Upcoming changes
Below are updates and timelines for important pieces of the Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program, including the application, Use of Funds Report, and the Enrollment & Attendance feature.
Great Start Compensation Application
- June 2024:
- A small pilot group of certified and licensed centers was granted access t0 submit their application in the Provider Hub. All other providers continued to apply as usual through the existing email-based application process.
- July 2024:
- All certified and licensed centers were granted access to submit their application in the Provider Hub. All licensed family child care and providers licensed by a Tribal Nation continued to apply through the existing email-based application process.
- In the future:
- Licensed family child care providers will be granted access to submit their application in the Provider Hub.
- DCYF will continue working with Tribal Nations to determine how Tribally licensed providers will apply for funding going forward.
- Updates will be shared regarding the timing of changes to allow ample time for providers to prepare.
Use of Funds Report
By accepting Great Start Compensation payments, providers agree to document how they used Great Start Compensation funds and share this information with the State. DCYF is building a Use of Funds Report to collect information on how Great Start Compensation recipients are using funds and the impact of those funds. This report is required and will be submitted once each year.
Providers can prepare for the report by reviewing the report examples above and using the free and optional Use of Funds tools shown in FAQ 4.21.
Timeline for access to Use of Funds Reports in the Provider Hub
- April 2025:
- Certified and licensed centers who first accepted Great Start Compensation funding in October 2023 will be given access to their Use of Funds Report.
- May 2025:
- Certified and licensed centers who first accepted Great Start Compensation funding after October 2023 will be given access on a monthly rolling basis to their Use of Funds Report.
- In the future:
- In late spring 2025, licensed family child care providers and providers licensed by a Tribal Nation will be given access to their Use of Funds Report through an e-mail based reporting process.
Enrollment and Attendance
- July 2024:
- An optional Enrollment & Attendance feature will become available in the Provider Hub that providers can use as an enrollment and attendance management tool. The Enrollment & Attendance feature allows for direct, manual entry of enrollment and attendance information by providers and offers an option for parents/trusted adults to check in and check out their children through use of a kiosk.
- At this time, the enrollment and attendance functionalities will be available for centers certified or licensed by the state. Licensed family child care providers will gain access to these tools when they are added to the Provider Hub.
- In the future:
- All providers will be required to submit detailed enrollment and attendance data as part of their monthly Great Start Compensation application. Updates will be shared regarding the timing of this change to allow ample time for providers to prepare.
