CHILD CARE ONLINE INVOICE SYSTEM FOR FAMIS GENERATED INVOICES

The Child Care Online Invoice System is a web-based application that contains:

• A ‘Video-Capture’ tutorial,
• A Text version of the tutorial,
• A ‘Message Center’,
• A ‘Provider Profile’ Maintenance,
• An ‘Attendance Detail’ page that is similar to the current paper invoice format,
• An ‘Attendance Confirmation’ page,
• A ‘Print Attendance’ page,
• A ‘Help’ link on each screen, and,
• A ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section.

These are some important features of the CCOIS:

• This system assists staff by reducing the number of paper invoices submitted by providers requiring manual review and attendance entry.

• Providers can inform FSD staff of two changes to a child’s attendance by checking a box on the electronic invoice: ‘Child Left Care’ and ‘Absent All Month’. When either box is checked, a reminder is generated in FAMIS to inform staff that a child has left care or when a child was absent all month, and that further investigation of the family’s eligibility is needed.

• Providers no longer have a waiting period for monthly invoices to arrive by mail or for local agency staff to enter child attendance for the provider. Invoices are available for the provider to enter child attendance online the first day after the month of service, which is identical to the attendance entry currently available to local FSD staff.

• Providers are in control of their payment dates because they determine when child attendance is entered.

• All eligible children display in alphabetical order, regardless of the child’s service county.

• Providers complete and submit their monthly attendance for each child. The system processes the invoices and generates the payment. Providers are no longer required to submit paper invoices to different county offices.

• The message page, now used in the paper invoice process, is duplicated in the CCOIS as the ‘Message Center’.

Since the CCOIS is a self-directed, self-service site, several guides are created to walk the provider through the various tasks associated with the web site. Anytime the ‘New User’ link is used to set up an account, the provider is immediately directed to the Tutorial.

The tutorial is available in an audio and video format through Microsoft Windows Media Player. If a provider does not have Media Player or if download time is too long, a text version of the tutorial is available to print. Any one may choose to print the text version by selecting the Dial-up option on the tutorial.

FSD STAFF ACCESS TO CCOIS

Although FSD staff does not have access to enter information on the CCOIS, the tutorial and other Help links may be viewed by anyone who accesses the CCOIS Home page on the internet.

Screen prints of how the system works for providers are attached at the end of this memorandum.

To view the tutorial:

• Go to dss.mo.gov and select the Child Care Online Invoice System link at the bottom right corner.

• Click on Tutorial.

• Select High Speed Internet as your connection and click ‘OK’.

• To begin the tutorial, click on any function button in the tool bar across the top of the tutorial page.

HOW THE CHILD CARE ONLINE INVOICE SYSTEM WORKS FOR THE PROVIDER

The Date Paper Invoices End

Providers that have successfully set up an account with the CCOIS will receive their next regular invoices electronically, according to the following guidelines:

• Accounts that are set up by the 19th of the month will access the billing invoice for the current month on the web site. For example, the web account is set up on December 15, 2004. Billing invoices for the service month of December are available online as of January 1, 2005.

• Accounts that are set up after the 19th of the month, will receive the next regular invoice in the mail. Invoices generated the second month after the account is established will be available on the web site. For example, a web account is set up on December 28, 2004. Paper billing invoices for the service month of December are mailed to the provider. Billing invoices for the service month of January are available online as of February 1.

Providers continue to receive their invoices electronically until they choose to go back to receiving paper invoices or they no longer have children authorized to them in FAMIS.

The Message Center

Beginning with November FAMIS invoices, generated on November 20, 2004, providers will receive a message attached to their paper invoices informing them of the availability of the CCOIS. A copy of the message is attached to this memorandum.

Each time a provider signs in to CCOIS and a new message is available, the provider is directed to the ‘Message Center’ to read the new message. Once the provider reads the message, the provider selects the ‘Go to Attendance Details’ page to continue work within the web site.

When a new message is not available, the provider is directed to the ‘Attendance Details’ page upon successful sign-in to CCOIS.

How the Provider Enters Child Attendance

FAMIS invoices appear on the internet on the first day of each month for providers that have children authorized to them by the last day of the service month. The provider’s invoice is available until attendance for all children has been entered.

Providers may sign in to the CCOIS on the first day of each month to enter child attendance for the prior month.

• The provider signs in to the system and is directed to the ‘Attendance Details’ page which operates like the paper invoice.

• The Provider selects the service month from the drop-down box. If multiple months appear in the box, the provider must choose the month for which they wish to enter attendance.

• If the provider wishes to claim a Holiday, they must do so before entering any child attendance for that service month. Provider claims a Holiday by clicking the calendar, selecting the date(s), submitting the Holidays, and then returning to the Attendance Details page. When the provider claims a Holiday, the level of care code of ‘V’ displays on that date for each child on the provider’s electronic invoice for that service month.

• The Provider clicks on a child’s name and that child’s eligibility details display on the page.

• The Provider transfers attendance from their daily attendance records to the page by typing the appropriate care codes: Full, Half, Part, or ‘X’ for absent or the provider may check one of the boxes that indicates a change in the child’s attendance; ‘Absent All Month’ box or the ‘Child Left Care’ box.

• Once a child’s attendance is entered, the provider clicks ‘Save Child Attendance’. At this point the provider may select another child to enter attendance for or click the ‘Submit Attendance’ button.

• When attendance is submitted, the provider has one opportunity to make a final check for accuracy of the attendance. The provider submits the attendance again and receives confirmation of their entries on the ‘Print Attendance’ screen. The provider also receives a summary of their entries in an email message.

Child Care Payments

Child care payments for attendance entered on the web are generated five business days after attendance is entered, which is identical to the paper invoice payment process. The attendance is processed through FAMIS and payment is generated by either paper check or direct deposit, depending on the provider’s preference.

If the provider has an active direct deposit option, payments continue to be issued as an electronic fund transfer, as they did prior to the provider’s participation in the CCOIS.

We are encouraging all child care providers to choose direct deposit. Child care providers paid by the Family Support Division may complete an IM-20, submit it with their supporting documentation to their local FSD office for processing. Process requests for direct deposit according to IM Memorandum-#143 (2000).

CHANGES TO FAMIS AND COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY

New Invoice Identification Code

Electronic invoices for providers opting to use the CCOIS display on the Select Invoice screen (FM5Y) beginning with “W”.

Paper invoices continue to display beginning with “D”.

New FAMIS Screen

A new FAMIS screen, Attendance Detail, FM6R (ATTENDTL), is implemented on December 1, 2004.

The purpose of FM6R is to allow staff to view a child’s attendance that was submitted on the internet and to give information to assist in determining if a correction payment is due to a provider.

Staff must access this screen from the Child Care Attendance screen, FM5P by selecting a child, and pressing F6, ATTENDTL.

Attendance entered via CCOIS is paid at the exact authorized amount or less, depending on what the provider enters in CCOIS. If a provider needs to be paid for an exception to a child’s authorization, a correction payment must be completed by local FSD staff.

Note that FM5P and FM6R attendance may not always reflect identical units of care.

• FM5P shows the exact units and dollars paid to the provider.
• FM6R shows you the exact units entered electronically by the provider.

Attendance Records

All child care providers are required to maintain attendance records. Certain providers are also required to submit the child’s monthly attendance records with their paper billing invoices to their Family Support Division offices.

Providers who submit their attendance through the CCOIS are not required to submit monthly child attendance records to FSD. However, providers must continue to have parents sign the children in and out of care and maintain these records for audit purposes.

The Department of Social Services and/or the Department of Health and Senior Services-Bureau of Child Care may request these records at any time to verify financial or regulatory compliance. All child care providers doing business with the Department of Social Services must make the attendance records available upon request.

New Reminders Generated in FAMIS

A reminder is generated to the designated primary FSD worker of the child care EU caseload when the provider checks either the ‘Absent All Month’ or ‘Child Left Care’ box.

Both of these actions:

• Generate a reminder in FAMIS to the primary worker assigned to the caseload of the Child Care EU, indicating that a review of eligibility is necessary.

• Display “NOA” next to the child’s name in CCATTEND/FM5P,

• Display on Child Attendance Detail/FM6R indicates any attendance claimed and a “Y” in either the Absent All Month or Child Left Care field.

‘Absent All Month’ selection results in the system populating all open days of the service month with the absent code of ‘X’.

Example: Child A is authorized for 20 full time day units per month. Provider claims Child A is absent all month by checking the ‘Absent All Month’ box. Attendance is processed by FAMIS and provider is not paid for care of Child A. The CCATTEND/FM5P in FAMIS shows Child A with a pay status of ‘NOA’. ATTENDTL/FM6R shows Child A’s attendance detail as 31 absences and a “Y” in the ‘Absent All Month’ field.

The ‘Child Left Care’ selection allows the provider to claim units of care for the entire month. The provider may check the ‘Child Left Care’ box at any time during the attendance entry phase because the provider is eligible for payment for any regular days of care up to the first absence claimed for the month.

Example: Child B is authorized for 15 full time evening/weekend units. Child B attended for the first ten days of the month then left care. The Provider claims ten full time days, five absences, and checks ‘Child Left Care’ box. Attendance is processed by FAMIS and the provider is paid for ten full days of care. The Provider is not eligible for payment of absences after the child left the provider’s care. The CCATTEND/FM5P in FAMIS shows Child B with a pay status of ‘NOA’. ATTENDTL/FM6R shows Child B’s attendance detail as 10 full time days, five absences and a “Y” in the ‘Child Left Care’ field.

Correction Payments

Any payment exceptions needed by the provider must be reviewed and determined necessary by local FSD staff. CCOIS attendance can not generate a payment over the authorized amount for any reason.

Be advised that although providers submit attendance electronically, situations may come up that will require assistance from local FSD staff. Staff may request attendance records in order to determine a provider’s eligibility for a correction payment.

Since the CCOIS generates a payment based on the child’s exact authorization, it is imperative that children are authorized for the precise amount of care based on the parent’s schedule and reasonable travel time.

Additional days are paid via a correction payment when additional care is needed due to school vacations and holidays.

A few examples of days when additional care and correction payments may be needed are:

• School vacations,
• School holidays,
• Snow days, and,
• Parents’ fluctuating work schedules.

Do not authorize children for any care over the allowable authorization simply to compensate for situations that may arise in the future.

Child authorizations should be reviewed for accuracy at reapplication or at first contact from the eligible child care family.

Refer providers seeking more information about CCOIS to the tutorial on the CCOIS home page. If providers have problems with the system, they may be directed to the ISTD Help Desk at 1-800-392-8725.

• Review this memorandum with all staff that process child care eligibility or provider payments.

• Review FAMIS child authorizations for accuracy the next time family eligibility is reviewed.

• Continue to issue correction payments to providers appropriate to the parent’s schedule.