IDHS Child Care Telephone Billing System

1. IDHS Child Care Telephone Billing System A Faster Way to get Paid

2. What’s it all about: • The IDHS Child Care Telephone Billing System is an alternative to mailing the Child Care Certificate to the local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) Agency at the end of each month • The Telephone Billing System will help you get your payments quicker

3. How it Works • If you call the Billing System instead of mailing a Certificate to your local CCR&R: • The information gets into the State’s payment system faster • No mail delays in getting information to the CCR&R • The payment information may be entered 7 days a week, 24 hours a day • You get immediate confirmation that your payment has been entered

4. How to get started • All licensed homes and license-exempt home providers of approved cases will be mailed a Child Care Telephone Billing Agreement form • Mail the completed form to your local CCR&R

5. Learning the System • You will be mailed instructions on how to use the system and practice certificates to enter • Call the number listed on the instructions and enter the practice certificates • After you have completed the practice certificates successfully, you will be able to bill for child care over the phone!

6. After IDHS has confirmed that you have successfully completed the practice certificates, you will be mailed a letter that includes your payment password Keep this number for your records Do not share or give your password to anyone Your Password

7. Your Password

8. What You Need • You will need the following items before you call in your billing information: • Your SSN or FEIN • Your password • The Child Care Certificate with all information completed including signed by both you and the parent

9. Call the Billing System • To submit your billing information, dial 1-800-787-9316 • TTY callers may dial 1-800-787-9318 to access the system • The Billing System is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

10. Entering Information • You may enter information either with the phone key pad or by speaking the information • If you reply using the phone key pad, you must complete the entire process in the same way.

11. Speaking to the System • The system can be accessed in either English or Spanish • Speak slowly and clearly • Call from a quiet room

12. Speaking to the System • Use the phone handset instead of a speaker phone or hands-free headset • Use a land line phone instead of a cell phone • If you must use a cell phone, call from a stationary position with a strong signal

13. Speaking to the System • Speak only the requested information • If asked to say “account information”, don’t say “I want account information”, say “account information”. • If you are having problems, are calling from a noisy location or don’t have a good connection, use the touch-tone keys on the phone

14. Verifying Your SSN • The Billing System will ask for your Social Security Number (SSN). Enter either your: • Social Security Number (SSN) or your • Federal Employers Identification Number (FEIN) • Be sure to use the same number you used on the Child Care Application and W-9 Form

15. Verifying Your SSN • The system will confirm your SSN is on the State’s computer system • If the number is not correct, or is not listed on the computer, you must contact the CCR&R

16. Enter Your Password • The system will also ask for your password. This is the number that is located on the letter IDHS sent you Your Password

17. Lost/Forgotten Passwords • If you have lost or forgotten your password, or would like to change it for any reason, you must call the Telephone Billing System • You will receive a new password letter in the mail with your password information

18. Address Verification • If the address on the certificate is not correct, you must change it on the certificate, complete the billing information (including signatures) and mail it to the CCR&R. • If the address needs to be changed, you cannot use the Telephone Billing System 1420

19. Address Verification • The Child Care payment will be sent to the address listed on the certificate

20. When to Bill • The system will ask if you would like to enter a certificate for any of the past four months that have been approved but not yet billed for • You cannot enter information for a service month before the end of that month

21. When to Bill • The earliest you can bill is 6:00 AM the first day of the following month • You cannot enter billing for March until 6:00 AM April 1 or later

22. Peak Hours • The system’s phone lines may be busy during peak hours, between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM • To avoid a busy signal, call after 5:00, early in the morning or on the weekend

23. The First Case • After you have selected a month, the system will state the first case name • The system will ask you for attendance information for each child you are approved for from the first family

24. Eligible Days • If you are a licensed provider, you will be asked to confirm the total number of full time and part time days the child was eligible for care during the month of service • The number of approved eligible days are listed on the Child Care Certificate that was mailed to you for the month

25. License Exempt Providers • License exempt providers will not be asked about eligible days • License exempt providers will only need to enter the number of days a child received care

26. Adding Eligible DaysFor Licensed Providers • If the child attended more days than the number of eligible days, the telephone system cannot be used • You must complete and mail the paper certificate, noting the change in eligible days and the reason • For example, increasing the eligible full time days by 1 due to a school holiday

27. Reducing Eligible DaysFor Licensed Providers • If the child was eligible for fewer days than approved, licensed providers may enter the new number of eligible days in the system at this time • For example, if the child stopped attending your program before the end of the month, you may reduce the number of eligible days

28. Attended Days • The system will ask both licensed and license-exempt providers for the number of full time and part time days the child attended • This will be repeated for each child approved in this family

29. Last Month of Care? • After you have entered information on the last child approved for this case, the system will ask if you are still providing care for the family • If you are not, you must enter the last day care was provided

30. Information Review • The system will then review the information that was entered • The month of service and the number of full time and part time days entered will be confirmed

31. Additional Families • If there are additional families approved whose billing information has not yet been entered, the system will ask about the next family • If not, the billing process is complete for this month

32. Additional Months • If the provider is approved for earlier months that have not been entered yet, the billing process will start again for each of those months • After all months are completed, or if the provider chooses to skip those months and enter them at a different time, the call will end

33. The Child Care Certificate • If you complete the billing by phone, DO NOT mail the certificate to the CCR&R • Both you and the parent must sign the certificate and all information on the certificate must be complete • You MUST keep the certificate for Five (5) years

34. Tracking Payments • You may track the status of payments through the IDHS Payment Inquiry Line • Call 1-800-804-3833 to access the system • TTY callers may dial 1-877-434-1082 to access the system

35. Tracking Payments • The Payment Inquiry Line is updated every day at 4:00 AM • Please wait two working days after entering billing information before checking the Inquiry Line for that payment

36. Tracking Payments • The Payment Inquiry Line tells you when a payment was entered (either through the Telephone Billing System or by the CCR&R), when the payment was approved (vouchered) by IDHS, and when the Comptroller’s office mails the check to you

37. Tracking Warrants • You may also determine the status of a check (also called a Warrant) by visiting the Comptroller’s website at: www.illinoiscomptroller.com

38. Click on the “Vendor Payment” button on the far left side of the screen <<Financial Queries>> Cash Balance Contracts Expenditures Grants Revenues Vendor Payments Warrant Inquiry Click Here <<Office Links>> Home Enter Vendor TIN

39. Tracking Warrants • Enter your Social Security Number and click on the “OK” button

40. Comptroller’s Vendor Login Screen Enter Your Social Number Security Click “OK”

41. Tracking Warrants • Click on the “Payments” button

42. Comptroller’s Vendor Summary Screen Click

43. Tracking Warrants • Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on the “Find Warrants” button

44. Comptroller’s Vendor Warrants Screen Scroll Down To Bottom Click Here

45. Tracking Warrants • Information will show for all checks written to you for the current fiscal year • The warrant number, the zip code it was mailed to, the date it was issued, the amount and the status (Date Cashed or Outstanding, if not yet cashed) will be listed

46. Zip Code Check Mailed To Payment Status: Date Cashed or “Outstanding” If Not Cashed Check Number Date Check Was Written Check Amount

47. Get Paid Even Faster! • Have your Child Care payment deposited directly into you bank account. Your payment will get to you even sooner! • Click on the “Direct Deposit” button on the Comptroller’s Vendor Login screen or call 217-557-0930 to learn more

48. Comptroller’s Vendor Login Screen Click Here

49. Thanks for learning about the IDHS Telephone Billing System. We appreciate your continued partnership and for sharing our mutual interest in providing quality child care services Slide show developed by Michael Garner-Jones