CCDF Federal Onsite Monitoring

Publication Date: April 10, 2020
Current as of:

What Is CCDF Federal Monitoring? 

A circle with three sections that read: OCC Monitoring, State Plan Submission/Approval, and State Implementation. Each section has an arrow that points to the next section. Around the circle is the text "Ongoing oversight and support".

Monitoring is part of OCC’s ongoing oversight and support of states and territories (referred to below as “states”) responsible for administering the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) to support eligible families, and ensures all children are cared for in environments that are healthy and safe.

Monitoring happens in three-year cycles that align with a three-year Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan Period. A specific subset of CCDF regulations are reviewed within each three-year monitoring cycle. OCC monitors 1/3 of states annually (about 17 states) over the three-year cycle.

View Monitoring Resources for States

CCDF Monitoring Goals

The purposes of the CCDF Federal Onsite Monitoring System are to:

  • Ensure compliance with CCDF Regulations and the approved CCDF Plan
  • Identify technical assistance needs to meet CCDF requirements
  • Identify promising practices to inform continuous quality improvement

Additional Background

The CCDF Final Rule at 45 CFR § 98.90, Subpart J—Monitoring, Noncompliance and Complaints, provides the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the authority to monitor states for compliance with the CCDBG Act of 2014, the CCDF Final Rule, and the state’s approved CCDF Plan. Additionally, Section 658I(b)(1) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act provides OCC authority to “review of compliance with state plan” and authorizes that “the Secretary shall review and monitor state compliance with this subchapter and the plan approved under section 658E(c) for the state.”

Traditionally, OCC implemented this requirement through review and approval of CCDF State Plans, including Plan amendments, and through ongoing oversight. 

Beginning in FY 2019, OCC launched the CCDF Federal Onsite Monitoring System. During Cycle #1 (FFY 2019-2021), states were monitored on 11 specific topic areas.

What are the focus areas for Cycle #2?

The CCDF regulations being reviewed for Monitoring Cycle #2 (FFY 2022-2024) fall into the following nine topical areas. Within each topic, there are specific CCDF regulations for which the states will be required to demonstrate compliance.

Monitoring Topics for Cycle #2:

  • Consumer Education: Dissemination of Information to Parents, Providers, and General Public
    • Monitoring Reports
    • Annual Aggregate Data 
  • Twelve-Month Eligibility 
    • Eligibility Determination and Re-determination 
    • Continued Assistance/Job Search
    • Graduated Phase-out
    • Change Reporting
    • Co-payments During the 12-Month Period
  • Equal Access
    • Building the Supply of Child Care for Underserved Populations
    • Sliding Fee Scales
    • Waiving Co-payments
    • Payment Policies
      • Timeliness of Payments;
      • Delinking Provider Payments from a Child’s Occasional Absences; and
      • Generally-Accepted Payment Practices
  • Health and Safety Requirements for Providers
    • 11 health and safety topics for all CCDF-eligible providers
  • Pre-Service/Orientation and Ongoing Training for Providers
    • 11 health and safety topics for all CCDF-eligible providers
  • Inspections for Licensed CCDF Providers, which include inspections for compliance with: 
    • Health and safety requirements and fire standards; 
    • Pre-service/orientation and ongoing training requirements; and 
    • Child:staff ratios and group sizes  
  • Inspections for License-Exempt CCDF Providers, which include inspections for compliance with: 
    • Health and safety requirements and fire standards; 
    • Pre-service/orientation and ongoing training; and 
    • Child:staff ratios and group sizes 
  • Background Checks
    • Requirements for FBI fingerprint checks
    • In-State searches of the State criminal repository
      • State sex offender registry
      • State-based child abuse and neglect registry and database
  • Program Integrity and Accountability
    • Written Agreements
    • Effective Internal Controls — Identification of Risk
    • Effective Internal Controls — Provider and Staff Training
    • Effective Internal Controls — Evaluation of Activities
    • Identifying Fraud or Other Program Violations
    • Fraud Investigation, Payment Recovery, and Sanctions
    • Documenting and Verifying Child Eligibility

Who is involved in monitoring?

Throughout the monitoring process, the state and its CCDF team work closely with an OCC Monitoring Team consisting of OCC regional and central office staff and representatives from OCC’s monitoring contractor.

When are states monitored?

States are divided into three monitoring cohorts of 17 states each; one cohort is visited every year.

States

OCC Monitoring Cycle #2

Cohort 1 States

10/1/21 — 9/30/22

Cohort 2 States

10/1/22 — 9/30/23

Cohort 3 States

10/1/23 — 9/30/24

 

Cohort 1 States

Cohort 2 States

Cohort 3 States

Massachusetts

Connecticut

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Maine

Vermont

New York

New Jersey

Puerto Rico

Delaware

District of Columbia

Pennsylvania

Virginia

Maryland

West Virginia

Florida

Kentucky

Georgia

Mississippi

North Carolina

Alabama

Tennessee

South Carolina

Illinois

Ohio

Michigan

Indiana

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Texas

Louisiana

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Arkansas

Missouri

Kansas

Iowa

Nebraska

Colorado

Utah

Montana

North Dakota

South Dakota

Wyoming

California

Arizona

Hawaii

Nevada

Oregon

Idaho

Washington

 

 

Alaska