent of the State median income for a family of the same size, and who reside with a parent (or parents) who is working or attending job training or educational program; or are in need of, or are receiving protective services.

Credentials/Documentation

Grantees (States, Territories, Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Alaskan Native Organizations) must operate under a Health and Human Services (HHS) plan, and must certify compliance with all Federal regulations governing the payments under the Child Care and Development Fund.

 

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

The Chief Executive Officer of each grantee must designate a Lead Agency, the duties of which shall include developing a plan. In conjunction with the development of the plan, the lead agency must hold at least one public hearing after at least 20 days of statewide public notice, to allow the public an opportunity to comment on the provision of child care services under the plan. In advance of the hearing, the lead agency must make the content of the plan available to the public. The lead agency must also coordinate the provision of services under the program with other Federal, State, and local child care and early childhood development programs. Also, the lead agency must consult with appropriate representatives of units of general purpose local government. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

The Lead Agency of each State, Territorial or Tribal Government desiring to receive an allotment for a fiscal year is required to submit a two-year plan to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Each plan must contain certifications and assurances by the Chief Executive Officer of the Lead Agency that it will comply with the requirements of the Child Care and Development Fund and the applicable regulations. The plan must also contain information that includes: the provision of assurances regarding policies and procedures as stated in Section 658E(c)(2) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 as amended; an outline of the intended use of block grant funds; the provision of certification regarding payment rates as stated in Section 658E(c)(4) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act; and the establishment of a sliding fee scale. Additional requirements are specified by 45 CFR Parts 98 and 99. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A- 110.

Award Procedure

Grants are awarded after the receipt and approval of the plan by the Administration for Children and Families.

Deadlines

Contact Headquarters Office listed below for deadline dates.

 

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Appeals

Guidelines for appeals of disapprovals for State, Territorial, and Tribal Government plans are specified in regulations, 45 CFR 99.

Renewals

Plans for States, Territories, Tribes, and tribal organizations must be submitted every 2 years.

 

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Allocations for States are based on a formula that takes into account the number of children below the age of 5, the number of children receiving assistance through the School Lunch Program in the State and per capita income. Not more than 2 percent of the total Discretionary funds of the Child Care and Development Fund are reserved for Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Alaska Native organizations and not more than one-half of 1 percent of the total funds is reserved for the Territories. (Puerto Rico is treated as a State for allotment purposes.)

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Grant awards are made to Lead Agencies with approved plans. Grantees must obligate all Discretionary funds in the fiscal year in which they are granted or in the succeeding fiscal year. Those funds must be liquidated in the third year.

 

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

As specified in 45 CFR Part 98, States must report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) annually aggregate data on families, children in care, providers, payment methods, and consumer education. Quarterly case-level reports are required to provide data on families, children, and providers, and expenditure information.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations, nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. Further auditing may be necessary.

Records

Proper grant accounting records must be maintained.

 

Program Accomplishments

In fiscal year 2003, 360 grants were awarded. These were primarily formula grants to States, Territories, and Tribes. It is anticipated that 360 grants will be awarded in fiscal year 2004.

 

Financial Information

Account Identification

75-1515-0-1-609.

Obligations

(Grants and Contracts) FY 02 $2,100,000,000; FY 03 est $2,100,000,000; and FY 04 est $2,100,000,000. (These figures do not include CCDF mandatory funds under 93.596.)

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

For States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico: the range of grants is: $8,504,000 to $516,062,669; average grant is approximately $90 million. For 259 Tribal grantees: the range is: $23,000 to $14,700,000; average grant is $371,000. For 4 Territories: the range is $1,625,000 to $4,000,000; average grant is $2,600,000. (These figures include CCDF funds under 93.575 and 93.596.)

 

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

These funds are subject to the Child Care and Development Fund Final Rule, issued July 24, 1998.

 

Related Programs

93.596, Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund; 93.558, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

 

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

Persons are encouraged to communicate with the Regional Administrators. (See Appendix IV of Catalog for addresses of Regional Offices.) Contact: Child Care Bureau, ACYF. Telephone: (202) 690-6782, Fax (202) 690-5600.

Headquarters Office

Child Care Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, 330 "C" Street, SW., Washington, DC 20447. Telephone: (202) 690-6782. Use same number for FTS.

Web Site Address

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ccb

 

Examples of Funded Projects

The funds are block-granted to States which, through their appointed Lead Agencies, make many of the decisions about priorities, policies, and expenditures in achieving goals related to improved family access to quality child care. States must spend 70 percent of their CCDF monies to provide child care services for families on or transitioning off Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or at-risk of welfare dependency. In addition, they are required to commit at least four percent of their funds to activities such as consumer education, resource and referral services, provider training, and caregiver recruitment designed to improve child care availability and quality. Earmarks designated for quality, infant and toddler care, resource and referral, and school-age care further support State efforts to improve child care access and quality.

 

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Not Applicable.