PD 23-11: CCPU Automatic Deductions (Revised)
| Date: | 04/12/23 (Revised 09/22/23) |
| To: | CalWORKs Employment Services (CWES) Staff |
| From: | Michelle Rojas, SSA BPIS |
| Reference: | CalSAWS Design Document CA-258922, CCPU Automatic Deductions FAQs |
Background
Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) §10426.5 provides that the Child Care Providers United (CCPU) may request on behalf of providers as defined in the Building a Better Early Care and Education System Act and who have voluntarily elected to do so, to have deductions automatically withheld from their subsidy payments.
CalSAWS System
With CalSAWS Release 23.09 which is scheduled for implementation on September 25, 2023, two additional fields will be added to the Child Care Payment Calculation Detail page. The two additional fields being added are Deduction for Union Dues and Deduction for Contributions. These fields will allow Employment Counselors (ECs) to deduct Union dues and/or Political Contributions from the overall amount to be issued to the provider along with keeping track on how much Union Dues or Political Contributions have been deducted for each benefit month from the proivers.
Processing Automatic Deductions
The interim process for CCPU Automatic Deductions is below:
1. On the 28’th of each month Program will receive a certification from CalHR with data for providers who have voluntarily elected to have deductions automatically withheld from subsidy payments issued in the following “certified deduction month” (example: On March 28th a listing of all childcare providers who have elected to have deductions automatically withheld from any subsidy payments issued in April will be received).
2. Program will send information received from the listing to DSR to have DSR assist with identifying which cases these providers are providing child care to. DSR will send the data back to Program.
3. Program will notify ECs who have a case that is receiving child care from a provider who has opted-in for automatic deductions. Program will ask ECs to notify them once they have received a SCD 1755B from the provider(s) no later than the 15th day of each month.
4. Once the SCD 1755B is received the EC will email Michelle Rojas and Sandra Loredo confirming the amount the provider is billing for is correct and will attach the SCD 1755B to the email. For payments to be issued in the current month all emails need to be sent no later than the 15th of the month. If child care is scheduled to be discontinued or transferred to Stage II please let Program know.
5. Program will complete the needed calculations and will reply to the EC’s email instructing how much needs to be deducted for Union Dues and/or Political Contributions from the payment, and how much the payment is to be issued for.
6. For payments that need to have deductions the EC will process this in CalSAWS in the Child Care Payment Calculation Detail page under the Deduction for Union Dues and/or Deductions for Contributions fields. EC is NOT to issue any NOA nor communication regarding why the child care payment was issued for less than what the provider billed for.
7. By the 5th business day of the month following the certified deduction month Program will upload a reconciliation file to the CalHR File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and will notify Fiscal of the amount they will need to generate a warrant for.
8. Fiscal is to remit funds via one warrant for all deductions withheld in a certified deduction monthly by the 10th business day of the month following the certified deduction month along with a completed CalHR cover Page for CCPU Automatic Deductions Remittance Form.
Communication With Providers
Discussions with providers about automatic deductions or withholdings should not be initiated. If at any time a provider asks why they aren't receiving their payment as promptly as they have in the past the response should be, "The process is being temporarily modified." There shall be no reference to the union or the certification for automatic deductions
If a provider specifically makes an inquiry about a deduction, one may respond to the amount(s) withheld. Any additional specific information about dues or deductions shall be referred to CCPU.
The CCPU email address to give to providers when a provider initiates an inquiry related to the union or automatic deductions is: info@childcareprovidersunited.org.
Implementation
This Program Directive is effective immediately. The changes regarding CalSAWS Release 23.09 are effective September 25, 2023.