 Direct Pay Unit (DPU)
Contact information:
Direct Pay Unit (DPU)
PO Box 14850
Salem, OR 97309
800-699-9074 (or 503-378-5500 in Salem)
About the Direct Pay Unit
The Direct Pay Unit (DPU) is the office for providers to contact for listing, billing and payment related issues and questions.
DPU is an office within the ERDC program that processes payments for child care providers. The DHS Direct Pay Unit processes approximately 1,800 provider applications and 14,000 billing forms each month.
DHS staff work with Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) and other community partners to help families find and maintain safe, dependable child care.
If a family is eligible for ERDC child care assistance, the subsidy is paid directly to the child care provider through DPU in Salem. Providers must be "listed" with DPU before a payment can be issued - have submitted an application, and authorized a background check for themselves and all members of their household over the age of 16. The listing form must be received and processed before a billing form can be sent to you. You will need to receive a billing form so you can be paid.
In order to encourage providers to pursue training in child care subjects, and to reward those who make that effort, DHS is authorized to pay a higher rate, called the enhanced rate, to childcare providers who are listed on the Oregon Registry. In order to be listed on the Oregon Registry, providers must meet certain standards of training.
Working with the Direct Pay Unit
Questions about the family's eligibility -- should be directed to the family or the local DHS office.
If you haven’t received a listing or billing form -- talk with the family, the local DHS office or DPU. You can also call your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency for help.
If you have a problem with or question about a listing or billing form you’ve sent in -- call DPU at 1-800-699-9074 (503-378-5500 if calling from the Salem area). Please allow seven to ten working days for your billing form to be processed.
If you have changes in your household or in your services to the client -- DPU needs to know about any changes in the child care situation that affect payment. To tell DHS about a change, call DPU at 1-800-699-9074 (or 503-378-5500 in the Salem area) or use a Provider Report form (DHS 7496).
Changes must be reported within 10 days, including:
- Changes to your name, address or phone number
- Arrests, convictions or involvement with Child Welfare for anyone age 16 or older in their home or facility.
- Any persons age 16 or older moving in or out of their home.
- You stop providing care for a family.
Depending on the change reported, you may be sent a new Child Care Provider Listing form (DHS 7494) to complete. Please return the completed form to the Direct Pay Unit within 10 days.
Contact DPU if you need:
- A billing form for a different time period,
- To replace a lost or destroyed billing form,
- To report a family has failed to pay their copay as required (there is also a place on the Child Care Billing form to report this).
- If you have additional questions about how your payment was calculated
Using the automated system to check on your payment
DPU has an automated system open 24 hours a day, everyday, so you can find out if your billing form:
- Has already been processed and a check mailed to you.
- Has been denied.
If the system states that no information is available, that means your billing form has not yet been processed. It may take seven to ten working days to process your request for payment.
Here's how to use it:
1. Call 503-378-3508 in Salem, or 1-800-442-6451 statewide. The computer will let you know which keys to press for the information you want.
2. Be ready with your Social Security Number or Federal Tax ID Number.
3. If you are calling about a billing, be ready with the voucher number for the billing you wish to check on.
4. Please always press # before you hang up. |