I have applied. Now what happens?

When your application is processed, you will be given a notice of approval or a denial notice. When you apply for child care services, you may not have submitted enough information to complete the application and select a provider. You must supply that information to Child Care Services within 30 days or your application will be denied.

A denial notice officially informs you that you are not eligible for the program. An approval notice informs you that you are eligible for the program.

I received my notice of approval, what’s next?

You must select a provider to be authorized for services.  As soon as you reach an agreement with your selected provider for care, you or your provider MUST report the new connection through the website. To receive care, you should show your selected provider the notice of approval.  When the authorization at the county is created, you and your provider can take the necessary steps to add the child to KinderConnect so you can tap attendance on the provider’s tablet.

Without a child care connection, a child will not be authorized to the provider., unless the provider was listed on your application.

How much care can I use?

When you are approved for Publicly Funded Child Care, you will be approved for a category of care based on the number of hours you work or attend school or training plus travel time. The categories are:

  • Hourly – 0 to 7 hours
  • Part-time – 7 to 24.9 hours
  • Full-time – 25 to 60 hours
  • Full-time plus – more than 60 hours

The specific hours and days a child receives care from a provider must be agreed upon by you and your provider. You may not use more hours than the category allows, but you and your provider can determine specific days and hours of care regardless of your actual work, school or training activity schedule.

You may take your child to the provider on an agreed upon day even if you don’t participate in a work, school or training activity that day, provided you do not exceed the limit for your specific category of care. You will be responsible for the full cost of any child care received above the maximum number of hours you are permitted.

What if my child will be absent from child care?

  • Let your provider know your schedule each week.
  • Let your provider know your child will be absent as soon as possible. Failure to do so could result in termination of care with the provider.
  • You are responsible for paying your fee even if your child is absent.

If your child is absent 10 days or less in a 6-month period, your child care costs will be paid as usual. You only get 10 days per child, regardless of how many providers you use in the 6-month period.

If your child is absent more than 10 days in a 6-month period, you may be required to pay the full cost of care for any additional absent day. Absent days are tracked for each child. So if you have two children in care, each child can have up to 10 absent days.

The 6-month periods for tracking absent days are fixed:

  • The first period runs Jan. 1 through Jun. 30.
  • The second period runs July 1 through Dec. 31.

Your provider may stop your care for excessive absences.

Why do I have to reapply every 12 months?

The State of Ohio requires your income, family size, county of residence, or activity such as work, school or qualified training eligibility to be reviewed every 12 months and when there is a change in your case.