Family and Provider Frequently Asked Questions
General Family and Provider Q&A
Q: Are parent co-pays waived for May and June?
A: Yes. Parent co-payments are waived until further notice.
Q: Do providers need to submit sign in/out sheets if they are closed?
A: No. There is no need to submit sign in/out sheets or VPK Long/Short forms if providers are closed.
Q: I see an asterisk on my April attendance and cannot mark a child absent. It looks different than it did in March. What does this mean?
A: Asterisks on your April roster indicate you properly reported your April temporary closure dates to the ELC and the ELC entered this information in to the system. There is nothing that you need to do. You will be reimbursed for your enrollments if all enrolled children have attended for at least one day.
Q: Will I get paid if a child was enrolled but has not attended?
A: No. Just as in a normal situation the ELC cannot pay providers for children who have never attended. A child must have attended for at least one day. This requirement has not changed.
Q: Has OEL provided guidance about summer VPK programs?
A: No. The ELC is currently awaiting guidance on summer VPK.
Q: Will ELC extend VPK vouchers to include summer since children are not currently able to attend?
A: This is a decision that OEL, not the ELC, will make. We have not received any information about extending school year VPK eligibility into summer.
Family and Provider Q&A for Child Care Services for First Responders and Health Care Workers
Q: What are the eligibility requirements for first responders and health care workers to receive care?
A: Florida has created a referral process, through employers, for early child care services. The eligibility requirements are that the child is a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, the family resides in Florida and one or both parents are employed as a first responder or health care worker.
Q: What are the ages for children to receive care?
A: Children between the ages of birth up to 13 years are eligible.
Q: How long will services last?
A: The Office of Early Learning has indicated that approved services will be authorized for periods of three months or less. OEL will reevaluate the continued need for child care prior to the end of services.
Q: Will parents have to pay for a portion of care?
A: In most cases, child care providers may charge some additional fees for services.
Q: How do first responders and essential health care personnel apply for this service?
A: First responders and health care personnel can receive the application (referral) from their employer’s Human Resources department. Once approved by the employer, the parent creates a Family Portal Account, completes an online application, and uploads the referral form. The ELC will review the application and, if approved, the parent can select their child care provider through the Family Portal.
Q: Which child care providers are accepting children for care?
A: Parents can click here to access a list of operational providers on ELC’s website.
Q: I am a first responder. Where do I get my referral?
A: First responders and health care workers are to obtain referrals from their employer’s HR department. If your HR department does not have the needed information, they can contact ccrr@elcbigbend.org for this information.
Q: Who are eligible children of first responders and health care workers?
A: Children, from birth to 13 years of age, with one or both parents employed as first responders or health care workers, with a valid Child Care Application and Authorization Form for First Responder and Essential Health Care Personnel (referral form), and authorized by the ELC for services.
Q: My HR department completed the necessary paperwork, but it was rejected due to a care authorization date. What is the earliest the form can be dated and approved? Is there a rule for the dates?
A: The referral program for first responders and health care workers went into effect on April 1, 2020. Authorization forms cannot be backdated. An employer’s HR department may only write a referral for care for up to 3 months. The ELC must reject any referral written for a period that exceeds 3 months of care.
Q: I am in HR at a law enforcement agency and have been asked to complete a referral for an employee. How do I fill out and submit the referral form?
A: An employer’s HR department must complete all fields on the referral form. Incomplete forms will be rejected. When you have completed the form, give it to the employee. The employee must create a Family Portal Account at https://familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com/, then complete and submit an online School Readiness program application. The referral must be uploaded by the parent in the Family Portal or emailed by the HR department to familyservices@elcbigbend.org.
Q: I am our company’s HR person and have had several employees come to me about the free child care for 3 months. How do they get free care?
A: Child care authorized by the First Responder and Essential Heath Care Personnel referral is not 100% free. Currently, the parent copayment for child care is waived; the child care provider may charge other fees, such as the difference between the provider’s rate and what the ELC pays the provider, a registration fee, a late fee, a diaper fee, etc. Parents should check with their selected provider regarding fees. To obtain a referral form, contact ccrr@elcbigbend.org.
Q: How do I know when my employee will be accepted into this First Responders child care program?
A: Once the ELC receives the correctly completed referral from the Family Portal or from the organization’s HR Department, the ELC has 3 business days to process the referral. The
ELC then coordinates with the parent to complete the eligibility process through the Family Portal. After eligibility has been fully established, the ELC emails the parent and the child care provider so both know the child has been enrolled.
If the submitted referral is incomplete or incorrect, the ELC will reject it and list the reason(s) for the rejection. Please correct the errors and resubmit.
Q: How can I get all our employees the free child care during the coronavirus outbreak?
A: This program is available to first responders and essential health care workers only and requires a completed referral by the organization’s HR personnel. The program does not provide free child care. If you have employees who may be eligible for this program, contact ccrr@elcbigbend.org to obtain the referral form.
Q: Which part of the First Responder’s Referral form should Human Resources complete?
A: The employee is to sit with the HR representative so the HR rep can complete the entire referral except for the Authorizing Parent or Guardian Signatures and Section C. This includes: (1) completing the Authorization type at the top, (2) selecting the appropriate Employment status and checking the Verification boxes only when documentation is attached in Section B, (3) completing both the Hours and the Dates in the Authorization section as applicable to the employee’s job, and (4) ensuring that the HR rep signing in the Authorizing Referring Agency Signatures section is the same HR rep named at the top of the form.
Q: Is HR required to email the referral now or can the employee submit it?
A: HR may email a completed referral to familyservices@elcbigbend.org or HR may give the completed referral to the employee. The employee is to then complete a School Readiness application in the Family Portal and upload the referral (Child Care Application and Authorization) during the prequalification process.
Child Care Provider Bonus for Serving Children of Eligible First Responders and Health Care Workers
Q: Which child care providers are eligible to receive the bonus for serving eligible first responders and health care workers needing child care?
A: Child care providers that currently have a School Readiness contract and are serving eligible first responder and health care worker families are eligible for the bonus.
Q: Does a child care provider have to serve newly enrolled children, or will a provider qualify for the bonus if it has been serving families all along? If it is newly enrolled children only, what is start date?
A: Child care providers that serve eligible children starting April 1, 2020, will be eligible for the monthly bonus, up to a total of three months from the first month of providing services.
Q: Do child care centers that only provide Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) services qualify for the bonus?
A: No, only contracted School Readiness child care providers are eligible for the bonus.
Q: If a provider has multiple locations, is it eligible to receive a bonus for each location it serves eligible children?
A: Yes, providers may earn up to $4,000 per month for a maximum of three months per provider location.
Q: Is there a definition for who qualifies as a first responder and a health care worker?
A: Yes, first responders and health care workers are defined in Governor DeSantis’s Executive Order 20-91 Essential Services List. Currently the ELC Is only serving health care workers and First Responders.
Q: What is the amount of the bonus and how often is it paid?
A: Providers will receive a monthly bonus/incentive of $500 per child of a first responder or health care worker up to $4,000 per month and for a maximum of $12,000 for three months per provider. The incentive is in addition to the School Readiness reimbursement rate the contracted provider receives.
Q: What if a provider serves more than eight (8) eligible children?
A: Providers will be eligible to receive a maximum bonus of up to $4,000 per month per provider location. Providers that can serve more children are encouraged to continue serving as many children as possible during this unprecedented time while adhering to CDC and DCF guidelines.
Q: Does the bonus change based upon the provider type, i.e. licensed center, family home child cares, etc.?
A: No, the bonus is the same for all provider types that meet the requirements.
Q: When did the bonus become available and how long will it last?
A: Bonuses are payable to contracted School Readiness child care providers serving eligible children on or after April 1, 2020, for a period of three months during the declared COVID-19 pandemic. A provider must deliver services to an eligible child for at least 1 day during a month to receive the bonus for that month.
Q: How will providers receive their payment?
A: Upon approval of proper documentation, the ELC will reimburse providers the month after it provides services, for a maximum of three months.
Q: If a provider serves a child for a partial month due to the child leaving the center, will the bonus be paid for that child?
A: A child care provider will be eligible for the bonus if it serves an eligible child for at least one day during a month.
Q: If a provider stops services during the month due to a closure, will the bonus be prorated?
A: The intent of the bonus is to allow providers to remain open, care for children, and pay staff. A child care provider will be eligible for the bonus if it serves eligible children for at least one day during a month.
Q: If a provider serves children from multiple coalitions, how will the bonus be paid?
A: Child care providers that serve multiple coalitions will be paid by the coalition where the provider is physically located (“home coalition”). Home Coalitions will coordinate with other coalitions to ensure provider is paid accurately for all eligible children served.
