Child Care Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions

Section 2 of the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) requires federal agencies to review their programs and activities to identify those that may be susceptible to significant improper payments, publish improper payment estimates for those programs and activities, and submit a report on actions taken to reduce improper payments. 45 CFR Part 98 Subpart K requires states to prepare and submit a report of errors occurring in the administration of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) grant funds once every three years and directs states to follow the methodology outlined in the Child Care Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions (DCI). The DCI provides instructions and forms to states to implement the required CCDF error rate review methodology. The Office of Child Care (OCC) first implemented the error rate methodology in 2007 and is currently completing the sixth 3-year cycle of case record reviews to meet the requirements for error rate reporting under the PIIA. The current data collection forms and instructions expire on January 31, 2025 and must be renewed. As part of the renewal process, OCC has revised the forms and instructions with minor changes that do not change the error rate methodology, but instead provide respondents with additional guidance and clarification to facilitate complete and accurate data submissions. To allow states time to implement changes prior to the submission deadline for the ACF-404 State Improper Payments Report (one of the four reports included in the DCI), the new version of the ACF-404 will be effective for the June 2026 reports. The currently approved version of the ACF-404 will be used in 2025.

The latest form for Child Care Improper Payments Data Collection Instructions expires 2028-03-31 and can be found here.

ACF-403 Record Review Worksheet: template (IC-2 - ACF-403)

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Community and Social Services - Social Services

Review document collections for all forms, instructions, and supporting documents - including paper/printable forms.