Sec.17b-749-16. Supplemental payments

(a) Supplements for Additional Hours of Care

(1) Parents shall be entitled to request a supplemental payment for increased care with the same provider when the child care needs temporarily exceed the authorized hours of care reflected on the certificate by more than twenty hours in a calendar month as the result of the following circumstances and the parent is charged for the additional hours:

(A) school closes for vacation or other reasons;

(B) the child is required to attend child care instead of school for three or more consecutive days due to illness or other reasons;

(C) there is a temporary increase in work hours or the hours of an employment services activity; or

(D) there is a temporary change in the availability of a parent who usually provides care.

(2) Supplemental payments for the additional hours of child care with the same provider shall be approved if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(A) the additional hours of care needed exceed the authorized hours as determined in subsection (b) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies by more than twenty hours in a calendar month; and

(B) the hours of care fall within the work or employment services activity schedule including travel time; and

(C) the hours do not coincide with hours covered by an existing certificate of payment; and

(D) the additional charges reflect the provider's customary policy for all children attending the program.

(3) In addition to supplemental payments authorized under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the CCAP administrator may approve payments for a temporary alternate child care provider for up to twenty hours in a calendar month if the parent is required to use a different provider for the following reasons:

(A) the child does not attend school due to illness or other reasons and the child's regular provider can not provide the care;

(B) a temporary increase in work hours or the hours of the employment services activity that fall outside the normal operating hours of the child's regular provider; or

(C) during holiday vacations or periods during which the child's normal provider is closed or does not offer care.

(4) The parent shall submit a child care agreement form for the alternate provider and have the provider enrolled pursuant to the requirements of section 17b-749-12 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.

(5) In any calendar month, the parent shall be responsible for all costs associated with the first twenty hours of additional care. Payment shall be authorized only for the additional hours of care with the same or alternate provider that exceed twenty hours separately or in combination. The additional hours may be rounded to the nearest half hour.

(6) The amount of the supplement shall be calculated by multiplying the additional needs in excess of the twenty hours by the special hourly supplemental payment rate. The hourly supplemental payment rate shall be the weekly payment rate for full-time care established in subdivision (c) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State agencies, divided by forty. The payment amount shall be the lower of the calculated amount or the amount of the provider's additional charges.

(7) The total number of regularly authorized hours plus the additional hours shall not exceed sixty-five hours per calendar week or two hundred eighty hours in a calendar month. Once the approved additional hours of care exceed twenty hours, the additional hours approved for that month shall be eligible for payment.

(8) Parents shall request supplemental payments by contacting the CCAP administrator by phone or in writing, except during periods of extended school vacations where the CCAP administrator shall have the discretion to authorize payments based on information submitted by the provider for a school age child already in the provider's care. To be eligible for payment, all requests for supplemental payments shall be made within thirty days following the end of the month in which the additional hours were provided. The parent and provider shall submit any verification requested as a condition of payment eligibility. The CCAP administrator shall have thirty days to process the request for a supplemental payment once all required documentation has been submitted.

(b) Supplemental Payments for Children with Special Needs

(1) Parents shall be entitled to request additional payments for an eligible child with special needs pursuant to section 17b-749-11 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Supplemental payments shall be approved to the extent the provider cannot serve the child in his or her regular program after implementing reasonable accommodations as may be required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12132 et. seq.

(2) Payments shall not be made for services provided by a program operated by any state or local government agency. The parent shall apply and take steps necessary to receive assistance from such programs upon the request of the CCAP administrator. The request for a special needs supplement shall be denied if the parent does not apply and take the necessary steps to obtain services.

(3) An increase in the payment rate may be granted if the child's condition requires a marked increase in the amount of care or supervision needed or special care, including but not limited to the use of special equipment, assistance with movement, feeding, toileting or the administration of medications that require specialized procedures. The child's special needs shall be clearly documented to the satisfaction of the CCAP administrator by an Individualized Education Program (IEP), or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), the child's physician or another certified health care professional who is directly involved with the child. Additional documentation may be required as necessary to establish the need for special care in the child care setting. The amount of the increase shall be equal to fifteen percent of the payment rate for a child with no special needs as determined in subsection (c) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The supplement shall be included in the approved cost of care as determined in subsection (a) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies for the purpose of calculating the monthly payment.

(4) A child with special needs may be eligible for supplemental payments for identifiable costs charged to the parent by the provider for services specifically associated with the provision of child care to the individual child. Payments for identifiable costs shall be in addition to any increase in the payment rate authorized pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection. Services and costs that may be eligible for payment shall include, but not be limited to the following:

(A) rental of equipment needed to provide appropriate care, such as maintenance apparatus that assists in breathing, feeding or toileting as prescribed by a therapist, physician or other state certified specialist and that is not transportable and cannot be provided by the parent;

(B) special furniture, materials or supplies used on a routine basis as prescribed by a therapist, physician or other certified specialist and that are not provided by the parent; and

(C) a personal child care attendant for prescribed periods;

(D) specialized training needed to care for the child that is not otherwise available without charge.

(5) Supplemental payments for identifiable costs shall not be approved for special transportation services, special education, therapeutic services or other costs not directly related to the provision of child care, the cost of diapers, supplies or other items provided by the parent, facility improvements, equipment, materials or expenses for services or accommodations that are or would be available to all children enrolled in the facility and that cannot be categorized as assistance to the parent.

(6) The maximum payment for identifiable costs in any month shall not exceed twenty percent of the standard payment rate for a child of the same age and approved hours of care with no special needs as determined in subsection (c) of section 17b-749-13 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. Any costs incurred during a month that exceed twenty percent of such rate shall be the responsibility of the parent and shall not carry over as billable charges to the department in subsequent months. The commissioner may disapprove payments for identifiable costs where the cost of supporting the child in the child care setting is determined unreasonable or excessive relative to services available from other similar providers, vendors or through other means.

(7) The parent and provider shall submit a written request to the CCAP administrator that includes a description of the additional services, why they are needed, verification of the cost of the services and the payment schedule where applicable. The request shall be co-signed by the parent.

(Adopted effective July 10, 2001)