Child Care and Development Services Act: alternative payment programs.

The Child Care and Development Services Act, administered by the State Department of Education, provides that children up to 13 years of age are eligible, with certain requirements, for child care and development services. The act requires the department to contract with local contracting agencies to provide for alternative payment programs, and authorizes alternative payments to be made for services provided in licensed centers and family day care homes for care provided in the child's home, and for other types of care that conform to applicable law. The act prohibits payments made by alternative payment programs from exceeding the applicable market rate ceiling, but allows alternative…