ACS - EarlyLearn and Voucher Providers

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
CAPS Online Publications

CAPS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What Changes Are Coming?

Online System: Instead of using the CAPS phone system, or paper attendance sheets, you will now be able to log on to a website through a computer, smartphone, or tablet device to record attendance. This system is called CAPS Online.

Attendance by the Hour: When you submit attendance via CAPS Online, you will be providing 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.

What Are The Benefits?

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 Does This Mean For Me Now?

You will need to have access to a device that can connect to the internet. This can be your smartphone (Android or iPhone), a tablet (iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Fire, etc.), a computer, or a laptop.
ACS will provide training and support.

What Happens Next?

All child care providers and programs serving subsidized children are required to start entering "time in and time out" attendance into CAPS Online no later than September 1, 2022.
August 2022 is the last service month that can be submitted via an ACS-1 form.
August 2022 is the last service month that can be submitted via the CAPS Online phone system.
ACS will provide online training materials.
Keep checking this website for future updates.

What If I Cannot Use A Computer?

You can access CAPS Online via 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.

What If I Have No Electronic Capabilities?

You can contact the Voucher Payment Unit (VPU) at 1-212 835-7610, 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 beginning June 1, 2022, 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.

What Web Browsers Can I Use?

We support the latest browser versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

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.