Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

Who Can Apply

You may qualify to be added to the wait list if:

• Your child is between 0 and 12 years old.
• You live in Boulder County.
• You are the child’s parent or legal caregiver.
• One of the following applies to you:
  • You are working or self-employed
  • You’re looking for a job (up to 13 weeks)
  • You’re taking college classes (up to 4 years or until your first bachelor’s degree)
  • You’re in high school or taking GED, ESL, or job training classes
  • You were referred by a Colorado Works/Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) case manager

What You Need to Know

To stay enrolled in CCAP, families must:

• Live in Boulder County and be approved for CCAP
• Agree to the Client Responsibility Agreement (Acuerdo de Responsabilidades del Cliente)
• Choose a child care provider that accepts CCAP
• Report their child care provider and care schedule to CCAP before using
• Pay part of the child care cost (called a “parent fee”) based on their income
• Use the Attendance Tracking System at their child care provider
• Reapply every 12 months to keep their benefits

Income Limits

Your family’s monthly income must be below the limits in the chart below to qualify. CCAP uses two income measures:

• Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
  This is the income limit for new applicants applying to the waitlist.
• State Median Income (SMI)
  This is the income limit for those currently enrolled in CCAP. Ongoing CCAP clients must report when they are over the income limit within 10 days by emailing CCAP@bouldercounty.gov.

CCAP Enrollment Is on an Enrollment Freeze

Currently, Boulder County CCAP is on an enrollment freeze. That means we are only accepting applications to add families to our waitlist. Current CCAP families can stay in the program if they qualify and recertify every year.

To apply for the enrollment freeze, you can fill out the Prescreening Questionnaire to see if you might qualify. If you do, we’ll add your name to a waitlist.

• Electronic Prescreening Questionnaire
  Printable Prescreening Questionnaire
• Cuestionario de Preselección electrónico
  Cuestionario de Preselección para imprimir
• Other Resources and Supports:
  • Colorado Department of Early Childhood
  • Universal Preschool
  • Head Start / Early Head Start
  • Find Childcare
  • Early Intervention for Infants and Toddlers
  • Family Support Programs
  • Other Assistance Programs

If your family is already enrolled in Boulder County CCAP, you can stay in the program if you still qualify and fill out a Redetermination Form each year.

Choose the form that works best for you:

• Electronic Redetermination Form
  Printable Redetermination Form
• Redetermination electrónico formulario
  Formulario de Redetermination imprimible

Download the correct form based on your needs.

• I want to see what I’m responsible for as a CCAP participant:
  Client Responsibility Agreement (Acuerdo de Responsabilidades del Cliente)
• I want to report new self-employment or a change to my self-employment income:
  Self-Employment Form (Formulario de búsqueda de empleo)
• I want to report a change to my CCAP child care provider or child care schedule:
  CCAP Child Care Request Form (Solicitud de cuidado infantil CCAP)
• I want to verify my employment online or print the form and have my employer fill it out:
  Electronic Verification of Employment (Verification of Employment formulario electrónico)
  Printable Verification of Employment (Verification of Employment formulario imprimible)
• I want to report time away from work:
  Verification of Temporary Leave(Spanish version coming soon!)
• I want to request a lower parent fee:
  Request for Reduced Parent Fee Form (Formulario de solicitud de pago reducida para padres)
• I want to report a change in my parenting visitation schedule:
  Visitation Form (Formulario de visita)

Manual Claims

You can submit a manual claim for care provided. Claims must be submitted within 60 days from the end of the month when care was given. Email CCAPbilling@bouldercounty.gov with any questions. You may also submit a manual claim electronically or through the Attendance Tracking System (ATS).

Payment Rate for Children Who Need Additional Care

Boulder County pays a higher rate for children in CCAP who need extra care or support. This includes children with special needs or teens ages 13 to 19 who can’t care for themselves.

To request this rate:

• Fill out the CCAP Additional Care Request Form
• Attach one of the following, if available:
  • An Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
  • An Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
  • A note from a medical or mental health provider

Unpaid Parent Fees

If a family hasn’t paid their required parent fee in the past 30–60 days, fill out the Unpaid Parental Fee Form.

Non-Attending Children

If a child is no longer enrolled or attending, update their status in the Attendance Tracking System (ATS):

• Go to your site’s “Children List”
• Under “Confirmed CCAP Authorization in Use,” select the “X”

Enrollment Confirmation

Check your Attendance Tracking System (ATS) “Children List” every week. Confirm or reject new enrollments. Need help? Read the Enrollment Confirmation QRG for step-by-step instructions.

Provider Handbook

Want to learn more about becoming a CCAP provider? Read the Provider Handbook from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

When will my child care through CCAP start?

Right now, CCAP is not accepting new families. We are checking if new applicants are eligible (see the “How to Apply” tab), but no benefits are being given at this time. When the freeze ends and space is available, we will contact eligible families by email to let them know they can apply.

How is my monthly parent fee calculated?

Your monthly fee depends on your total income, the number of people in your household, how many kids need care, and how many hours of care they need. If your child needs more than 5 hours of care a day, that counts as full-time care. Five hours or less is part-time.

You will pay this fee directly to your child care provider. If your family is having money troubles, you can request a temporary lower parent fee.

How can I get help finding child care?

Call Mile High United Way’s Child Care Options at 877-338-CARE (2273). They can help you find child care in Colorado.

Do I have to choose a provider in Boulder County if I live here but work in another county?

No. You can choose a provider outside of Boulder County if they accept CCAP and have a signed agreement with Boulder County.

What types of child care providers can accept CCAP?

Here are the types of providers CCAP can pay:

• Licensed Family Child Care Homes
  These providers care for children in their own homes. They are trained in first aid and CPR and follow state rules. They can care for up to six children plus two school-age kids. They set their own hours, routines, and learning activities.

• Licensed Child Care Centers
  These centers care for five or more children in a school-like setting. They must follow state health and safety rules. They are regularly inspected and offer activities that help children learn and grow.

• Qualified Providers (Also Called Legally Exempt Providers)
  These providers do not need a license but can still accept CCAP in some counties.
  

I am moving to Boulder County. Can I keep my CCAP benefits?

Yes — your current county’s CCAP benefits will continue until it’s time for your yearly update (redetermination). When that time comes, you will need to submit your redetermination form to Boulder County.

What is the Attendance Tracking System?

The Attendance Tracking System (ATS) is an online tool that families and child care providers use to track when children attend care. If you’re part of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), you must use ATS. It helps make sure payments are correct and attendance is recorded the right way. To learn more, visit the Colorado Office of Early Childhood website and look for “Use the Attendance Tracking System (ATS).”

Where can I find ATS training videos?

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood has short ATS training videos to help parents and providers use ATS. The videos are available in both English and Spanish.

How do I get the PIN number to start using CCAP?

After you’re approved for CCAP, you’ll get a welcome email from the state. This email includes a link to set your 8-digit PIN. Your PIN cannot start with a zero or include repeated numbers in a row (like 1111 or 2222).

What if my child rides the bus to school?

If your child rides the bus to child care, the provider will check them in for you. You’ll need to log into ATS and approve that attendance within 9 days. Be sure to count weekends too.

What does a “Pending” status mean in ATS?

“Pending” means your provider checked your child in or out for you. You need to review that attendance in ATS and either approve it, change it, or deny it. Only approve days and times when your child actually attended — approving days they were absent is not allowed. It’s a good idea to check for pending attendance when you pick up or drop off your child.

What if I miss the deadline for approving pending attendance?

If you miss the nine-day deadline, your provider can submit a manual claim. However, this is only allowed once in a while. Manual claims are not a long-term fix. If you’re having trouble with ATS, email CCAP staff at CCAP@bouldercoungy.gov right away.

Why does it show “11:59 p.m. (pending)” for a check-out?

This means no one checked your child out, so the system did it automatically. You’ll need to go into ATS, click on the 11:59 p.m. time, and change it to the correct check-out time before approving it. Remember: you have nine days (including weekends) to approve it.