- Subsidized Child Care Program
About
Child care financial assistance is available to help low-income working families better afford the cost of child care. Depending on their income and family size and need category, most parents are expected to make co-payments toward the cost of their child care. More than 100,000 children in North Carolina benefit from this program each year.
Since 1982, child care assistance for Mecklenburg County has been managed by Child Care Resources Inc., the Local Purchasing Agency (LPA). CCRI administers federal, state, county, and local child care subsidy programs.
Mecklenburg County Reimbursement Rates
If your program participates in the CCRI Child Care Subsidy program, it will receive reimbursement for the children you serve who are enrolled in CCRI's subsidy program. Reimbursement rates are determined by the state every two years. Effective October 1, 2018, current Mecklenburg County reimbursement rates are as follows.
How to Enroll
Participation is optional. Before completing enrollment, carefully consider the information in NC FAST regarding when payment will be issued (retroactive, for the prior month) and the reimbursement rates to be sure you are comfortable with the SCCA program requirements. If you wish to continue, you must:
- Obtain a Business NCID.
- Contact Child Care Resources Inc. at 704-376-6697 to provide your NCID so that it may be linked to your provider record in NC FAST. Once it is linked, you will have access to the Provider Portal.
- Log in to the NC FAST Provider Portal to enter in all your facility’s information, including shifts offered, days worked (holidays, inclement weather days, teacher workdays), and private pay rates. An approval notice will be generated to inform CCRI that your program is eligible to receive state and federal subsidy funds for child care services. The notice includes your approved payment rate, age range of children, capacity, facility ID number, license number, changes in licensing status, and other information that CCRI must know before issuing payment. You must review carefully, the information and make changes as needed.
- Sign the Provider Agreement electronically via e-signature in the NC FAST Provider Portal. The Provider Agreement and Approval Notice PDF’s are available in the NC FAST Provider Portal.
If you have questions or wish to enroll in the SCCA program, please contact Child Care Resources Inc. at 704-376-6697 and ask for a provider manager, who can help you with the process.
Providing Child Care for Children Receiving Subsidy
To participate in the Subsidized Child Care Assistance (SCCA) program, your program is required to:
- Have and maintain a rated license of 3 stars or higher (religious-sponsored programs, also known as G.S. 110 - 106, must have a Notice of Compliance letter)
- Enroll annually with the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Learning (DCDEE) through the NC FAST Provider Portal
- Enroll in Direct Deposit with the state’s direct deposit vendor
- Sign the Provider Agreement
If you choose to participate, you will use the NC FAST Provider Portal to enroll in the SCCA, accept vouchers issued to eligible children whose families have selected your program, update your rates for services, and submit your attendance roster each month. The online portal requires you to maintain a username and password.
Note for first-time SCCA participants: You must visit Child Care Resources Inc. in-person with a photo ID and a copy of the your DCDEE license to verify your identity. Information and step-by-step instructions are available on DCDEE’s website under the Providers tab (click “NC FAST”).
If you have any questions, please contact Reimbursement Supervisor Melissa Hernandez at 704-348-2194.
