Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Information Technology Matters 3

IT Matters 3 Discussion Questions

Improving Payments to Child Care Providers using Data and IT Systems

The questions below will be used to guide discussion in the IT Matters peer learning session in support of the Administration for Children and Families’ work to improve accessibility and quality of child care for families and to improve and simplify administrative processes for child care providers. The peer learning session will last one hour. The information collected will be used to better understand the current condition of data and IT systems, develop appropriate training and technical assistance (T/TA) to improve data and IT systems, and receive feedback on the T/TA provided by the Data and Information Systems Consultation Center (DISCC) to improve those data and IT systems. DISCC will summarize information discussed in a short report for internal use only. Participation in the discussion is not required, and attendees may participate in all, or portions, of the peer learning session.

Data Management

1. Data Integration: What technologies and practices are you using or plan to use from various sources and systems (e.g., provider management, enrollment, attendance) for prospective payments and paying by enrollment?

2. Data Quality Policies: What policies and practices are in place for data sharing that ensure data quality and security?

3. Data Sharing: If you use data sharing agreements, what are some of the most important aspects of your data sharing agreements? If not, what are some of the challenges in establishing data sharing agreements?

4. Data Security: What policies and practices do you have in place to ensure data security and privacy for all involved?

5. Fraud Prevention: How are you using technology to prevent, detect, manage, and mitigate fraud risk in payment processes?

Technology

6. Technology Upgrades: What specific technology upgrades are needed to support prospective payments?

7. Technology Upgrades: What specific technology upgrades are needed to support paying by enrollment?

8. Reporting Features: What new reporting features will be added to help monitor the effectiveness of prospective payment and paying by enrollment implementation?

Additional Questions (If Time Allows):

9. Provider Input: What methods are you using to gather feedback from child care providers and how are you incorporating that feedback in the design and continuous improvement of the IT system?

10. Training and Support: What training will be provided to Lead Agency staff, families, and providers to ensure effective use of the new systems?

11. Innovative Features: Are there any new features or technologies being considered (e.g., mobile access, automation) that could enhance the system?

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995 (Public Law 104-13) STATEMENT OF PUBLIC BURDEN: The purpose of this information collection is to inform ACF of the types of training and technical assistance (T/TA) needed by Lead Agencies to improve data and IT systems, including associated Lead Agency guidance and processes. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour for attendees, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. This is a voluntary collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB # is 0970-0531 and the expiration date is 9/30/2025. If you have any comments on this collection of information, please contact Donna Seymour, 202-763-4000, [email protected].