Program Information

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Program Information

AmeriCorps Childcare Benefits Program

The AmeriCorps Childcare Benefit Program is available for qualified, active, full-time AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, NCCC, and FEMA Corps Members who need the benefit to serve; eligibility requirements are listed below for each AmeriCorps program. Childcare benefits are paid directly to qualified childcare providers for all or of part of the member's childcare costs during their active time of service with AmeriCorps; childcare benefit payments cannot be paid directly to AmeriCorps members. Childcare benefits may not exceed applicable payment rates as established in the state in which the childcare is provided under the Childcare and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858c(4)(A)).

Application Process

To learn about your eligibility requirements, follow the link to our AmeriCorps Childcare Benefit Program Fact Sheet

Whether you are an AmeriCorps member or childcare provider, please use the AmeriCorps Member and Childcare Provider Checklists to confirm that you have all the documents to complete your Childcare benefit application.

AmeriCorps Childcare Program Member Checklist

AmeriCorps Childcare Program Provider Checklist

For your convenience, you can choose to apply online. Please utilize and share the below links to our online applications; and if you choose to fill out a paper application, click the Forms/Resources button located at the center of the homepage to find and print the forms you need.

AmeriCorps Member Online Application

AmeriCorps Provider Online Application

For a description on the Types of Childcare Providers, please click below.

Types of Childcare Providers

To find out if your provider of choice is approved to receive childcare payments from AmeriCorps, please review the AmeriCorps Childcare Provider State Guide.

If your childcare provider doesn't meet your state's requirement to participate, please select a different childcare provider.

GAP Solutions (GAPSI) has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help answer questions that AmeriCorps State & National, VISTA, and NCCC members may have about the AmeriCorps Childcare Program (ACCP). If you find you have further questions not addressed by the FAQs or need assistance in applying please feel free to contact our childcare coordinators toll free at 1-855-886-0687.

AmeriCorps Member FAQs

Member - Application Process

Upon submission of your completed application to GAP Solutions, Inc., you will receive confirmation within 5 business days about the status of your application (incomplete or in review); if you have submitted an incomplete application, you will be notified at that time about what steps or documentation remain outstanding to process your application. All applications will be verified for eligibility and awarded or denied within 10 days from the date the application was marked completed.
Missing documentation, lack of response from the member and/or provider, and illegible documents are common challenges in application processing. To ensure there are no delays in processing your application, please make sure that the documents you are uploading, faxing or scanning are legible and/or scanning clearly. You may refer to the AmeriCorps Childcare Program website at: https://www.americorpschildcare.com for a detailed list of required forms and supporting documentation. An assigned Childcare Coordinator will send e-mail communication to you with information on documentation needed as well as questions about illegible documents. If your application package is incomplete or illegible, your application will be pending review for a period of up to 30 days; incomplete applications will be closed after the 30 days with the option to reopen the application and submit the remaining documentation. Uploading the documents via our online application or faxing are the most secure methods of sending documents to our office. If you do decide to email any of your documents, please ensure you encrypt the documents, then send the documents in one email and the password in a separate email. That will help protect your information from any unintended recipients
Members may have multiple childcare providers and additionally, childcare providers may change at any time. ALL childcare providers must however be approved through the application process before reimbursement for the member’s childcare needs is considered and processed.

Parents are strongly encouraged to consider a back-up childcare arrangement in the event that a primary childcare provider is unable to provide care when it is required. For example, some childcare centers might close on days other than Federal Holidays; members should submit to GAP Solutions a copy of the childcare center‘s schedule in the event that it is needed to reimburse a back-up childcare provider.
If your state of residence allows for the use of unlicensed childcare providers, you have the choice of using a household member as a childcare provider except for the child’s other biological parent, or adult sibling who lives in the home. Please check our AmeriCorps Childcare Provider State Guide.
Each of the 50 states and 5 territories establishes their own regulations for implementing the Childcare and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 and each state and territory can change these requirements at any time. Some states publish information on public websites however the information is often lengthy and unclear. GAP Solutions, Inc. has information on the eligibility requirements for each state and is your resource for determining your eligibility and rates; please contact GAP Solutions, Inc. for assistance in the application process and with questions about eligibility. Please note that each state has unique requirements for eligibility. For your convenience GAP Solutions has provided a link to the CCDF Plans as an additional resource. Click here to view the list of Individual and State and Territory CCDF Plans. Click here to view the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services CCDF State and Territory Contacts. Click here for links to the rates for each state.">here for links to the rates for each state.
The age limit for children is under 13 years old however; if you have a child with special needs you may still be eligible. Please contact Gap Solutions to discuss your child’s individual case.
To be eligible AmeriCorps State & National members must be serving full-time or less-than-full-time but serving in a full-time capacity, meaning performing service at least 32.5 hours per week.
No. Members are not eligible for benefits while they are under suspension. However, if you are an AmeriCorps State and National Member and were placed in a temporary suspended status and you meet all of the below requirements, you may be eligible to receive up to 12 consecutive weeks of continued benefits:
  • The Member cannot be suspended for cause and/or other disciplinary actions (for example, the member was given a temporary suspension under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA);
  • The Member must intend to return to service;
  • Member must certify he/she needs the continued benefit in order to be able to return to service.
To ensure no lapse in coverage, the AmeriCorps State and National grantee must notify GAP Solutions in writing within five business days after a member’s status changes. Costs incurred due to the grantee‘s failure to keep GAP Solutions immediately informed of changes in a member‘s status may be charged to the grantee‘s organization.
Yes. Members starting another term of service with AmeriCorps are required to reapply; however, there may be instances where some supporting documentation from your previous application is still adequate. Please contact GAP Solutions, Inc. to find out which documents you are required to resubmit along with your new application. Please note that current income documentation and taxes must be submitted for every new term of service. There might be annual changes in your State Childcare Subsidy Fund Plan that may impact your eligibility for a new term. GAP Solutions will review each new term against the most current Childcare Development Fund Plan.
Contact GAP Solutions to find out if your State CCDF Plan grants you the option of in-home care.
AmeriCorps may cover full time upon verification that the school district is following a COVID-19 hybrid learning schedule.
You may directly appeal a denial in writing to the AmeriCorps Childcare Benefit Administrator; appeals must be received within 15 business days of receipt of the denial notification for consideration. In your appeal, you should state and support (with documentation) your claim as to why you meet the eligibility requirements for receipt of the benefit, specifically addressing the ineligibility factors as outlined in your denial. Appeals may be submitted by email, fax, or mail to:

AmeriCorps Childcare Program
Attn: Yamileth Hernandez, Program Director, GAP Solutions, Inc.
205 Van Buren St.
Ste. 205
Herndon, VA 20170
e-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 1-888-979-8216
Within 10 business days of the receipt of the appeal, GAP Solutions will notify the AmeriCorps member about the appeal decision.
If the other parent is not part of the household, custody documentation will be necessary. The benefit is to help the AmeriCorps parent with childcare so they can go out to serve. If the child does not live with the AmeriCorps member, then there is no true need for the benefit.
The AmeriCorps Childcare Benefit Program is available for qualified, active, full time AmeriCorps State & National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps members who need the benefit to serve. If a member is not able to prove that the child needing the benefit is in their full physical custody for the days care is needed, a letter of need is required.
For your convenience GAP Solutions has created a State Median Income Table. Go to your state row and household size column. The amount is the maximum total monthly gross income threshold to be eligible. Your family household income should fall less than the amount on the table to be eligible. You can find The State Median Income Table at americorpschildcare.com under Forms and Printable Resources.
If you did not fully complete the income table on page 5 of the AmeriCorps Childcare Member Application, you will be asked to send a verification of no other income letter. The letter should declare all the sources of income, if any, for both you and your spouse/domestic partner or other legal parent in the home. If there is no other income, then the letter should just declare that there is no other income in addition to the AmeriCorps stipend.
No. Only the monthly gross income of your spouse, significant other or child’s other parent if they live with you are considered when calculating your household income.
You may qualify to receive only part time rates if your spouse is at work part time.
If your spouse/domestic partner is self-employed, the following documentation will be required:
  • Statement of Work Activity Form
  • Quarterly Profit and Loss Statements (applies to business owners)
  • Copy of most recent 1040 Federal Tax Return (including all schedules)
A verification of non-filing from the IRS is required if you or your spouse did not file taxes. This can be requested through the IRS website. The letter is available after June 15th for the current tax year or anytime for the prior three tax years using Get Transcript Online or Form 4506-T. The IRS will confirm your non-filing status in the form of a letter. To request a copy of your tax transcript or a verification of non-filing letter visit https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript.
You may contact GAP Solutions, Inc. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST to ask questions about the AmeriCorps Childcare Program in general or inquire about your childcare benefits. GAP Solutions, Inc. may be contacted via email at: [email protected] or toll-free telephone number at 855-886-0687.

Member - Benefit Payment Questions

Your state‘s CCDF Plan outlines the rates associated with each type of provider. The amount of the rate per child is dependent on where your provider lives and the provider type (licensed, regulated, informal). A child not enrolled in school is granted both Part-time and Full-time rates. GAP Solutions uses the rate that best fits the attendance of the child when issuing awards and reimbursing childcare providers.

School age children are granted ONLY Part-time rates while in school. Full-time rates may apply to children registered in half day kindergarten upon confirmation of school schedule. All other school age children will have a Full-time Rate ONLY to be used for Holidays and School Breaks. GAP Solutions, Inc. encourages parents to submit each child‘s school calendar to support any school breaks.
Only a few states cover registration fees. Ask your state childcare coordinator for more information. All other fees are the responsibility of the AmeriCorps member.
Upon receipt of a completed Attendance Sheet Invoice, our staff will process payment within 10 business days. If your provider chose to be paid by check, you must allow 8-10 additional days for postal mail delivery.
The following are common causes for a delay:
1. The Attendance Sheet Invoice is missing charges.
2. The Attendance Sheet Invoice is missing hours that each child was in care.
3. The Attendance Sheet invoice is missing a signature from both the AmeriCorps member and childcare provider.
4. The Attendance Sheet Invoice is not dated. Each signature must be dated.
5. A delay can also be a result of lack of proof of weekends charges on the invoice. If you had a need for weekend care, we ask that your supervisor submit confirmation of the weekends you were required to work so we can process payment for those days.
6. A delay can also occur when there’s an expired childcare license.
7. Attendance sheets will not be processed until your childcare benefit award has been issued. You can submit the invoice with your application packet but keep in mind that payments will be processed within 10 days from when you are issued the childcare benefit award. If the Attendance Sheet invoice on file is incomplete, we will not be able to process it.
8. If an Attendance Sheet Invoice is completed and submitted too early (before the month is done), it cannot be processed for payment. The AmeriCorps member and the childcare provider should both sign and date the form on the last day of care for the month. The only time an attendance invoice can be submitted for payment before the month ends, is only when care for that month has ended early.
9. A delay can also occur if you received a conditional award. For example: Official Birth Certificate is required before payments can start. If you hold a conditional award, please ensure that the required documents are submitted as soon as possible.
Both you and your childcare provider will be held responsible for ensuring that the hours entered on each Attendance Sheet are true and accurate. If you have a request to add or remove hours to a previously submitted attendance sheet, you must submit a perjury statement signed by both member and provider as to why the attendance sheet should be modified.
No. School aged children are approved only for part time childcare while schools are in session. Full time care is approved only during periods of school breaks confirmed by the school calendar.
ACH Electronic Payments are the preferred method of payment. However, if for any reason your childcare provider does not feel comfortable enrolling in ACH payments, we can set them up to receive payments by paper checks. The benefit of ACH payments is the faster turnaround time. Payments will post to their bank account within 10 business days from when invoice was submitted. To enroll, the childcare provider must complete the Payment Authorization form or contact GAP Solutions for more information. All forms are found at https://americorpschildcare.com/index.cfm?tab2 under Childcare Forms.
First, ask your childcare provider if they have done the following: (1) Submitted a signed W-9 form and other documents as requested by GAP Solutions? (2) Submitted a complete monthly Attendance Sheet Invoice showing all charges for each month of care? Second, contact GAP Solutions, Inc. for assistance.
If the absences were COVID-19 related, you must contact our office with verification of the closing. AmeriCorps will cover for any COVID-19 related absences that resulted in fees to the AmeriCorps member.
Providers are not pre-paid for childcare services; rather, they are paid after completed documentation has been submitted to GAP Solutions, Inc. demonstrating the childcare services delivered for the previous month. It is recommended that members have a clear understanding of what requirements their childcare provider may have for payment before having the provider come on as an ‘approved provider’ with the AmeriCorps Childcare Benefits Program. Remember, you as the member are responsible for paying all childcare charges in excess of the childcare benefit amount awarded.
No. The AmeriCorps childcare benefit only pays benefits to approved childcare providers on behalf of the serving member. We highly encourage parents to discuss payment arrangements with their providers if they are paying up front and to be sure to understand what the childcare provider‘s policy is regarding reimbursement back to the members once the benefit payments begin. It is important not to assume that your childcare provider‘s policy allows for reimbursement back to you.
If you were awarded a monthly rate, it is assumed that care is needed every day of the month. If your child exceeded 5 absences in the month, a daily rate will be calculated.
YOU, the AmeriCorps member, are responsible for paying all childcare charges in excess of the childcare subsidy benefit amount. The childcare benefit cannot exceed the prevailing rate established by the state or territory where the childcare services are provided.
GAP Solutions will reimburse for weekend service-related work upon receiving confirmation of your work hours from your AmeriCorps site supervisor.

Member - Childcare Provider Questions

The AmeriCorps Childcare Program strongly supports freedom in choosing a childcare provider that offers a stable and safe childcare environment where your child(ren) can best thrive. To find out if your childcare provider is eligible to participate in the AmeriCorps Childcare Program, please contact our helpline at 1-855-886-0687. Our Childcare Coordinators will assist you in understanding the specific childcare provider eligibility requirements in your state and address any questions you may have. Only the types of providers listed as eligible to participate per your State‘s CCDF plan may participate and be paid through the AmeriCorps Childcare Benefit program. To learn about your provider choices, check out the Childcare Provider State Guide!
The biological parent, adoptive parent, adult sibling in the home, or guardian of the child needing the childcare benefit cannot be used as a childcare provider.* Depending on the state in which the care is provided, other blood relatives may be used. Some states allow a relative to serve as an approved provider and some states do not. Please note –All childcare providers must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to participate in the AmeriCorps Childcare program. Please call 1-855-886-0687 about your options for childcare.

*For the NCCC program only, the guardian or family member with whom the child is living should also 1) be the Childcare provider or 2) serve as the responsible party in selecting an outside childcare provider; the identified Childcare provider however may not be the child’s biological, step, or adoptive parent. For more information, please review the section on Childcare Provider Types.
A qualified childcare provider is one that meets your state’s licensing and regulatory requirements in order to receive federally subsidized childcare funds. Click here to read about different types of childcare providers. Please remember however that the requirements for the types of eligible childcare providers depends on the CCDF state requirements in which the care is being provided; some states require that childcare providers meet particular licensing, certification and training requirements. GAP Solutions, Inc. will be your resource for ensuring that your childcare provider meets state requirements.

Please note: childcare providers can only participate in the AmeriCorps Childcare Benefits Program and be reimbursed for services starting from the moment that they complete all state-required certifications, registrations, and trainings.
Two possible reasons why you and your provider may have received a denial for the AmeriCorps Childcare Benefits are:
• Your provider couldn’t verify their place of residence. (In order for an unlicensed provider to participate in the program, the provider must be able to confirm their physical place of residence). Your provider can do this by presenting any of the following documents: a copy of their current lease in their name; copy of utility bill in their name; State issued ID that matches current address. If the childcare provider is not able to verify their place of residence, they will not be eligible to participate to receive benefit payments.
• Your provider may not have the background check, training and or certification requirements to be eligible per your State CCDF requirements.
Should you receive a denial due to the use of an unlicensed provider, please contact GAP Solutions at 1-855-886-0687 and our Childcare Coordinators will be happy to discuss your specific case with you.
Childcare providers are paid in accordance with the member’s approved award rate and after completed documentation has been submitted to GAP Solutions, Inc. demonstrating the childcare services needed and delivered for the previous month; please note, providers are not pre-paid for childcare services. The member or the childcare provider must submit a completed AmeriCorps Childcare Program Monthly Attendance Sheet (invoice) after the last day that the childcare has been provided for that month; the Monthly Attendance Sheet Invoice is available here. The member and the childcare provider must sign and certify each monthly Attendance Sheet confirming the following before processing:

  • The child’s attendance for each day, each week, and each month.
  • The total charges for childcare services rendered during each week and the total for the month.
  • The childcare provider is an eligible provider in accordance with the CCDF Block Grant program guidelines for the state or territory where the childcare services were provided.

In addition, the member must sign and certify the following:
  • The member is still an active participant in the AmeriCorps Program, and
  • Nothing has changed in regard to their total household income, household size or AmeriCorps service status that will impact their eligibility in accordance with the CCDF Block Grant program guidelines for the state or territory where the childcare services were provided.
Ensure your provider understands the AmeriCorps Childcare Benefits Program, eligibility requirements, and payment procedures. It is important that providers understand their responsibilities in the application process and the ongoing requirements for benefits payment. Encourage your provider to call GAP Solutions at the toll-free telephone number at 855-886-0687 if they have any concerns.

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