The agreement between Pennsylvania Department of Human Services / Office of Child Development and Early Learning (DHS OCDEL) and Caring People Alliance (CPA) ended June 30, 2024. The now expired grant agreement includes the requirement to issue payments to providers for June services. This means that CPA’s obligations for June activities extended beyond the agreement expiration date.
In addition, CPA elected to make the June payment to providers via check in lieu of direct deposit. OCDEL has heard reports that this action by CPA has caused delays, confusion, and hardship for the provider community served by CPA.
OCDEL is committed to ensuring all providers are paid and has requested an accounting of who CPA paid and who they did not, but has not yet received that information. OCDEL has learned that some providers received a check and were able to cash that check, others received a check that was put on hold by their banks, and others have yet to receive a check at all. From the information obtained from providers, it appears CPA elected to pay providers who invoiced by July 5, 2024, by mailing a check.
To remedy this situation, OCDEL is issuing payment as quickly as possible to the new Region 18 ELRC, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), to make the June payments to unpaid providers. To expedite this process, OCDEL is asking providers who were not paid to complete the attached form. The attached form includes an attestation statement that must be signed claiming payment for care provided in June was not received. If a provider should receive duplicate payment from CPA and PHMC, a future payment will be reduced to remedy the duplication. Providers who have not yet done so should complete provider agreements with PHMC to avoid further payment delays.
OCDEL invites child care providers from ELRC Region 18 to join a virtual meeting to discuss this issue on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 1:00 pm. Please register here.
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