Child Care Attendance Processing System (CAPS Online)

CAPS Online is an online platform for child care providers to record and submit daily "time in and time out" attendance for each child.

CAPS Online Login

CAPS Online Trainings and Materials
CAPS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
CAPS Online Attendance Submission Schedule
Attendance Submission for Payment Policy
Attendance Maintenance Policy
Reimbursement for Absences Policy
Paid Closure Policy
CAPS Online Publications

CAPS Online Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

CAPS Online is an online platform for child care providers to record and submit daily "time in and time out" attendance for each child. The platform launched on September 1, 2021.

CAPS Online allows you to report daily attendance according to the time each child arrives at and departs from your program. This is consistent with NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) regulations for maintaining daily attendance records already required for all providers.

How Can I Access CAPS Online?

You can access CAPS Online via desktop computer, smart phone, tablet, or laptop. Access to CAPS Online is not limited to a computer. You do not need special software on your electronic device. All you need is an up-to-date Internet browser. We support the latest browser versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

You can use a computer, smart phone, or tablet device to record attendance.

Where Can I Get Help With CAPS Online?

You can register for training or access training materials.
You can email capsonline@earlychildhoodny.org
For live help, you can call the CAPS Online Helpdesk at (212) 835 7610, and press * (star).

What are the Benefits of Using CAPS Online?

No Paperwork: Without paper attendance records to submit, you will be able to submit attendance electronically, eliminating the need for printing and mailing. You can maintain your attendance records electronically. This will eliminate the cost of paper and postage as well as the costs for storing your paper attendance records.

More Accurate and Faster Payment: CAPS Online will reduce errors in recording attendance, which will allow for payments to be processed faster since there will be fewer errors, and no trips to the post office to mail attendance sheets that could be delayed or lost in the mail.

What If I Have an Issue With Electronic Capabilities?

You can access CAPS Online via a smart phone, tablet or laptop. Access to CAPS Online is not limited to a computer. Electronic submission of daily time in and time out attendance will be processed much quicker resulting in receipt of your monthly voucher payments sooner.

You can contact the Voucher Payment Unit (VPU) if you do not have a smart phone, tablet, laptop, or PC at 1-212 835-7610, listen to the prompts and press #, to discuss your issues with CAPS Online.

If it is established that you cannot access the internet using a computer, tablet or smart phone, then you will be required to complete an application to be considered for the paper process. A paper ACS-2 form will enable you to enter daily time in and time out attendance per month for each child in your care (one form per child). We will mail these forms to your address on file. You will be required to mail all completed forms back to VPU for processing (and ensure proper postage). Any errors on the forms will be returned to you by mail for correction, which will delay processing. Receipt of payment will be much slower with the paper process.

CAPS Online Attendance Submission Schedule

Attendance Submission for Payment Policy

In accordance with state child care subsidy regulations [18 NYCRR 415.5(a)(4)], New York City's Administration for Children's Services (ACS) is implementing a new policy effective July 1, 2022 regarding the submission of a bill and documentation of child care services for the processing of payment by ACS.

Effective July 1, 2022, child care attendance, including corrections to attendance, must be submitted by a child care provider or program within 6 months after the month of service to receive payment by ACS for subsidized children enrolled with the child care provider or program. If attendance is not submitted within those 6 months, the child care provider or program may forfeit payment for those services.

For example, if a provider or program seeks payment for any day in March - including attendance for the service month of March corrections to attendance, or other reimbursements for March - these documents must be submitted by no later than September 30, which is 6 months after the end of the March service month. If attendance is not submitted by that date in accordance with standard fiscal procedures, the child care provider or program may forfeit payment by NYC ACS for child care services.

Attendance Maintenance Policy

By regulation, child care providers and programs must also maintain onsite daily attendance records with time of arrival and departure for each child and/or notation of full day absences for each child. In accordance with ACS policy, providers and programs should also record program closure days in CAPS Online or the ACS-2 attendance forms. The ACS-2 will enable time-in/time-out reporting on paper.

Children should not be marked as absent on attendance records, either via CAPS Online or the ACS-2 form when there is a program closure.

Reimbursement for Absences Policy

In accordance with state child care subsidy regulations [18 NYCRR 415.6(b)(4)], New York City's Administration for Children's Services (ACS) will pay child care programs and providers for up to 80 days per year during which an enrolled child is absent from care. Implementation of this policy is retroactive to April 1, 2022.

This policy applies to all programs and providers rendering child care services to families in receipt of child care assistance. The 80 days per year will reset on April 1st of each year or when a child enrolls with a new program or provider.

To drop a child's enrollment, the parent/caregiver, program or provider must notify ACS at 212-835-7610 or the program or provider must drop the child's enrollment using CAPS Online.

If an enrolled child is absent for over 80 days since April 1st, there will be no payment for that child.

Per state child care subsidy regulations at 18 NYCRR 415.6(b)(5), reimbursement is not available for a day a child is absent from care if the provider ordinarily charges the caretaker on a daily or part-time basis and the child for whom reimbursement is requested is otherwise in need of and receives subsidized child care from a different provider on the same day.

Children should not be marked as absent on attendance records when there is a program closure.

Paid Closure Policy

In accordance with a change in New York State subsidy regulations, the New York City Administration for Children's Services (NYC ACS) can pay licensed or registered programs and providers as well as legally exempt group programs for up to 20 closure days between the period April 1 to March 31 (state fiscal year).

The closure must be due to:

A state, federal, religious, or cultural holiday, or
Extenuating circumstances beyond the provider's control including but not limited to natural disaster, severe weather, or other emergency closings, or
Professional development days (limited to two days per state fiscal year).

Payment is not available if:

A child is no longer enrolled at the program.
The provider normally charges on a daily or part-day basis and the child receives child care assistance from a different provider on the same day.
The closing is due to a substantiated regulatory violation.

Note:

Payment is only available for children who would otherwise be present on the day of the closure.
In order to be paid for closures, providers must also require payment for closures from families who do not receive child care assistance from NYC ACS.
Providers can only charge for closures as stated in their payment policies, which must apply to both families in receipt of child care assistance and private pay families.