Child Start Date (CDD-801A only)
The Child Start Date information field indicates the actual date on which the child began receiving subsidized child care services through an agency’s contract with the Ealy Learning and Care Division (ELCD).
Where to Find It
The documentation for when a child begins receiving services should be in the family file; this date should be found on a Notice of Action but may also be found in other documents.
Rules and Guidelines
- This information field is required.
- Enter the date (month, day, and year) the child began receiving subsidized child care services.
- If the services were interrupted for less than three months due to illness or vacation, indicate the original date services began for this child with the agency, not the date services resumed.
- If the services were interrupted for three months or more, indicate the date the child resumed receiving services, not the original date services began with the agency.
Example 1: Joe Kim began receiving subsidized child care from Daisy’s Day Care on June 1, 2018. He did not receive services during the month of July, but returned to Daisy’s Day Care on August 13, 2018. Because there was less than three months between the last day Joe was in care and the day he returned, June 1, 2018 is reported in the CDD-801A.
Example 2: Suzy Kim began receiving subsidized child care on April 1, 2018. She did not receive child care in June, July, or August because of summer vacation. She returned to child care in September 5, 2018.
Enter September 5, 2008 is reported in the CDD-801A because that was the date Suzy resumed receipt of subsidized child care after a break of three months.
- This date must be before or during the report period.
- This date must be on or after the Family Start Date.
Error Messages and Solutions
- The Child Start Date is required. [801A Electronic File Transfer only]
Problem: The Child Start Date is blank.
Solution: Enter the Child Start Date.
- Invalid Child Start Date. [801A Electronic File Transfer only]
Problem: An invalid or incomplete date is entered.
Solution: Enter a date that meets the file format specifications. For example, January 1, 2010, would appear as 01/01/2010 in an electronic file.
- The Child Start Month is required. [801A Input/Edit]
Problem: No month was selected from the dropdown list.
Solution: Select the month from the dropdown list (January – December).
- The Child Start Day is required. [801A Input/Edit]
Problem: No day was selected from the dropdown list.
Solution: Select the day from the dropdown list (1 – 31).
- The Child Start Year is required. [801A Input/Edit]
Problem: No year was selected from the dropdown list.
Solution: Select the year from the dropdown list.
- The Child Start Date must be on or before the report month/year. [801A Electronic File Transfer], [801A Input/Edit]
Problem: The Child Start Date indicated occurs after the report period, indicating that the child is being reported in a month that has not yet begun.
Solution: Confirm that the Child Start Date is entered.
- The Child Start Date must be on or after the Family Start Date. [801A Electronic File Transfer], [801A Input/Edit]
Problem: The Child Start Date entered is before the Family Start Date. The child cannot start before the family has started.
Solution: Confirm that the child and family start dates are entered correctly.
- The Child Start Date must be on or after the Child Date of Birth. [801A Electronic File Transfer], [801A Input/Edit]
Problem: The Child Start Date entered occurs before the child was born. The child cannot start receiving services before it is born.
Solution: Confirm that the Child Start Date and Child Date of Birth are entered correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I do not know the Child Start Date. What should I do?
Determine the Child Start Date by looking in the family file. A Notice of Action may indicate when the child began receiving subsidized child care services. Check the agency’s provider payment records to determine when payments began for this child’s services.
Return to Appendix A: Data Definitions