Child Care Providers

The CCPP provides child care tuition assistance to parents and guardians who meet certain income and work requirements.

Child care providers may opt-in to serve these eligible families. There is an application and approval process for providers to complete prior to serving CCPP families and receiving payment through the CCPP.

All child care providers are required to be licensed by the MS State Department of Health to operate.  For a full description of the licensing process visit healthyms.com. Once licensed, a child care provider may apply to participate in CCPP which providers child care subsidy payments for qualifying families.  A child care provider must be licensed before applying to be a CCPP Provider.

Each year, a portion of the <> is set aside to provide financial assistance in the form of vouchers for low-income families to afford quality child care services. In Mississippi, these set-aside funds are distributed through the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP).

CCPP is administered by the Division for Early Childhood Care and Development (DECCD) at the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Once approved, some CCPP providers are paid by the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) Division of Early Childhood Care and Development (DECCD) prospectively to maintain a certain number of slots for CCPP-participating children. Most often, providers are reimbursed through a voucher for the provision of care services each month to CCPP-participating children in their center.

The amount of tuition assistance that families receive through CCPP is based on family size, household income, and other factors.

Most parents/guardians are required to pay a co-payment fee directly to their chosen child care provider each month.

In addition, parents also pay the remaining amount of child care tuition directly to the provider if the rate of assistance does not meet the full cost of care.

No. Parents who receive tuition assistance through CCPP are responsible for paying their child care provider the difference between the amount of their child care tuition voucher from CCPP and their child care provider’s published tuition rates.

For example, if a parent has a child enrolled in AZQ Preschool and the preschool’s published tuition rates are $390 per month and the Child Care Payment Program pays $300 per month, the parent is responsible for paying the $90 difference to the child care provider in addition to their monthly co-payment.

The following types of child care providers are all eligible to become CCPP-approved providers:

• Licensed child care centers
• Family child care homes
• In-home child care providers

Parents may choose any type of child care while participating in this program as long as the provider has completed the application and approval process.

• The child care center must be licensed by and in good standing with the Mississippi State Department of Health.
• Your center must be designated a Standard Center. To be classified as a standard center, a child care center must be licensed and meet minimum federal and state standards.

• The owner/operator must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED);
  • The owner/operator must provide evidence that they, other adults providing child care services in the home, and anyone residing in the home are current on required immunizations.
  • You can do this by completing the Mississippi State Department of Health’s Certificate of Immunization Compliance. The form must be signed by a Regional Health Officer, a physician, nurse, or designee.
• The owner/operator must satisfactorily complete an inspection of the home by child care monitoring agents prior to approval for CCPP reimbursement;
• The owner/operator must agree to a criminal background check for themselves, other adults residing in the home, and any adult not residing in the home but providing child care services;
• The owner/operator must have a valid email address that is checked on a regular basis and have a working landline telephone or cell phone.
• Your center must be designated a Standard Center. To be classified as a standard center, a child care provider must be licensed and meet minimum federal and state standards.

Visit our Provider Application page.

You are required to renew your registration with MDHS annually.

All providers, regardless of setting must complete an application to be designated a Standard Center. To be classified as a standard center, a child care center must be licensed and meet minimum federal and state standards.

Standard centers will operate above licensure expectations in two ways.

1. All staff must go through mandatory training as required by the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014.
2. All staff must have 15 hours of continuing professional development each year as prescribed by the act. The professional-development areas include:
   • health and safety;
   • educational standards and best practices;
   • recognizing signs, symptoms, or behaviors of child abuse and neglect;
   • professional development that addresses social-emotional and behavioral development, mental health, expulsion, and exclusionary discipline practices in child care settings; and
   • developmental and behavioral screenings.

Standard Center Curriculum

The curriculum implemented in these centers must align with the state early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers and the state early learning standards for three- and four-year-olds.

Annual Self-Assessment

These centers must also engage in an annual self-assessment process. This self-assessment helps providers identify the strengths of their program. In addition, the self-assessment process allows providers to locate opportunities for growth within their program. Child care programs with the Standard Designation are involved in continuous efforts to review their programs and access resources to provide the highest level of quality possible.

Contact the Mississippi Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood Care and Development (DECCD):

Email
Send CCPP inquiries to ccpayment@mdhs.ms.gov

Phone
Call DECCD toll free at (800) 877-7882.

Mail
Division of Early Childhood Care & Development
Mississippi Child Care Payment Program (CCPP)
PO Box 352
Jackson, MS 39205

It’s important for CCPP-approved providers and interested providers to understand the rules and regulations governing CCPP and the rights and responsibilities of participants.

Review the manual before you seek approval. Store an electronic or hard copy for yourself to consult later if necessary. Use the links below to access the forms you may need to apply for approval and remain eligible to serve CCPP families.