• Numbers 1 to 999999
• 0 when none served
• - (dash) when data applies but is not available

Numbers That Must Add Up:

Check 1: For each type of care, add the number of children in each age bracket for Elements 3a to 3g. The answer you get should equal the number in Element 3h for that column. If they are not equal, an error exists.

Check 2: For each type of care, add the number of children 0 years old up to 13 years old in Element 3h and the number of children 13 years old and older in Element 3i. Compare your answer to the number in Element 2b for that column. They should all be the same. If they are not the same, you have made an error.

Guidance: A child may be counted in more than one provider column (Columns B-L) if the child receives care from more than one provider type for different portions of the typical day, week, or month.

Example 1: A child attends a family child care home before school hours and a child care center after school hours. The child would be counted under provider types of both family and center based child care.

When a child changes the category of provider during the report period, report the category as of the end of the report period (or date of exit from the program).

Example 2: A child receives care in a family day care home from 9/00 to 3/01, uses an in-home provider during 4/01 and a center from 5/01 through 10/01. Count (or include) the child only in Column (H) of lines 2, 3, 5 and 6.

Provider types are broken up into two broad categories of licensed/regulated and legally operating (no license category available). Under each of these categories are four types of providers: in-home, family home, group home, and centers.
Licensed or regulated provider = Provider legally regulated or licensed by Tribe or State
designated licensing agent.

No License Category Available (legally operating provider) = For reporting purposes, a legally operating, unregulated provider is one which, if not participating in the CCDF program, would not be subject to any state or local child care regulations. According to section 98.2 of the CCDF regulations, "Licensing or regulatory requirements means requirements necessary for a provider to legally provide child care services in a state or locality, including registration requirements established under state, local or Tribal law...."

• Child's Home = Care provided by a caregiver in the child's home.
• Family Home = Care provided in a family child care home (i.e., care provided by an individual in a private residence other than the child's residence).
• Group Home = Care provided in a group child care home (as differentiated from a family child care home by the Tribal Lead Agency).
• Center = Care provided in a center-based setting, including programs in schools.
• Relative = A provider who is a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt or uncle, or sibling living outside the child's home.

When data are applicable but not available, provide a footnote in the comment section explaining when the missing data will be submitted.