Child Care Automated Reporting System (CARS) Technical Assistance Team

Publication Date: September 14, 2012
Current as of:
Child Care Automated Reporting System (CARS)

Toll-free: 1-877-249-9117

Formerly the National Center on Child Care Data and Reporting (NCDR), the Child Care Automated Reporting System (CARS) TA Team, part of the Office of Child Care Information Systems Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN), was established by the Office of Child Care to help States, Territories, and Tribes participating in the Federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) to meet their reporting obligations under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). The CARS TA Team provides technical assistance to CCDF grantees in their efforts relating to the state/territory monthly data report (ACF-801), the state/territory quarterly report for ARP stabilization grants (ACF-901), the state/territory annual report (ACF-800) and the tribal annual report (ACF-700), and access to and technical issues related to the Child Care Automated Reporting System (CARS).

Technical Assistance (TA) Available from CARS

Long Distance Technical Assistance (TA)

TA is available through the following avenues:

  • E-mail: Email your questions or requests to CARS TA staff at CARS@gdit.com
  • Phone: Call the CARS toll-free help line at 1-877-249-9117 Monday-Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, prevailing Eastern Time

On-Site Assistance

CARS TA staff may be on-site or participate remotely at Regional and National conferences to deliver training workshops to the conference participants. While on site, staff are available to meet with individual grantees to discuss their specific needs, to provide resource materials, and to demonstrate aspects of the data gathering and submission process.

CARS also provides customized technical assistance to grantees through on-site or remote technical assistance visits to the grantee location. Commonly identified needs include:

  • Resolving systems issues
  • Effectively analyzing and utilizing CCDF data

Grantees wishing to request customized on-site technical assistance should contact their Regional ACF Liaison and the CARS TA Team.

Software Tools

The CARS TA Team has developed two software tools to support CCDF grantee efforts to prepare and submit accurate data reports. The functionality of the Child Care Data Viewer, previously an app download, is now available to states and territories on the CARS site. The reports previously found in the Data Viewer provide a way to review data for accuracy following submission, and to generate reports after the data has been authenticated. The Child Care Data Tracker, available to all Tribal grantees, is a case management tool that allows grantees to record, manage, and use case-level information required for CCDF reporting.

Online Help

General reporting information and additional helpful guides are available online in the Grantee Reporting section of this web site.