New Provider Application

Empire State Child Care Share Pilot Program Provider Agreement

The Empire State Child Care Share Pilot Program (ESCCS Pilot Program) aims to reduce childcare costs for working parents in New York while enabling employers to offer a valuable benefit that boosts employee recruitment and retention. Under the program, child care expenses are equally divided among the employer, the employee, and the State of New York. A local Facilitating Hub oversees the ESCCS Pilot Program, with partners including the Child Care Resource Network (Hub 1), Family Enrichment Network (Hub 2), and Brightside Up, Inc. (Hub 2). This program is accessible to child care providers in Hub 1 (Buffalo), Hub 2 (Syracuse & Albany), including the counties within these parts of New York State:

• Child Care Resource Network Hub 1: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming counties
  
• Family Enrichment Network Hub 2: Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Tioga, and Tompkins counties
  
• Brightside Up, Inc. Hub 2: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties

Family choice plays a central role in the ESCCS Pilot Program, allowing eligible families the opportunity to continue using their trusted licensed/registered child care providers. Providers who are licensed/registered by New York State Office of Children and Family Services (NYSOCFS) and are in good standing are eligible to participate. Facilitator Hubs coordinate payments to child care providers for New York State's 1/3 share of the cost of child care. To receive ESCCS Pilot Program payments, child care providers must submit information online, including the signed ESCCS Pilot Program Provider Agreement (all pages), and;

• Vendor Form W-9 (excluding instruction pages).
• Child care costs for each approved family
• Access to your current family handbook, contract, and/or rate sheet

Agreement

This Agreement explains the role of the Facilitating Hub and your part as a provider caring for eligible children of employees enrolled in ESCCS Pilot Program through their employer. Please let us know right away if you receive child care subsidy reimbursement for any eligible child of an enrolled employee, as families cannot get both the child care subsidy and ESCCS Pilot Program benefits. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to supporting these families.

1. The ESCCS Pilot Program takes care of 1/3 of all approved costs for the care provided to eligible children starting from the benefit start date. However, ESCCS Pilot Program does not cover registration fees (unless they are for direct care), one-time fees, late fees, or any past-due balances. Parents or guardians are responsible for paying these fees in full.

2. If a family requests to change care hours or days, or if you, as the child care provider, plan a rate increase for all families, please ask the Facilitating Hub for a care change form link or access it on the ESCCS Pilot Program website on the provider page. Changes may take up to 30 days from the date the form is received. During this period, parents are responsible for any additional costs.

3. You agree to promptly inform the Facilitating Hub when an eligible child is no longer enrolled in your program; ESCCS Pilot Program payments will end on the child’s last day.

4. ESCCS Pilot Program eligibility terminates when an enrolled employee leaves a participating employer. Since ESCCS Pilot Program is employer-based, parents are fully responsible for their care costs from the date of employment termination. Please contact the ESCCS Pilot Program Facilitation Hub if you are aware of any employment changes.

5. If care occurs after the termination date, you must refund those funds to the Facilitating Hub. You should invoice the parent directly for the full amount of these costs.

6. You affirm that all the information you provide is complete, accurate, and truthful to the best of your knowledge. If any information is discovered to be falsified, misrepresented, or omitted, your participation in the ESCCS Pilot Program may be canceled.

7. You agree to submit invoices monthly to the Facilitating Hub for the care provided to any eligible child and to receive payments via ACH. Invoices should be submitted through our billing portal on the ESCCS Pilot Program website, under the Child Care Providers Tab.

Other Terms

1. This Agreement takes effect on the date when everyone has signed it and will remain in effect. All terms of this Agreement are binding and will benefit the parties.
2. The Facilitator Hub's disbursement of State funds under this agreement depends on the availability of such funds. The Hub does not guarantee the continuation or expansion of the activities covered by this Agreement. Additionally, the Hub will inform the Child Care Provider of any funding changes that could affect the program's viability. 
3. Any party may terminate this Agreement without penalty by giving 90 days' written notice to the other party; however, any unpaid obligations incurred before the termination date will remain in effect after termination.
4. The Facilitator Hub acts as a fiduciary, collecting funds from the State of New York and transferring them to the child care provider. The Facilitator Hub does not assume any liability, expenses, or claims arising from the Employer, its employees, the child care provider, or any other parties outside its fiduciary role. If the State of New York or the Employer fails to provide expected funding, the Facilitator Hub is not responsible for covering the shortfall to the child care provider. 
5. Child Care Providers agree to be publicly recognized as a participating caregiver, including having their names displayed on the Facilitator Hub and Empire State Child Care Share Pilot Program (ESCCS Pilot Program) websites for this purpose. 

Your acknowledgement below indicates acceptance of the terms included within this Agreement. We welcome your participation and look forward to our partnership!


Please click the following button to download a W9 form, to be submitted with your applicaton:

Download W9