Section 50.1330  Eligible Expenses

a)         For day care centers, awards must be used to compensate classroom staff working in the eligible classrooms, at or above the following required wage floor:

1)         Early childhood assistants in CCAP County Group 1A (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $18.00 per hour;

2)         Early childhood assistants in CCAP County Group 1B (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $17.25 per hour;

3)         Early childhood assistants in CCAP County Group 2 (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $17.00 per hour;

4)         Early childhood teachers in CCAP County Group 1A (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $19.25 per hour;

5)         Early childhood teachers in CCAP County Group 1B (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $18.50 per hour; and

6)         Early childhood teachers in CCAP County Group 2 (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $18.25 per hour.

7)         Early childhood assistants and early childhood teachers in this Section are defined as stated in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 407.45.

b)         For day care homes and group day care homes that receive awards with additional funding for assistants, awards must be used to compensate child care assistants at or above the following wage floor:

1)         Child care assistants in CCAP County Group 1A (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $18.00 per hour;

2)         Child care assistants in CCAP County Group 1B (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $17.25 per hour; and

3)         Child care assistants in CCAP County Group 2 (see Appendix A) must be paid at least $17.00 per hour.

4)         Child care assistants in this Section are defined in 89 Ill. Adm. Code 406.2 and 408.5.

c)         Compensation in this Section is defined as wages and salaries and any associated payroll taxes.

d)         The wage floor in this Section refers to the amount paid to staff before taxes and before other benefits are deducted. The Department may elect by rule to increase the required wage floors annually based on available appropriation, research, modeling, cost of living adjustments, or evaluation.

e)         County groupings in this Section will align with the Child Care Assistance Program regions.

f)         Child care programs may utilize awards to compensate additional staff in the child care program after meeting or exceeding the wage floor requirements outlined in subsections a) and b).  Additional staff includes, but is not limited to, directors, assistant directors, floaters, substitutes, food service, and custodial staff.

(Source:  Added at 48 Ill. Reg. 14957, effective October 1, 2024)