Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Child Care Annual Aggregate Report and Instructions (ACF-800 Report) for State and Territorial Lead Agencies

TO

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State and Territorial Lead Agencies and other interested parties.

SUBJECT

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Child Care Annual Aggregate Report and Instructions (ACF-800 Report) for State and Territorial Lead Agencies.

REFERENCES

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended (42 USC 9857, et seq.); regulations at 45 CFR 98.70(c). Relevant Technical Bulletins are located on the Office of Child Care website.

PURPOSE

To inform States and Territories that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved changes to the ACF-800 Report that will allow the Office of Child Care to collect and report critical data about the use of any COVID-19 supplemental CCDF funds appropriated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. The form and instructions are attached. 

NOTE: ARP Act Stabilization Grants funds or other initiatives funded with CCDF quality dollars (e.g., quality and supply building grants) that are NOT linked to the eligibility of specific families and children ARE NOT to be included in the ACF-800 report as these activities will be reported under other data collection efforts.

BACKGROUND

Annual aggregate child care program information for the CCDF is required by Section 658K of the CCDBG Act, as amended. The annual aggregate administrative information received through this collection provides the means to analyze and evaluate the CCDF program and the extent to which States are assisting families in addressing child care needs.

State and Territory Lead Agencies were provided additional discretionary CCDF Federal funds for child care to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis through the CARES Act, CRRSA Act, and ARP Act. Lead Agencies may expend the funding on a combination of activities, including direct services to children of essential workers (e.g., medical workers, first responders, etc. as defined by the State/Territory) during this health crisis, continuing payments to providers who were forced to close during the pandemic, and numerous other actions.

The revised ACF-800 Report will provide the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) with the information necessary to make its biennial Report to Congress, report critical data about the use of CCDF CARES Act, CCDF CRRSA Act, and CCDF ARP Act funding, address national child care needs, offer technical assistance to grantees, meet performance measures, and conduct research.

Report and Instructions:  The OMB approved an updated ACF-800 form that requires the State and Territory Lead Agencies to report annual estimates of families, children and providers receiving subsidies due to COVID-19 circumstances, which were funded through grants, contracts, or certificates. These annual estimates will be reported as part of “Element #15: Other: COVID-19 Supplemental CCDF Funding”. The annual estimates include the numbers of:

• Families and children served whose subsidy was fully or partially funded with COVID-19 supplemental CCDF funds (CCDF CARES Act, CCDF CRRSA Act, CCDF ARP Act Discretionary Supplemental dollars);
• Children and families of essential workers (e.g., medical workers, first responders, etc. as defined by the State/Territory) who received a subsidy because of the COVID-19 crisis (funded with CCDF CARES Act, CCDF CRRSA Act, CCDF ARP Act Discretionary Supplemental, and broader CCDF dollars); and
• Providers that received subsidies while the provider was temporarily closed, based on enrollment rather than attendance of subsidy-eligible children (funded with CCDF CARES Act, CCDF CRRSA Act, CCDF ARP Act Discretionary Supplemental, and broader CCDF dollars).

REVISED REPORT AND INSTRUCTIONS

The OMB has approved the ACF-800 Report through February 28, 2022 (OMB Control Number 0970-0150). 

DUE DATES

Annual aggregate reports are due December 31 (three months after the end of the reporting period). 

WHO MUST REPORT

All Lead Agencies in the United States, the District of Columbia (DC), and Territories (including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are responsible for completing the ACF-800 Report.

PENALTIES FOR NON- REPORTING

The statute provides that the Secretary of Health and Human Services may impose sanctions on a Lead Agency for non-compliance with any requirement of the CCDF program (CCDBG Act, Section 658I(b)(2)(B)). For example, the regulations provide that the Secretary may impose a penalty of not more than four percent of the discretionary funds for a fiscal year, if a determination is made that a Lead Agency has failed to implement a provision of the Act, the regulations, or the Lead Agency's biennial Plan (45 CFR 98.92(b)(2). Lead Agencies failing to provide reports may be subject to this penalty (63 FR 39980) or other sanctions.

ELECTRONIC REPORT

ACF-800 reports must be submitted through the ACF-800 Data Submission Center at https://extranet.acf.hhs.gov/acf800/login/login800.jsp . This site contains a password-protected web-based form that checks the data for compliance with data standards at the time of submission. These built-in edit-checking features make it easier for grantees to identify and correct errors. The submission web page requires a login and password. Grantees should have designated individuals to access the ACF-800 Data Submission Center. The login and password carry over to each new reporting period, so there is no need to register each year to use the submission site. To register new staff submit the ACF-800 Internet Registration form (PDF) available online, and email it to the National Center on Child Care Data and Reporting (NCDR) at ncdr@ecetta.info.

NCDR will contact the staff identified on the form to provide further instructions and guidance. To renew the login or password, grantees may contact NCDR at their toll-free number 1-877-249-9117, weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), or by email at ncdr@ecetta.info.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:

NCDR was established by the Office of Child Care to provide technical assistance for grantee reporting requirements. Assistance related to the submission of the ACF-800 Report is available online. NCDR Technical Assistance Specialists can answer questions and provide guidance in preparation of the program information and submission of the ACF-800 Report. NCDR can be reached toll-free at 1-877-249-9117 weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) or by email at ncdr@ecetta.info.

REPORTING PROBLEMS OR POLICY QUESTIONS:

Lead agencies that have problems complying with the statutory reporting requirements should contact ACF for technical assistance. Questions should be directed to the appropriate ACF Regional Child Care Program Manager.

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT

Collection of the information for the ACF-800 Report is expected to average 40 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The information collection required under this Program Instruction is approved under OMB Control Number 0970-0150, which expires February 28, 2022.