Quality First Scholarships

Transcription

1 Quality First Scholarships The QF Scholarships Program was developed to provide access to high quality early child care and education for children living in low income households. 1

2 VSUW QF Scholarships Team 2

3 Webpage Resource 3

4 Scholarship Types Child Care For any child ages 0-5, not yet enrolled in kindergarten Slots restricted to ages 3-5 Allocated in addition to base model slots May not be used for underage children Teen Parent Available in Central Maricopa and North Phoenix Regions Parents apply directly to Teen Program administrator Navajo Nation Available to Navajo Nation residents that are temporarily residing off the Navajo Nation to achieve an education Parents apply directly to VSUW 4

5 Scholarship Purpose The purpose of Scholarships is to ensure that eligible children have access to quality early care and education. The way to guarantee this purpose is being met is to make sure all scholarships are used. Barriers to this purpose include: Chronic Absenteeism Finding Families that meet eligibility Determining Eligibility 5

6 Absenteeism Per recommendation from First Things First, children receiving scholarships should be in attendance at least 85% of the time that they are scheduled VSUW has created tools to assist Providers in monitoring attendance Attendance Resources 6

7 Annual Requirements 1. Providers must be enrolled and in good standing with Quality First (QF) 2. Providers must be contracted with VSUW: Mandatory 1. Signed Provider Agreement 2. Certificate of Liability Insurance w/ VSUW as additional insured 3. Review Policy Document 4. Must Attend Annual Provider Training If needed 1. Changes to W-9 2. ACH banking information 7

8 Contracting with VSUW Renewals June 2014 Will be prompted to renew after logging on at azftfscholarships.org Provider Agreement for FY15 is available under the Policies and Procedures tab New Enrollments Quarterly (July, October, January, March) Will be contacted by VSUW as they are eligible for scholarships Providers will not be eligible to report until all contracting materials are received by Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW) 8

9 Monthly Requirements Providers must fill all allocated scholarships Unused slots will be removed and reallocated after 2 months of non-usage Providers must submit online monthly reports Providers will not be paid if they fail to submit their monthly report 9

10 Filling Slots Providers agree to: maintain 90% enrollment of the number of scholarships allotted fill all scholarship vacancies within 1 month (30 days) of the vacancy Provider Resources: Quality First Marketing Tool-Kit Child Care Resource and Referral VSUW Local DES office Parent Resources: Available at on July 1st Families should no longer be directed to VSUW s website (azftfscholarships.org) for additional information 10

11 Determining Eligibility Family Application: Reformatted for FY15 (Providers must collect this version, do not use an FY14 version) Available online at on July 1st Income Eligibility Household Size Proof of Citizenship Date of Birth Failure to properly qualify families for scholarships may result in funds being rescinded by VSUW. Application and supporting documents must be kept on site for 5 years. 11

12 Determining Eligibility Families are qualified for scholarships based on gross annual income and family size: Acceptable Documentation - Household Size: 2013 Tax Return w/listed dependents Public Assistance letter w/listed dependents Acceptable Documentation Income Employed Current Pay Stubs, Statement from Employer. Do NOT use Taxes or W-2. Self Employed Follow what is listed on Family Application Not Employed - Personal Statement Tax Return PA Letter 12

13 Determining Eligibility Valley of the Sun United Way (VSUW) has created tools to assist Providers in determining family eligibility Family Size Worksheet Income Worksheet 13

14 Monthly Reporting Completed at: Reports are accessible online 24/7 Reporting reminders are ed each month The reporting period will open on the 1 st day of the month. Reports must be submitted by the 7 th calendar day of the month. Reports may now be saved or submitted Reports may now be saved and completed later Saved reports that are not yet submitted by the 7 th calendar day will be considered late; you must still submit it in order to be reimbursed. Submitted reports cannot be edited, please call VSUW to assist you with any necessary changes Quality checks are completed by our staff to ensure accuracy. 14

15 Reporting Changes in FY15 The online reporting portal has be updated. Changes include: Child s Name - Split (first name, last name) - Can sort by either first name or last name - Appears on opposite end of the page to assist providers when scrolling Operational Days Days your program is open during the current reporting period. Days Scheduled How many days was the child scheduled to attend this month? Days Absent - Automatically populates based on attendance entered Hours Attended How many hours did the child attend this month? Family Size Zeroed out for FY15, must be reentered Family Gross Annual Income Zeroed out for FY15, must be re-entered 15

16 Late Reporting Completed at: Reports submitted outside the 1 st 7 calendar days of the month are considered late: Providers will NOT be paid if they report more than two months late Providers will only be paid for up to two months in arrears Reimbursement for late reports will be paid during the next month s regular payment cycle; no special checks or payments will be issued for late reports No late reports will be accepted after July 7 th 16

17 Payment & Reimbursement Reimbursements are issued by VSUW to providers before the end of the month following the services Providers may reference the FY15 Payment Calendar posted online for specific dates Monthly Reconciliation Reports are sent immediately following payment Reimbursements are paid on a monthly basis Providers will not be reimbursed if they do not submit a monthly report; this applies to all providers and all scholarship types. Payments are issued to providers via paper checks or direct deposit All providers must fill out an ACH form Providers requesting direct deposit must provide a voided check If VSUW already has current banking information on file for your site, a new ACH form is NOT required in FY15 17

18 Fiscal Monitoring 25% of all providers will be Fiscally Monitored in FY 2015 For those not 100% in compliance there will be 3 month follow ups What do we look for: Completion of the FY 15 Family Application Proof of age and citizenship provided for child Family qualification by income and family size Reporting portal matches attendance and qualification documentation 18

19 Fiscal Monitoring Process and Scheduling Visits Visits will begin in September 2014 A fiscal monitoring appointment is scheduled; you are advised 1 week prior of which months will be examined A fiscal monitoring specialist will visit and evaluate your documentation, they will discuss preliminary findings with you at the time of the visit. 19

20 Fiscal Monitoring You will receive a report detailing findings and observations (if any) and you will have 10 business days to resolve any issues Observations - matters of concern that need to be addressed. They do not affect the program; however your internal files will need to be updated Findings - fiscal issues that need to be addressed and require a response by sending documentation to VSUW If you have no findings you will receive a letter stating there is no further follow-up required If you resolve all findings you will receive an letting you know when there will be a follow-up visit If you cannot resolve all findings then your payment could be affected; there will be a follow-up visit 20

21 QUESTIONS? 21

22 Contact Info VSUW QF Scholarships Team 1515 East Osborn Road Phoenix, Arizona Phone: or Fax: Web: 22