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Child Care Subsidy Program
Benefits on EBT
Provider Questions and Answers
rev. 01-01-07
1. Question: What is EBT?
Answer: EBT stands for Electronic Benefit Transfer. The Kansas EBT system delivers cash and child care assistance and food benefits to eligible persons through the “Vision” card. Eligible persons get one Vision card which may contain accounts for one or up to all three of these types of benefits. The contractor for EBT in Kansas is eFunds Corporation.
2. Question: What are the goals of Child Care Assistance on EBT?
Answer: The goals are to simplify the issuance and payment of child care benefits, to mirror the private sector more closely, and to involve parents in the process.
3. Question: How do parents make payment?
Answer: There are two methods of payment. Providers choose which method SRS parents will use. The first is through a POS (Point of Sale) machine. The provider may lease the POS machine for $18/month to use with SRS subsidized parents. The second is through an ARU (Automated Response Unit). This is a toll-free telephone payment option. Parents may use the ARU from any location and at any time using a touch-tone telephone. This method can be used with providers not wishing to lease a POS machine.
4. Question: How does payment on EBT for Child Care work?
Answer: SRS does not pay providers directly. SRS issues parents a child care benefit on the 1st of every month. Parents use that benefit to pay for services throughout the month. The benefit can be transferred at an amount and frequency agreed upon between the parent and provider. Parents can use their benefits to make child care payments electronically only to SRS approved providers.
5. Question: Are there audits?
Answer: Random audits are conducted to verify usage of child care benefits.
6. Question: Do unused benefits carry over?
Answer: Yes. Child Care benefits are used on a first in and first out basis. Unused benefits from one month will be carried over to the next month for a limited time only. If parents do not use benefits within 90 days from when they are issued, the benefits will be removed from the account and taken off the card.
7. Question: If parent has 3 or more providers, how is the money put in their EBT account? Do parents know how much money is for each provider?
Answer: A parent having more than 1 child care provider has the total of all authorizations placed in their EBT child care Vision card account. The parent gets a summary of these authorizations and knows that the total of all is what has been put on their Vision card.
8. Question: How will providers know if the parents have funds?
Answer: After parents are determined eligible for child care assistance, they are issued an EBT Vision card. Parents also get child care plans. Parents use the card to request payment to their provider. If a provider has a POS machine, the balance can be checked immediately using the machine. If the provider has parents use the ARU telephone option for payment, the parent can produce an confirmation number after a transfer has been made to the provider. Then, using the confirmation number, the provider can check to see if the payment was transferred.
9. Question: Can parents change providers?
Answer: Yes. If they choose to change providers and they intend to use the SRS benefits to pay for services, the new provider must be enrolled with SRS. Parents will be able use their SRS benefits to pay any SRS enrolled provider.
10. Question: What about family share/co-payments?
Answer: Per federal regulations, a family share deduction/co-payment is calculated. This amount is deducted before the total benefit is put on the card. Parents then use benefits to help pay for the cost of care. The parent is responsible to pay any amount owed for services which exceeds the benefit amount.
11. Question: Does SRS assist parents with enrollment fees?
Answer: If a parent is eligible for enrollment fee assistance, this amount will be added to the child care benefit on the Vision card.
12. Question: Can multiple family members use the same card?
Answer: Yes. Vision cards are issued to the Primary Individual (case head) on a particular assistance case, but access can also be given to other adults on the same case or in some instances, an authorized representative named by the case head. The authorized representative does not have to be on the assistance case.
13. Question: What if clients share a card?
Answer: Clients are instructed to not let others use their card. Benefits are not replaced if they do so. If another person needs access to the benefits, they are issued their own card.
14. Question: Do providers have to have a checking account?
Answer: No. A checking account or savings account can be used. The account should be able to accept a debit and credit from eFunds. Banks will be able to tell providers which features they have.
15. Question: How quickly will electronic benefits from parents be deposited in the provider’s bank account?
Answer: It depends on what time of day the transaction takes place. Providers may see deposits the next day or possibly 2 days later. It will not take more than 2 days, and most providers receive the electronic deposit the next day. Payments transferred before 6:00 pm should be in the provider’s account the next business day.
16. Question: How many transfers can be made per month?
Answer: The client can make as many transfers as needed throughout the month, as long as they have benefits available. The amount and frequency of payment is agreed upon by the parent and provider.
17. Question: Will the parent have access to a provider’s bank account?
Answer: No. Provider bank account information is maintained and stored by the EBT contractor, eFunds Corporation. When a parent initiates payment to a provider, that information is sent to eFunds for electronic processing. eFunds then deposits the requested amount into the provider’s bank account electronically.
18. Question: I noticed on the POS receipt that child care and cash is listed. What does this mean?
Answer: There are 3 separate benefit accounts on the Vision card - cash assistance, food stamps, and child care. If a provider has a POS machine, the parent has the option to use (transfer) any of their cash assistance benefits for payment to the child care provider. The parent cannot actually get cash at the provider, but they can transfer cash benefits, as they do child care benefits, electronically, if desired. Food stamps can only be used to purchase food, so that benefit account is not listed on the POS receipt.
Providers should be aware that any cash assistance a parent receives is intended to meet basic living needs. Income eligibility for cash assistance is very low.
19. Question: Are providers required to keep sign in/sign out records for SRS children?
Answer: Yes. These records are often used for programs other than child care subsidy. They also serve as documentation if a case/provider is audited.
20. Question: What kind of audits are performed?
Answer: SRS has policies around making sure that payments made to providers are accurate. Most of these auditing functions are done by the local areas. Sometimes local staff request assistance from Central Office Audits. This may include tracking a payment a parent made to a specific provider to make sure services were actually provided, the payment amount was appropriate given the provider’s private pay rates and payment policies, and the benefit level was appropriate based on the parent activity.
21. Question: How does SRS deal with fraud?
Answer: SRS may pursue prosecution through civil or criminal action.
If the client or the provider is found guilty of civil or criminal child care fraud by a court of appropriate jurisdiction, recoupment, which may include state debt set-off, is initiated. In addition, providers may be disqualified by having the SRS Provider Enrollment terminated.
22. Question: What are the benefits of POS and ARU?
Answer: The POS machine will allow the provider to retain receipts immediately following a transaction. The POS machine insures that funds are transferred to the correct bank account.
The ARU allows the parent to transfer funds from any location. Transfer does not need to be done at the child care facility.
23. Question: What if a parent works extra shifts during the month and ends up needing more benefits for child care that month?
Answer: Parents need to report changes to their worker. Ongoing changes to benefits are effective the month following the month of the reported change.
24. Question: How soon do parents have access to their benefits?
Answer: When a parent is determined eligible for benefits, the worker authorizes child care plans. Depending on the beginning date of these plans, parents may have benefits as soon as the next day for current month eligibility or the first day of the first month if plans start in a future month.
25. Question: What kind of training is available on the POS machine?
Answer: The training method consists of a combination of mailed materials including an easy-to-read manual, quick reference guides, video, phone training, and under certain circumstances, an onsite visit. Providers who sign an agreement with eFunds receive a comprehensive manual on the care and operation of their POS equipment. eFunds ships POS machines to providers and calls each provider to train them in the use of the equipment and reports to assure they have received the equipment and have been successful in installing and using their POS machine. If a provider has a problem with installation, a technician will help the provider over the phone. eFunds will dispatch a technician to do an onsite installation and training if the phone installation is not successful or upon request.
26. Question: What if the provider does not choose to lease a POS machine?
Answer: A training video specifically for child care providers is sent. The video includes information on how providers receive payment for services, as well as other issues faced by providers. Child care providers who do not lease POS machines receive a mailed brochure specifically for providers without POS machines. Training is by mail with phone support and focuses on understanding how payment for services is processed and how to call Customer Service.
27. Question: What kind of training do parents get on EBT CC?
Answer: There is a child care benefits only client video. The video supplies information such as getting a card, PIN selection, use of the card, choosing quality child care, and both methods of paying providers (POS and ARU). A “How to Use Your Kansas Vision Card for Child Care Benefits” booklet is given.
28. Question: How do I bill my SRS parents?
Answer: Providers are encouraged to treat SRS parents the same way they treat private pay parents. If a provider has private pay parents pay on the 1st and 15th of each month, then they can also apply this to SRS parents. If a provider gets paid in advance of service from private pay parents, then they can also apply this to SRS parents. If a provider charges a weekly rate, then they may also charge the SRS parent by the week. Providers should discuss policies upfront with SRS parents, so they can make an informed choice in provider selection.
29. Question: How do providers know if a parent is eligible?
Answer: Parents are issued authorization plans when they are determined eligible. Once eligible, the parent is issued a Vision card and is trained on how to pay their provider. Providers also get a notice from SRS stating child care plans have been authorized for a specific time frame. This notice contains no other information.
30. Question: For either POS or ARU processes, how do providers verify transfer of child care benefits to their bank account as well as the source of the payment (by individual)? Is every payment listed separately on the provider’s bank statement?Answer: Individual transactions do not appear on the provider’s bank statement. The total amount of transactions for that day appears on the bank statement. Providers should save their POS receipts and/or request authorization numbers for ARU benefit transfers. If the provider needs assistance reconciling their bank account they can call eFunds Customer Service.
31. Question: Can providers who currently have machines that accept debit/credit cards use their existing equipment?
Answer: No. Third party processors are not available.
32. Question: Can providers buy the POS machine rather than lease?
Answer: No.
33. Question: If provider has no SRS children during a month, do I still pay monthly lease?
Answer: Yes.
34. Question: How are child care benefits be calculated?
Answer: Benefits are based on SRS rates & need for child care. SRS does not use the provider’s private pay rate in benefit calculation.
* Please feel free to submit any further questions to earlylearning@srs.ks.gov
For other services or to find the Social and Rehabilitation Office or an Access Point nearest you, use the links at the end of this page.
Page Updated: March 5, 2007