Child Care and Development Fund Uploading the ACF-801 into CARS and Using the ACF-801 Data Assessment Report

This Technical Bulletin describes how to upload the ACF-801 in the Child Care Automated Reporting System (CARS) and how to use the Summary Data Assessment Report (Summary Report or SAR). After uploading the ACF-801 data file into CARS, state/territory users will have access to the SAR report. Effective with the October 2022 report, OCC revised the ACF-801 to include new response categories for several data elements. This bulletin has been updated to reflect the new response categories and basic analysis included in the SAR.

The SAR assists States and Territories in correcting data submissions by providing information about potential data or submission errors. This report serves as just one tool that Grantees can use to ensure that complete and accurate CCDF program information is submitted to OCC. The data submitted is reported to Congress by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, used in national childcare research, and may serve as the basis for programmatic decisions at the Federal and State level. Thus, it is important that States and Territories submit accurate and complete data.