Eligible families who are certified for the Alternative Payment Program (APP) may choose Child Care of their choice with a licensed Child Care center or Family Child Care home, or with an unlicensed adult such as a relative, friend or neighbor who will care for the parent’s children only. Or, eligible families may be enrolled by a specific Child Care center.
In APP all Child Care providers must complete an approval process with the appropriate Alternative Payment Program (APP) agency and receive a provider agreement before they can receive reimbursement for children in their care. Children in the same family can have different Child Care providers. Parents can change Child Care arrangements with prior approval by the Parent Services Specialist. Depending on the parents’ needs, children can receive services full-time or part-time, as well as in the evening, overnight or on weekends. This program does NOT reimburse private school tuition for children attending kindergarten or elementary school. Only before-and-after school childcare, as well as full-time during off-track, summer or holiday periods can be reimbursed.
In a Head Start or center-based program, your child will be enrolled in a specific center; in some cases the child must be three or four years old. When your name is next on the Child Development Resources Eligibility Waiting List, the agency will explain which of these programs you are being enrolled in.