State of Oregon: Child Care - Information for Child Care Providers

Temporary Changes Due to COVID-19

On this page:
How ERDC works | Become a provider | Requirements for license exempt providers | Billing and payments | Tools and resources

Free personal protective equipment

As a child care provider, you can receive a free care package of masks, gloves, disinfectant wipes, baby wipes and a thermometer. There are care packages for school-age child care and younger children and infants. You will need to choose one option.

To get your care package: Fill out the Order Form. Supplies are limited.

If you need help applying for the care package or ordering supplies, contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral program at 800-342-6712 or the Direct Pay Unit at 800-699-9074.

How Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) works

ERDC helps eligible families pay for child care so they can work.

If the family is eligible for assistance, ODHS pays a portion of their child care bill directly to the family's chosen provider through the Direct Pay Unit (DPU).

The amount ODHS pays is based on the child's age, location in Oregon, the type of child care and how many hours of care are needed.
Most parents also pay a portion of the cost, called a copay, directly to the provider.
The copay amount is based on a sliding scale and depends on the family's income and household size.
Parents must pay their copay or make other arrangements with the provider to remain eligible for assistance.
Providers must complete a Child Care Provider Listing form to find out if they can be listed and approved by ODHS. They must also meet ODHS requirements, including training and passing a background check. See below for details.

Become a child care provider with ODHS

To be able to receive child care payments from ODHS, providers must:

Meet all ODHS provider requirements
Pass a background check
Take required training (license exempt providers only)
Become listed and approved by ODHS

Background checks include:

A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint check using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System
A search of the state criminal and sex offender registry or repository in the state where the individual lives, and each state where the individual lived during the past 5 years
A search of state-based child abuse and neglect registries and databases in the state where the individual lives, and each state where the individual lived during the past 5 years
A search of the National Crime Information Center
A search of the National Sex Offender Registry established under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 16901 et seq.)

Requirements for license exempt providers

License exempt means you are not required to be licensed by the Office of Child Care (OCC) in order to provide child care.

ODHS requires license exempt providers to complete a background check, take training, pass a site visit, and test drinking water for lead. There are some exceptions if a relative is providing child care.

Exceptions for relatives providing care

There are exceptions to some of the requirements if you only provide care for children who are related to you.

Training

Some of the training requirements are waived.

Site Visits

If you only care for children related to you, the site visit requirement is waived. (Note: If you care for at least one child who is not related to you, you must meet the site visit requirements listed below.)

Drinking Water Lead Testing

If you only care for children related to you, the lead testing requirement is waived.

Who is a relative?

By federal definition, a relative is a:

Grandparent
Great-grandparent
Aunt
Uncle
Sibling not living in the home of the child

To be considered a relative, you must be related by blood, marriage or legal adoption.

Training

License exempt providers must complete pre-service health and safety trainings, orientation, and ongoing training. Visit the Required Training page for details.

Site visits

License exempt providers must pass an initial site visit before they are approved, and yearly after that. The Office of Child Care will contact providers to schedule yearly site visits or at your next re-evaluation. Note: If you only care for children related to you, the site visit requirement is waived.

Who does the visit and what are they looking for?

Both the initial pre-service visit and regular yearly visits are done by the Oregon Early Learning Division Office of Child Care (OCC).
Visits take place at the site where child care is being provided. This includes care provided in the home of the child.
OCC staff check to make sure the site meets all health and safety requirements. They can also provide resources if needed.

Health and safety checklist

Here is a copy of the Health and Safety Review Checklist that OCC staff will use during the site visit. The site visit will go more quickly if you read through the checklist and meet the requirements before the visit.

Drinking water lead testing

License exempt providers who are not related to all children in their care must have the home or facility where care is provided tested for lead exposure in water. Note: Lead testing is not required if care is provided in the child's home.

Requirements

Lead testing is required for all plumbing fixtures used for drinking, cooking, or preparing food or infant formula. This requirement protects children from exposure to lead in water. The harmful impact of lead exposure on child development, especially for the youngest children, is well-known and well-documented.

You can attach the lead testing results when you submit a Child Care Provider Listing form.
If the results are not submitted, the Direct Pay Unit will send you instructions.
If the lead testing results show a high level of lead, OCC staff will contact you with more instructions.
You need to pass the lead testing or submit a corrective action plan to remain approved as an ODHS child care provider.
If you use only bottled water for drinking, cooking and preparing infant formula at the location where care is provided, you can complete a Declaration for Bottled Water Use form to be exempt from lead testing. Submit the form to the Direct Pay Unit with your Child Care Provider Listing form.

For questions about lead testing, contact the Office of Child Care Lead Hotline at 503-947-5908 or visit their Lead Poisoning Prevention website.

Guidance

Download Lead Testing Guidance in English or Spanish.

Reimbursement

The Office of Child Care can reimburse providers for lead testing. To be reimbursed, you must:

Complete and submit the Lead Testing Reimbursement Form: English or Spanish
Complete a W-9: English or Spanish

Send completed forms to:

TRI/Central Coordination of CCR&R
Western Oregon University
345 Monmouth Ave N
Monmouth, OR 97361

For questions about reimbursement, please call 800-342-6712.

Billing and payments

The ODHS Direct Pay Unit (DPU) coordinates billing and payments. They also process billing and listing forms. Please reach out with concerns or questions.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

By phone: 800-699-9074

By email:

For general questions: customerservice.dpu@dhsoha.state.or.us
Submit billing and listing forms (PDF only) to: dpu.childcarebilling@dhsoha.state.or.us

View child care rates

Tools and resources

Category	Name	Description
Partners	211 Info	211 Info partners with ODHS to help people navigate and connect with the local resources. They help parents find the child care provider they need to meet their family’s needs.
Forms and Guides	Administrative Hearings Request Form MSC 0443	This form can be used to request an Administrative Hearing.
Forms and Guides	Child Care Provider Guide	Our handbook for providers who serve ERDC clients, with loads of information on how to get started, the payment process, and more. Also available in Español / Spanish and Русский / Russian.
Forms and Guides	Child Care Provider Listing Form	This form must be completed and submitted by providers that want to be paid by ODHS to provide child care for ODHS clients. Please note the effective date for ODHS payment cannot be earlier than the date you complete the listing process and are approved by ODHS. Also available in Español / Spanish.
Training	Child Care Provider Training	For information about orientation, health and safety training and additional training resources.
Rates & reimbursements	Child care rates	The maximum amounts we can pay providers who help ODHS clients with child care.
Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies	Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies	A link to listing of local CCR&Rs by county. CCR&Rs help providers by giving technical assistance and provider training.
Rates & reimbursements	Enhanced, special and high needs rates	About special provider rates are and how to qualify for and become an enhanced, special or high needs provider.
Rates & reimbursements	Food service education and reimbursement	About food handling, nutrition education, and getting USDA reimbursements.
Forms and Guides	Lead Testing FAQs	Frequently asked questions regarding lead testing.
Abuse reporting	Mandatory reporters	What is mandatory reporting and who must report?
Partners	National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC)	The NCCIC, a service of the Child Care Bureau, is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance (TA) center that provides comprehensive child care information resources and TA services to Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Administrators and other key stakeholders.
State Licensing	Office of Child Care (OCC) of the Department of Education	OCC is the regulatory agency that licenses child care facilities and conducts background checks on licensed providers. Their website is also a great resource, with a wealth of information and resources for parents, providers, and those interested in child care issues.
Partners	Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC)	Oregon AEYC is an affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and serves over 1300 early childhood professionals in the state of Oregon. OAEYC works to support excellent early education, promote public support and policies, build the profession, and improve teaching and learning.
Partners	Oregon Child Care Research Partnership (OCCRP)	The Oregon Child Care Research Partnership, housed within the Family Policy Program at Oregon State University, conducts research related to child care policy at the local and state levels. OCCRP conducts the Market Rate study upon which ODHS child care subsidy rates are based.
Rates & reimbursements	Pre-Payment and Absent Day Policy Expansion FAQs	Guidance for child care providers regarding the recent expansion of prepayment and absent day policies. (English \| Русский / Russian \| 简体中文 / Simplified Chinese \| Español / Spanish \| Tiếng Việt / Vietnamese)
Forms and Guides	Provider Report Form	This form can be used to report required provider changes. you may also report changes by calling DPU at 800-699-9074 or by email at DPU.providerreporting@dhsoha.state.or.us
Rates & reimbursements	Reimbursement for lead testing	2018-19 Lead Testing Reimbursement process and form. Reimbursement for lead testing (English \| Español / Spanish) Substitute W-9 (English \| Español / Spanish)
Abuse reporting	Report Child Abuse and Neglect	List of reporting phone numbers to report child abuse and neglect.
Rates & reimbursements	Spark Provider Incentive Payment	About provider incentive payments for Spark providers.
Union Representation	The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees	AFSCME Council 75 represents family child care providers who are licensed with the Office of Child Care, a member of the Department of Education. 800-521-5954
Union Representation	The Service Employees International Union Local 503 (SEIU)	SEIU Local 503 represents family child care providers who are exempt from licensing. Providers that are exempt from licensing are also referred to as Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) providers. 877-451-0002

Child Care

Information for Child Care Providers

​How Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) works