Financial Reporting for Indian Tribes: ACF-696T Form

To

Tribal Lead Agencies administering child care programs under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended and other interested parties.

Subject

Form ACF-696T—a Financial Reporting Form for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Tribal Lead Agencies.

References

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990 as amended; section 418 of the Social Security Act; 45 CFR Parts 98 and 99; the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

Purpose

This Program Instruction distributes the Form ACF-696T and describes the CCDF financial reporting requirements for Tribal CCDF Lead Agencies.  The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the Form ACF-696T under OMB 0970-0195.

Background

Attached is a copy of the Child Care and Development Fund Financial Report (ACF-696T) for the FY 2010 grant award.  Tribes are required to use the ACF-696T to report expenditures for the Tribal Mandatory, Discretionary, and construction and renovation funds issued under CCDF. Tribes are also required to report expenditures for the supplemental Discretionary and construction and renovation funds awarded under ARRA in FY 2009.  Tribes must submit the ACF-696T form to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) on an annual basis.

Tribal Lead Agencies must submit separate annual reports for each fiscal year in which CCDF funds were awarded.  Therefore, a Tribe may be submitting as many as three separate ACF-696T reports this year—one for funds awarded in FY 2008; one for funds awarded in FY 2009; and one for funds awarded in FY 2010.  The ACF-696T includes certain data elements that apply only to ARRA funds awarded in FY 2009.  These ARRA elements should be left blank on the reports submitted for funds awarded in FY 2008 and FY 2010.  The ARRA elements include:  Column (F) for ARRA Discretionary Funds; Column (G) for ARRA construction and renovation funds; and Line 12 for child service months funded by ARRA.

IMPORTANT:  All funds awarded in FY 2009, including ARRA funds, must be reported as obligated by September 30, 2010; any unobligated balance must be returned to the Federal Treasury.

ACF-696T is available for submission through the Internet using Online Data Collection (OLDC).  Tribal Lead Agencies with OLDC assignments may access the system at: https://extranet.acf.hhs.gov/ssidocs/.  Tribal Lead Agencies without OLDC assignments may access the system at the above address after submitting the OLDC Request Form to the appropriate ACF Regional Office contact.

For Tribes that would like to use OLDC but currently lack access, please request access using the OLDC Request Form, which is available (along with OLDC help sheets, user guides, and tutorials) at: https://extranet.acf.hhs.gov/oldcdocs/materials.html.  The completed OLDC Request Form may be emailed or faxed to your Regional Office contact (see attached).  Please submit an OLDC Request Form for each staff person who will play a role in using OLDC.  ACF will create a User Identification (ID) based on the information provided on the OLDC Request Form.  An email message is automatically sent to the staff member identified on the Request Form when an OLDC User ID and password is created for that person.

Action Required

Tribal Lead Agencies have the option of submitting their ACF-696T either electronically through OLDC or manually by mailing hard copies. ACF encourages grantees to use OLDC since it reduces paperwork, allows for quicker processing, automatically completes required calculations, and checks for potential errors.

Electronic or manually-submitted forms must be received by ACF within 90 days after the end of the Federal fiscal year (December 29, 2010). For manual submissions:

• One copy with an original signature must be submitted to: Administration for Children and Families
  Office of Administration
  Division of Mandatory Grants
  370 L’Enfant Promenade, S.W. Washington, D.C.  20447
• A signed copy must also be submitted to the ACF Regional Office.

Non-Reporting Penalties

Failure to submit the ACF-696T report on or before the due date may be a basis for withholding financial payments, suspension, or termination.

Inquiries

Inquiries should be made to the appropriate ACF Regional Office.

Attachments

A.  A copy of Form ACF-696T
B.  Instructions for completing Form ACF-696T
C.  Contact information for ACF Regional Grants Staff
D.  Request for Online Data Collection (OLDC) Access

/s/

Shannon Rudisill
Director
Office of Child Care

cc: ACF Regional Child Care Program Managers
ACF Regional Grants Managers