Child Care Stabilization Payments for Private Tuition Guidance

Revised 3/19/2020

Child care is a critical infrastructure to families in Vermont. It is a system that relies on tuition payments to maintain programs to care for children statewide. We are encouraging families to continue to pay their tuition and co-payments to child care programs during the time of closure.
If a family cannot afford to pay their child care program during this time, the State of Vermont has approved this program to support child care programs financially whose enrolled families are unable to afford paying tuition or co-payments during this Closure Period.

Programs Eligible to Request Funds

• Privately operated or non-profit licensed or registered programs that:
  Are charging families to maintain child care spaces during Coronavirus closure or absences
• Are paying regular staff during the Coronavirus related closure

Programs that Receive Funds

• Agree to continue to pay staff during the Coronavirus related closure/reduction
• Agree to continue to charge families their typical tuition payments or Child Care Financial Assistance co-payments during the closure or absences
• Submit invoices using the Child Development Division Invoice Form for payments eligible
•  Agree to hold a space for each child included in the invoice to return to after the closure or reduction.
• If receiving Child Care Financial Assistance agree to bill using the policies in the Child Care Financial Assistance Provider Handbook and outlined in this guidance.

Instructions for Requesting Funds

• Invoices must be submitted for two weeks of care at a time.
• Invoices can only be submitted for one child care license. If you operate multiple sites, you must submit an invoice for each site.
• Using the Invoice for Child Care Stabilization Payments for Private Tuition which is available: https://form.jotform.com/heather.mattison/covid19-cc-stabilization
  • Enter all children enrolled in your program, regardless if you are requesting payment
  • Complete all fields on the form
  • To enter additional children, click the “+” button below the field for each child’s information
  • Attach a copy of your program’s tuition schedule or description of what you charge to families.
  • Attach a copy of the message or letter that was sent to parents requesting payment for child care spaces during closure or absences
  • Click Submit – this will submit your invoice to the Child Development Division for consideration
• The Child Development Division will determine the payment for each child based on the information provided in this invoice.
• If approved the payment for your invoice will be paid through Bright Futures Information System (BFIS), and will be paid during the next payroll
• Allow up to 2 weeks for processing after a correct invoice is received
• One invoice per two week period will be accepted, an invoice cannot be adjusted once submitted.
• If errors are made on the invoice, you will be notified of the errors and asked to resubmit.