Day Care

Location: Lockport Office, 20 East Avenue, Lockport, NY

Walk-in Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.- 3:45 p.m.

Telephone Hours: 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.:  (716) 439-7656 

Program Eligibility

  • Income eligible day care subsidies are available to working families who make less than 85% of the State Median Income for their household size. 85% SMI Chart.
  • Subsidy payments are available for childcare provided only during working hours.
    • Parents allowed one (1) hour of travel time each way.
  • Subsidies are available to teen parents attending high school.
  • Subsidies are available to parents attending higher education such as College, Vocational Training and/or Job Corps.
  • Parents contribute to the cost of care based on a sliding scale (parent share/fee).
    • The minimum weekly is $1.
  • Non-parental Caregivers may also be eligible for assistance with Childcare Subsidy.
  • Childcare subsidy is available to recipients of Temporary Assistance, (speak to your Temporary Assistance worker or the Employment unit for details on applying).
  • Transitional Assistance is available to recipients of Temporary Assistance who become ineligible for cash assistance due to earned income, (speak to your Temporary Assistance worker for details on applying).
  • Preventative/Protective Services childcare is available in certain circumstances, (contact your Services Caseworker for details on applying).

How to apply

  • To apply for the childcare subsidy, please click on the “Childcare Application” link below or call our office at 716.439.7656 to request a Childcare application packet.
  • Complete the application, work schedule (Supplement A), found in the link below, and gather the necessary employment information
    • Employment information can consist of:
      • Eight (8) weekly or four (4) bi-weekly consecutive weeks of paystubs
      • An employer statement indicating number of hours worked, rate of pay, frequency of pay and pay date.
    • Mail completed application and all pertinent documentation to:

Niagara County Dept. of Social Services

20 East Ave

Lockport, NY 14094

Attn: Daycare Unit

  • You can also submit your application electronically via email to:

CCFS@niagaracounty.com

NOTE: Families who are currently receiving Temporary Assistance should continue to work with their assigned Temporary Assistance worker to apply for Childcare subsidy.

LINKS:

Absence Policy:

  • Providers can submit requests for up to 80 absences per year, per child, per provider.
    • Providers may submit routine absences, due to illness/vacation or any other valid/verified reason, on days the child would normally be in care.
    • Providers should clearly note, in CCTA or on attendance sheets, “Absent” the days the child was scheduled to be in care along with the “normal” hours he/she would have attended.
    • The state has defined a year as April 1st – March 31st, (Absence tracking resets each year on April 1st).
  • Providers can submit requests for up to 20 closures per year, per child.
    • The closure must be due to a state, federal, religious or cultural holiday, or due to extenuating circumstances beyond the provider’s control, such as a disaster, severe weather, or emergency, provided the closure is not a result of a regulatory violation.
    • The state has defined a year as April 1st – March 31st, (Absence tracking resets each year on April 1st).

Daycare tips for Providers and Parents

Tips for Parents

  • Niagara County can only pay for actual childcare services provided; and only for care during the hours of your employment (plus maximum of 60 minutes travel to and from your job).
  • You will be liable for payment to your provider for any care not billable to the subsidy program.
  • If your provider uses attendance sheets, only sign an attendance sheet after it is filled out completely and accurately.
    • Attendance sheets are used to bill Niagara County for daycare services; therefore, you and your provider are responsible for the accuracy of the attendance sheets. NEVER sign a blank attendance sheet.
  • If you sign a contract with your provider for daycare services, please understand that Niagara County is NOT a party to that contract and therefore is NOT responsible for compliance with the terms of that contract.
    • YOU are liable for payment to your provider for any care that is not billable to the subsidy program.
  • Niagara County will pay your provider for up to 80 absences each year. Tracking resets on April 1st each year.
  • Niagara County will pay your provider for up to 20 program closures per year. Tracking resets on April 1st each year.
  • You MUST notify Niagara County within ten (10) days of any changes that may affect your subsidy case (change in income, household composition, address, employment, etc).
  • Overpayments resulting from a failure to notify us of changes timely will need to be repaid to Niagara County.
  • Intentional misrepresentations may lead to program sanctions or prosecution for fraud.
  • Your income can increase up to 85% State Median Income (CMI) 85% SMI chart and you will remain eligible through the end of the guarantee.
  • Your parent share will not increase during the 12-month eligibility period.
  • Your childcare subsidy can continue through the end of the guarantee if your child turns 13 years old during the 12-month period.

Tips for Providers

  • If you use paper attendance sheets, please make sure your attendance sheets are filled out completely and accurately before asking the parent to sign their approval. You should never ask a parent to sign a blank attendance sheet.
    • Attendance sheets should be signed by you and the parent before submitting them to Niagara County. Submitting unsigned attendance sheets could delay payment.
    • Attendance sheets MUST reflect the actual time of day that care begins and ends.
  • Niagara County’s approved Childcare Plan allows for 80 absences per year and tracking resets every April.
    • To be eligible for absences, the provider MUST:
      • Be an eligible provider per 415.1(g).
      • Require payment for absences from families who are not receiving a childcare subsidy, as well as those who are receiving a subsidy; and
      • Be open and available to provide care on the day(s) the child(ren) is absent.
    • If a child did not attend due to illness, vacation, or any other reason, that child should be marked on the attendance sheet as “absent” as well as the hours they would have normally attended.
  • Niagara County will pay your provider for up to 20 program closures per year. Tracking resets on April 1st each year.
    • To be eligible for closure, the closure MUST:
      • Be due to a state, federal, religious or cultural holiday, or due to extenuating circumstances beyond the provider’s control, such as a disaster, severe weather, or emergency, provided the closure is not a result of a regulatory violation.
    • If you ask parents to sign a contract for your childcare services, please understand that Niagara County is not a party to that contract and therefore is not responsible for compliance with the terms of that contract.
    • If a child in your care attends another program (such as Pre-K), you cannot bill the childcare subsidy program for the same hours the child spends in the other program.
    • Overpayments due to billing errors on your part will require repayment back to Niagara County.
    • Intentional misrepresentations of Childcare services provided may result in disqualification for receiving childcare subsidy payments, licensing sanctions, or prosecution for fraud.
    • If a parent is required to pay a weekly parent fee, please note, the fee is paid by the parent NOT Niagara County.

Day Care Vendor Information

Childcare Time and Attendance (CCTA)

  • If you still use paper attendance sheets, consider becoming a user of the CCTA system. There are a few benefits to using the CCTA system including:
    • On-line submission of attendance – no more paper sheets.
    • Real-time information on new authorizations, changes, or discontinuances.
    • Accurate calculation of subsidy payments.
    • On-line information of pending and processed payments
  • Participation in CCTA is NOT required by providers to receive subsidy payments, but NCDSS strongly encourages the use of CCTA.
  • Signing up as a new user is easy, contact NCDSS at 716.439.7656 and we will send you the necessary information.

 LINKS: