Delayed payments to daycare providers resolved

The Daycare Providers Association as well as the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs are relieved that the delay in the issuance of checks and other issues that they have faced previously has finally been resolved.

DCCA’s Child Care Program director Maribel S.D. Loste said they have already addressed the providers’ concerns quite successfully after a meeting earlier this week.

It was two months ago that the daycare association complained about payment delays.

The previous procedure was that the Attorney General’s Office had to sign off on payments exceeding $10,000, but that changed when the Department of Finance, DCCA, and AGO decided to forgo that system.

In a statement from Masina Leuta addressed to members of the daycare association, she advised them about the positive result of a meeting last Aug. 12 with DCCA Secretary Melvin Faisao and Loste.

Leuta noted that after addressing the disappointment of the association and the many related questions to the subject of delayed payments and unequal “disbursement treatment” to the daycare centers in regards to issuance of checks, the DCCA secretary, she said told the association that he will ask assistance from the Finance Secretary for immediate an meeting and see how they can put an end to the problem.

“We are all very stressed and are very tired of this situation, but let us not give up hope. Together we should stand to protect and to serve our belief which is “when a service has already been done and given, we have the right to collect our cost,” Leuta advised the daycare providers.

She said that the government cannot continue to demand taxes, utility, and other fees while their payments are being delayed, especially because these are federal granted programs.

“We should seek for a steady and a set schedule for payments pick up, instead of these unorganized and handicap schedules,” Leuta said.

Another issue discussed in that same meeting included the Fair Payment Act.

Accordingly, all daycare centers are to be advised that the program will equally pay them the same amount as the private parent does.

For instance, if you charge your private parents $150 per month, the CCF Childcare program will also pay the center $150 for the CCF children in your center.

Leuta also advised their members that the Childcare Program is now able to provide full payments for the children in each center with ages 0 to 5, which was announced during the meeting.

Also starting in November, all billings must be submitted with the receipt of the GO payment made to each center by the CCF parents otherwise they will not be able to collect their CCF payment.