Child Care Bureau: Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

Child Care and Development Fund

Index: Technical Bulletin #1r-v2 | ACF-800 Context Sensitive Help | ACF-800 Form | (Technical Bulletin also available in Word and PDF)

Technical Bulletin #1r-v2

ACF-800 State-Level Data Standards
REVISED: December, 2004

Appendix A | Pooling Factor Calculation Spreadsheet and Checklist

This Technical Bulletin lists the data standards for the Child Care and Development Fund Annual Report. This Report, which is submitted by States and Territories to the Child Care Bureau, includes key State-level data required by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The data standards described here serve as the principal guideline to identify errors in State data. The submitting State or Territory must correct data that fail to meet these data standards. This update of the July 2002 version of Technical Bulletin #1 indicates two data elements (#6b and #20) that no longer are being collected and no longer will be included in statistical analyses.

The data standards for each item required in the Annual Report are found in the table beginning on page 3. The table's five columns are:

I. Data Item #'s: The first column lists each item that must be reported. Each item is referenced by the intersection of the applicable row and column in the Child Care and Development Fund Annual Report form. For example, the first item of the table, "1(A): Families", represents the total number of families receiving child care services. It is located in row "1." and column "(A)" of the Child Care and Development Fund Annual Report form. Please note that in addition to individual data items, the first column may list a group of related items that have the same data standards. For example, in the third row, "2(B) through 2(L): Children by type of provider" represents the number of children receiving child care services by category or type of child care. All of these items are related and have the same data standards.

II. Field Size: The second column lists the size (number of digits or characters) of the data element. Any response that does not use all of the available digits should be right aligned and padded with zeroes. For example, for the first row of the table, item "1(A): Families", the Field Size is 6. If the value was 45,000 families, it would be entered as 045000 so that it contained 6 digits.

III. Missing Data Standard: The third column indicates whether or not the data element is required to be reported. In this report, data elements #6b and #20 no longer are being collected. Data elements #21 and #22 are optional. All other data elements are required.

IV. Out of Range Standard: The fourth column indicates the acceptable range of values for the data. All values must occur within this range. For example, for the second row of the table, element "2(A): Children", the value must occur within the range of 1 to 999,999. Values less than 1 or greater than 999,999 are in error.

V. Internal Consistency Standard: The fifth column lists the standards for consistency among related elements. All of these standards are intuitively logical relationships. For example, the value of element "1(A): Families" must be less than or equal to the value of element "2(A): Children". This makes sense because more families cannot be receiving child care services than children who are receiving child care services.

Many states have had difficulty in accurately calculating their pooling factor (element #18). Note that the pooling factor reported on the ACF-800 will also be applied to the counts in the ACF-801 summary record (unless advised otherwise). Some States have indicated that the pooling factor reported on the ACF-800 should not be applied to the States ACF-801 summary record counts. If pooling is used, then the ACF-800 and ACF-801 counts should reflect all subsidized child care within the State or Territory both in the counts shown on the ACF-801 summary record and the full population or cases reported on the ACF-801. Conversely if pooling is not utilized, then the ACF-800 counts, the ACF-801 counts, and the full population or sample cases reported should only be those funded by the CCDF.

Appendix A contains an Excel Pooling Factor Calculation Sheet and Check List (with instructions) that many States may find helpful for calculating an accurate pooling factor.

I. Data Item #s	II. Field Size	III. Missing Data Standard	IV. Out-of-Range Standard	V. Internal Consistency Standard
1.(A): Families	6	Always required	1-399,999	- less than or equal to 2.(A)
2.(A): Children	6	Always required	1-999,999	- greater than or equal to 1.(A) - equal to the sum of 2.(B) through 2.(L) - equal to the sum of 3.(A) and 4.(A)
2.(B) through 2.(L): Children by type of provider	6	Always required	0-999,999	- sum of 2.(B) through 2.(L) must be equal to 2.(A) - for each column (x=column) 2.(x) must be equal to the sum of 3.(x) and 4.(x)
3.(A): Payment method- grants or contracts	6	Always required	0-999,999	- equal to the sum of 3.(B) through 3.(L) - the sum of 3.(A) and 4.(A) must be equal to 2.(A)
3.(B) through 3.(L): Payment method- grants or contracts by type of provider	6	Always required	0-999,999	- sum of 3.(B) through 3.(L) must be equal to 3.(A) - for each column (x=column) the sum of 3.(x) and 4.(x) must be equal to 2.(x)
4.(A): Payment methods- certificates and/or cash	6	Always required	1-999,999	- equal to the sum of 4.(B) through 4.(L) - the sum of 3.(A) and 4.(A) must be equal to 2.(A) - greater than or equal to 5.(A)
4.(B) through 4.(L): Payment methods- certificates and/or cash by type of provider	6	Always required	0-999,999	- sum of 4.(B) through 4.(L) must be equal to 4.(A) - for each column (x=column) the sum of 3.(x) and 4.(x) must be equal to 2.(x) - 4.(x) must be greater than or equal to 5.(x)
5.(A): Payment method- cash	6	Always required	0-999,999	- equal to the sum of 5.(B) through 5.(L) - less than or equal to 4.(A)
5.(B) through 5.(L): Payment method- cash by type of provider	6	Always required	0-999,999	- sum of 5.(B) through 5.(L) must be equal to 5.(A) - for each column (x=column) 5.(x) must be less than or equal to 4.(x)
6.(A): Providers	6	Always required	1-999,999	- equal to the sum of 6a.(B) through 6a.(L)
6a.(B) through 6a.(L): Providers type	6	Always required	0-999,999	- sum of 6a.(B) through 6a.(L) must be equal to 6a.(A)
6b.(A)Total licensed capacity in centers and homes	6	No longer being collected	N/A	N/A
6b.(C) through 6b.(E): Licensed capacity type	6	No longer being collected	N/A	N/A
7.(A): Consumer education	8	Always required	1-99,999,999	- no internal consistency standard (Explanation of how the estimate was determined must be included).
8 through 16: Consumer education methods	1	Always required	Y, N, NA: Y = Yes; N = No NA = Not Applicable (for element #8 only)	- at least one of elements 8 through 16 must have a value of "Y"
17: Is this report based on pooled CCDF and non-CCDF funds?	1	Always required	Y, N: Y = Yes; N = No	- if No is selected, then the value of Element 18 Percent of Funds which are CCDF must be 100% - if Yes is selected, then the value of Element 18 must be less than 100% - If Yes is selected, then Element 19 must be completed
18: Percent of funds which are CCDF	3	Always required	0.1 - 99.9	-if Element 17 is No, then the value for Element 18 must be 100% - if Element 17 is Yes, then the value of Element 18 must be less than 100% and greater than 0% - This is one of the most important data elements on the ACF-800 report because the CCB will apply this pooling factor to both ACF-800 and ACF-801 data (including the family count in the ACF-801 summary record) unless advised that it is not applicable to the ACF-801 data. Appendix A is a spreadsheet with instructions that may be helpful in calculating this pooling factor based on financial data applicable to CCDF expenditures.
19: If this report is based on pooled CCDF and non-CCDF funds, indicate which funds are included in the pool	1	Always required	Y, N: Y = Yes; N = No	- at least one of the Element 19 Non-CCDF Funds must have a value of "Y"
20: Unannounced inspections	1	No longer being collected	N/A	N/A
21: Explanatory comments	250	Optional	None	- No internal consistency
22: Attachments (reports, materials, information developed as a result of the use of CCDF quality funds)	None	Optional	None	- No internal consistency - email attachments to NCCIC at info@nccic.org with subject line specifying "ACF-800 supplement" - fax hard copies to CCB Reports Manager at 202-690-5600

The Child Care Bureau website has Context Sensitive Help pertaining to the ACF-800 data elements. For additional help, go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/report/formhelp/acf800/helpdocs/context.htm.

Index: Technical Bulletin #1r-2 | ACF-800 Context Sensitive Help | ACF-800 Form | (Technical Bulletin also available in Word and PDF)