zz – Obsolete

1255.000.00 Glossary

CD13-60, OEC13-08 dated June 24, 2013

Absence – Any day a child care facility is open for business with other children receiving child care services and an authorized child is not in attendance.

Abuse – Any physical injury, sexual abuse, or emotional abuse inflicted on a child other than by accidental means by those responsible for the child’s care, custody, and control except that discipline including spanking, administered in a reasonable manner, shall not be construed to be abuse.

Accreditation – A process by which a child care provider may demonstrate that she or he successfully meets standards based on a national scale of professional quality child care or education.

Adjusted Gross Income – Gross income minus adjustments to income approved by the Division.

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) – A division of the federal Department of Health & Human Services that promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.

Agency Error – When Child Care Assistance is incorrectly paid on behalf of a participant due to an action by the Division.

Annual Recertification – Each applicant’s need and eligibility for child care must be reviewed and documented every twelve (12) months or at any time that the applicant reports a change in circumstances.

Approval/Change Notice – A letter generated by FAMIS issued to the child care provider and participant indicating that an action has been completed on a case affecting a child for which he/she is providing care.

Attendance and Payment Accuracy Training – Training delivered to child care providers to administer assistance with subsidy

billing.

Authorization Period – The period of up to one (1) year in which a child is authorized for child care services.

Before and After School Care – See Out of School Time.

Child – Any person, regardless of physical or mental condition, under eighteen (18) years of age.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) – A food assistance program that improves the nutrient intake of Missourians by providing reimbursement for meals that meet minimum nutritional standards served in approved facilities. More information is available at http://health.mo.gov/living/wellness/nutrition/foodprograms/cacfp/index.php.

Child Care – The care, supervision, and guidance of a child for compensation, for periods of less than twenty-four (24) hours but more than one-half (1/2) hour per day in a licensed/contracted or registered facility.  Child care is only available to children up to the age of 13 unless the child has a Special Need indicating that the child functions at a lower developmental age level.

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) – Funding provided by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Care to states to assist low-income families in obtaining child care so they can work or attend training/education.

Child Care Assistance Program – The provision of financial assistance for child care services through the payment of full or partial child cost, based on a sliding fee scale, to enable families to obtain and retain employment or the skills necessary to obtain employment, with the ultimate goal being to break the cycle of poverty.

Child Care AwareÒ of Missouri – An agency that works to connect families to child care, early learning programs, and programs for after-school/out-of-school time, improve the quality of those programs, and collaborate with business and civic leaders to make child care safe and enriching for children. More information may be found at http://mo.childcareaware.org/.

Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) – The primary source of United States federal funding for child care subsidies for low-income working families and to improve child care quality.

Child Care Facility – A child care center, family child care home, or group child care home, whether known or incorporated under another title or name.

Child Care Online Invoice System (CCOIS) – A web-based application that provides a means for providers who receive reimbursement from the Department of Social Services (DSS) for child care services to receive a monthly invoice, enter and submit child attendance, and request payment.  Available at https://apps.dss.mo.gov/CCONLINE//wbFMB9LogonCCInv.asp.

Child Care Provider – A child care center, family home, or group home, whether known or incorporated under another title or name, that provides child care services.

Child Care Provider Approval/Change Notice (CD-155/FA-155) – A letter issued to a child care provider advising of the opening, closing, or change to a parent/guardian’s child care case.

Child Care Provider Error – Child Care Assistance is incorrectly paid on behalf of a participant due to an action or inaction by the child care provider.

Child Care Provider Payment Resolution Request (CD-147) – The form child care providers use to request a correction payment from the Department of Social Services (DSS).

Child Care Provider Relations Unit (CCPRU) – The unit within the Children’s Division’s Early Childhood and Prevention Services Section responsible for the registration of four-or-less and license exempt child care providers and payment of all child care providers that receive payment from the Child Care Assistance program.

Child Care Services – Child care provided to an eligible child by an eligible child care provider.

Child Care Unit – The portion of one calendar day, either full-, half-, or part-time, that a child spends in care paid to one provider, depending on the verified schedule of the participant.

Child Welfare Services – Services provided to any child, regardless of age, who is authorized child care by the Department of Social Services, Children’s Division as part of a plan for the treatment of child abuse or neglect.

Citizenship – Any individual born in the United States is a U.S. citizen, including children whose parents are not U.S. citizens, such as undocumented alien parents, parents with student visas, or parents with lawful temporary residence status.

Claims Accounting and Restitution System (CARS) (Client) – Captures over-payments for child care clients and tracks payments received for a child care client claim.

Claims Accounting and Restitution System (CARS) (Provider) – Captures over-payments for child care providers and tracks payments received for a child care provider claim.

Clock Hour Training – Child care-related training in the areas of health, safety, nutrition, guidance and discipline, appropriate activities and learning experiences for children, positive communication and interaction with parents, planning and setting up an appropriate environment for children, professional and administrative practices, or other child-related areas.

Consanguinity – Relationship by descent from a common ancestor; kinship.

Coordinating Board for Early Childhood (CBEC) – Missouri’s public/private entity for coordinating a cohesive system of early childhood programs and services intended to support the healthy development and school readiness of all Missouri children from birth through age five.  More information may be found at http://dss.mo.gov/cbec/.

Co-Payment – The difference between the provider rate and the child care maximum rate when the provider’s rate for care is higher than the child care maximum rate.

Contracted Provider – A provider that is licensed to provide child care by the Department of Health and Senior Services, Section for Child Care Regulation (DHSS/SCCR) and has a contract with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide child care services to children eligible for Child Care Assistance.

Core Competencies – Define what professionals need to know and be able to do to promote quality early childhood, afterschool, and youth activities and interactions, serve as the foundation for decisions and practices carried out by early childhood, afterschool, and youth development professionals in all settings, and define standards for early childhood, afterschool, and youth development professionals in specific content areas.  More information regarding Core Competencies may be found at https://www.openinitiative.org/Content.aspx?file=CoreCompetencies.txt.

Crisis Care – Facilities contracted with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide temporary care for children, from birth to 18 years of age, who are at risk of abuse and neglect or who have experienced abuse or neglect. Most programs accept children at any time, day or night, in order to relieve a potential or existing emergency in the family and offer free child care 24 hours per day.

Daytime Care – Child care that begins at 6:00 a.m. and ends at 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Departmental Client Number (DCN) – A computer-generated 8-digit number assigned to individuals for identification purposes.

Departmental Vendor Number (DVN) – A computer-generated 9-digit number assigned to vendors/providers for identification purposes.

Division – The Children’s Division (CD) of the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS).

Early Learning Guidelines – Developed and updated as necessary to provide standards of learning for young children in the areas of literacy, science, math, social/emotional development, and physical development, health, and safety to teachers and parents.  Current standards may be found at http://dese.mo.gov/eel/el/PreK_Standards/index.htm.

EDUCARE – Provides resources, technical assistance, and training opportunities at free or reduced costs to child care providers with an emphasis on registered family home providers.  More information may be found at https://www.dss.mo.gov/cd/early/educare.htm.

Eligibility Unit (EU) – The individuals, based on age and relationship, whose needs and income are considered when determining eligibility for income-eligible Child Care Assistance.  Sometimes referred to as “Family Unit”.

Evening Care – Child care that begins or ends within the designated timeframe of 7:01 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., regardless of the day of the week.  Eligibility for evening/weekend child care rates are only valid when a facility is licensed to operate within the evening/weekend time designations as specified herein.

Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR) – A database that helps to ensure that persons who care for children, the elderly, and the physically or mentally disabled can be screened for employment purposes for criminal history, sex offender history, state employee disqualification, and adverse child care and foster care licensing actions. More information may be found at https://webapp01.dhss.mo.gov/bsees/Main.aspx?sk=SK1873127428.

Family Support Division (FSD) – The division within the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) responsible for determining participant eligibility for income maintenance programs, including, but not limited to, Child Care Assistance, the Food Stamp Program, and MO HealthNet.  More information may be found at https://mydss.mo.gov/.

Family Unit – Those individuals, based on age and relationship, whose needs and income are considered when determining eligibility for income-eligible Child Care Assistance.

Family Assistance Management Information System (FAMIS) – A mainframe-based system used for determining client eligibility and processing business functions for income eligibility programs in Missouri.  More information may be found at http://ssrvwebp.cds.state.mo.us/fsd/training/IM/crg/FAMIS-Fundamentals/FAMISintro.htm.

Four or Less (FOL) – A provider who is caring for four or less unrelated children whose license-exempt status is determined by the Department of Social Services (DSS).

Fraud – Providing misrepresentation of information that one knows is not true so one can gain benefits or payments which one is not eligible to receive.

Full-Time (FT) Unit of Care – Any combination of hours of care equaling at least five (5) hours and up to ten (10) hours in the calendar day.

Functional Age – The age at which a child functions that is below his/her chronological age as determined by a doctor or psychologist.

Gainfully Employed – Employed and paid for an average of 20 hours per week or self-employed for an average of 20 hours per week and receive weekly earnings averaging at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours.

Half-Time Unit of Care – Any combination of hours of care equaling at least three (3) hours and up to five (5) hours in the calendar day.

Hand-Up Pilot Program – A pilot program to continue Child Care Assistance after an increase in wages makes a family ineligible to receive benefits.

Head Start/Early Head Start (EHS) Child Care Partnership Program – A national child development program for children from birth to age 5 that provides services to promote academic, social, and emotional development, as well as providing social, health, and nutrition services for income-eligible families. More information may be found at http://moheadstart.org/Default.aspx.

Hearing – A formal presentation before an attorney (hearing officer) of evidence and testimony regarding an action taken by the Department of Social Services (DSS).

Hearing Rights – The legal due process of  the participant to be provided a fair hearing upon request.

Holiday – Any day a child care facility is closed during normal operating hours and no children are in care, to include, but not limited to, holidays, the facility closing due to inclement weather, or a provider vacation.

Home Visitation (HV) – Programming provided to eligible families via home visits by parent educators, group training sessions targeted at various topics dealing with child development and creating healthy families, and networking opportunities using either an evidence-based mode approved through the U.S. Department Health and Human Services (DHHS) or a promising approach that meets the same criteria by which the evidence-based models are measured. More information on the Home Visitation program may be found at http://dss.mo.gov/cd/info/memos/2013/cd13-031.pdf.

Household – The individuals that reside in the home that are considered part of the family unit.

Inadvertent Error – Child Care Assistance is incorrectly paid on behalf of a participant due to an action or inaction by the child care provider, the participant, or the division.

Income Eligible (IE) – A determination status for benefits based on income and/or other eligibility factors.  Income-eligible families include any child who is authorized child care by the Department as a plan to assist low-income families administered by the Family Support Division.

Infant – Any child under the age of two (2) years.

In-Home Care – Child care provided in the child’s home.

Intentional Program Violation (IPV) – Providing misrepresentation of information that one know is not true so one can gain benefits or payments which one is not eligible to receive

Licensed Child Care Center – A facility other than the provider’s permanent residence or separate from the provider’s living quarters licensed by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) where care is provided.

Licensed Family Child Care Home – A family home, occupied as a permanent residence by the child care provider that is licensed to provide care to no more than ten (10) unrelated children for any part of the twenty-four (24)-hour day.

Licensed Group Child Care Home – A facility other than the provider’s permanent residence or separate from the provider’s living quarters that is licensed to provide care for 11 but no more than 20 children not related to the child care provider for any part of the 24-hour day.

Mandated Reporter – Any individual, outlined in RSMo sections 210.109 to 210.183, required to report the suspicion of child abuse and neglect to the Children’s Division’s Child Abuse/Neglect Hotline at 1-800-392-3738 (TDD 1-800-669-8689).

Mandatory Household Members – See “Eligibility Unit”.

Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN) – A statewide joint venture with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to support high-quality public and private after-school programs across the state and to be their advocate. More information may be found at http://www.moasn.org/index.php.

Missouri Head Start Association (MHSA) – A state-wide, non-profit association that provides education, leadership, and tools for advocacy for all Head Start and Early Head Start parents, friends, and professionals in Missouri. More information may be found at https://www.moheadstart.org/missouri-head-start-state-collaboration-office/.

Missouri Health Strategic Architectures and Information Cooperative (MOHSAIC) – An electronic database that identifies the functions performed by the DHSS and local public health agencies and maintains the data needed to perform these functions. For purposes of child care, the Department of Health and Senior Services/Section for Child Care Regulation (DHSS/SCCR) maintains a current and historical database via MOHSAIC of all active, closed, and pending licensed providers, those license exempt providers operating under DHSS rules, and exempt/exempt child care providers.

Missouri Preschool Project (MPP) – A program within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that provides funding to pre-school classrooms for teacher training, curriculum implementation, and movement toward accreditation. More information may be found at http://dese.mo.gov/eel/el/MPP/index.htm.

Missouri Professional Development Identification (MOPD ID) – An individual identification number assigned to early childhood, afterschool, and youth development professionals that allows them to access the Missouri Professional Development (MOPD) Registry. More information may be found at https://www.openinitiative.org/Content.aspx?file=Home.txt.

Missouri Professional Development (MOPD) Registry –The MOPD Registry system working in partnership with the Workshop Calendar and the AfterSchool Network, collects and stores professional development data collection for early childhood, afterschool, and youth development professionals in Missouri. More information may be found at https://www.openinitiative.org/Content.aspx?file=Registry.txt.

Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) Program – A program that requires Temporary Assistance (TA) participants age 18 or older and teen parents under age 18 to begin self-sufficiency planning and move from TA to work as quickly as possible  unless they meet an exemption or exclusion to participate in work requirements.

Monthly Management Report (MMR) – A monthly publication detailing information about children and families accessing Child Care Assistance in Missouri. These are available at http://dss.mo.gov/re/.

Non-Traditional Care – Care provided during the evening (7:01 p.m.-6:00 a.m.) and on weekends (6:00 a.m. Saturday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday).

Opportunities in a Professional Education Network (OPEN) – Administers projects that support an integrated and seamless career development system for Missouri’s early childhood, after school, and youth development professionals.  More information is available at https://www.openinitiative.org/Content.aspx?file=Home.txt.

Out-of-Home Investigation (OHI) Unit – Investigators who complete investigations for reports that allege abuse or neglect occurred outside the family home in facilities such as foster homes, licensed and registered child care homes and centers, residential facilities, and private and public schools.

Out of School Time (OST) – Provision of high quality, extended learning, social, recreational, and personal life skills development services in a safe, caring, and nurturing place for low-income students in high poverty urban areas during non-school hours.

Overpayment – Any benefit or payment received in an amount greater than the amount the participant or child care provider is entitled to receive.

Parent/Caretaker – May be any of the following:  biological relationship whose parental rights have not been terminated, marital relationship (step-parent), adoption, legal guardian, or another person standing in loco parentis for the child.

Parental Choice – Providing parents of a child eligible for or receiving Child Care Assistance the right to enroll their child with the eligible child care provider of their choice that has a contract or registration agreement with the Children’s Division (CD).

Participant – A parent/caretaker participating in the Child Care Assistance program.

Participant Error – Child Care Assistance incorrectly paid on behalf of a participant due to an action or inaction by the participant.

Part-Time Unit of Care – Any combination of hours of care equaling at least one-half (1/2) hour and up to three (3) hours in the calendar day.

Pre-school – Any child at least two (2) but less than five (5) years of age.

Promissory Note – A written, dated, and signed promise by one party to pay money to another party on demand or at a specified future date.

Protective Services (PS) Child – A child receiving Adoptive Services, Alternative Care (Foster Care), Family-Centered Services, Legal Guardianship and/or Intensive In-Home Services.

Protective Services (PS) Child Care – Child Care purchased in either a licensed child care center or licensed child day care home to provide care for children receiving services for the treatment or prevention of child abuse and/or neglect.

Qualified Alien – An alien who, at the time he/she applies for, receives, or attempts to receive a federal public benefit meets the criteria outlined at § 1210.005.15 CITIZENSHIP of the Child Care Assistance Manual.

Rate Differential – An additional amount paid to a child care provider over and above the state maximum or provider’s base rate.

Recoupment – That portion of a provider’s current payment that is withheld in order to repay a previous overpayment.

Resource and Referral (R&R) Center – Centralized, statewide office that provides consumer information to any parent regarding quality child care, referral of eligible families to available child care providers in their geographic area, the Department of Social Services (DSS), Family Support Division (FSD) and/or Children’s Division (CD) for application for Child Care Assistance, MO HealthNet for Kids, Missouri’s health insurance program for uninsured low-income families, and other benefit programs for which the family may be eligible, and supply/demand data as requested.

Registered Provider – A child care provider granted license exempt status by either by DHSS or DSS that meets all of the requirements with the Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide child care to subsidy-eligible children.

Religious/Religious In Compliance (RIC) – Child care facility that has been inspected and determined by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) to be in compliance with license-exempt rules.

Residency – The act, at the time of initial application and reapplication for Child Care Assistance, of residing and intending to remain on a permanent basis in Missouri.

Resource and Referral (R&R) Agency – Regional and/or subcontracted agencies that provide consumer services and training to child care providers.

Sam Pratt’s Law – Section 544.456 RSMo allows any court involved in a case of abuse, neglect, or death of a child to prohibit the child care provider from providing child care services for compensation pending final disposition of the case.

School Age – A child five (5) years of age to thirteen (13) years of age.

Section for Child Care Regulation (SCCR) – The unit within the Department of Health and Senior Services DHSS)/Regulation and Licensure that licenses and regulates child care facilities in Missouri.  More information is available at http://health.mo.gov/safety/childcare/index.php.

Sliding Fee – The income-eligible family’s portion of their child care bill that must be collected by the provider as part of the provider’s Department payment.

Special Needs – A child under the age of nineteen (19) that has a significant, diagnosed mental or physical condition which renders the child physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself or herself without supervision appropriate to the child’s age or under court supervision.

State Plan – A bi-annual report to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that outlines Missouri’s plan to administer its Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) dollars over the next two fiscal years.

Subsidy Orientation Training (SOT) – An online, 1 clock-hour credit, self-paced training program that exposes child care providers to basic information about the Child Care Assistance program.

Summer Camp – A program operated from May to September with the primary function of providing a summer recreational program for children no younger than five (5) years of age; cannot provide care for children younger than five (5) year of age in the same building or outdoor play area as the summer camp.

Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) of Missouri – An educational scholarship for early childhood providers in licensed child care programs to increase quality in child care and early learning programs by increasing the educational qualifications of the teachers in the field. More information can be found at http://teach-missouri.org/.

Temporary Assistance (TA) – A program that provides cash assistance and case management to needy families with children so the children can be cared for in their own home and to reduce dependency by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage. More information can be found at https://mydss.mo.gov/temporary-assistance.

Toddler – A child between twelve (12) and twenty-four (24) months of age.

Transitional Child Care (TCC) – Allows some families who are currently receiving Child Care Assistance to be eligible for continued benefits when their income increases and becomes greater than the regular Child Care Assistance maximum allowance.  Economic eligibility guidelines for TCC can be found at https://dss.mo.gov/cd/child-care/files/ccguide_1209.pdf.

Unit of Care – The amount of time a child spends in care with one provider in one calendar day.

Valid Need for Care – In order to be eligible for child care services, the parent of the child who is to receive child care services must have a need for such care considered to be valid per current policy.

Weekend Care – Child care that begins or ends within the designated times of Saturday morning at 6:00 A.M. to Sunday evening at 7:00 P.M.  Eligibility for evening/weekend Department child care rates are only valid when a facility is licensed to operate within the evening/weekend time designations as specified herein.

Welfare Investigation Unit (WIU) – See Division of Legal Services.

Training Calendar – An online calendar of clock hour training approved by the Department of Health and Senior Services/Section for Child Care Regulation (DHSS/SCCR) that child care providers may attend in order to meet their annual training requirement.