Parent fees are the family's share of the cost of care. EEC pays the rest. Collecting those fees is your responsibility — not EEC's, not your CCR&R's. How you handle non-payment has real financial consequences for your program.

The Basics

• Families pay you directly. EEC pays you the reimbursement rate minus the parent fee.
• Fees are due weekly, no later than the first business day of the week in which care is provided.
• Families may agree to an alternative payment schedule (monthly, biweekly, etc.) if you offer it — but any such arrangement must be in writing, signed by both parties, and kept on file.
• No initial deposit is collected from families. The prior policy requiring a deposit for the first week of care has been eliminated.

Fees Still Apply During Absences

Parents owe their parent fee for every day care is available, including explained and unexplained absences. The only exception is when care is unavailable due to a provider closure that qualifies for EEC payment — in that case, EEC pays the parent fee on the parent's behalf.

The 3-Week Rule — Know This

The Jan 2026 regulations are clear: educators/providers who allow parents to accrue balances in excess of three weeks of parent fees may be responsible for the difference. This is not theoretical — it is EEC policy. The practical consequence is that you have a financial incentive to act early on non-payment.

The policy guide adds: if you have entered into a formal repayment agreement with the parent per the guidelines below, you may maintain a balance higher than the three-week threshold while that agreement is active.

Your Written Policy

You must have a written late-payment policy that covers what happens when fees aren't paid. This policy must be:

• Given to every parent at enrollment (or at least four weeks before any policy change takes effect)
• Signed and acknowledged by the parent, with that acknowledgement kept on file
• Applied consistently to all parents

Your policy cannot include suspension or exclusion of the child from care, or additional charges for late payment.

The Non-Payment Process

EEC's allowed escalation steps are:

Step	What happens	Your options
1. First non-payment	Parent misses a fee due date	Issue a Non-Payment Warning Notice
2. Warning period	Parent has until the next fee due date to pay the overdue balance	If they pay, no further action needed. This step can repeat.
3. Non-payment continues	Parent didn't pay by the next due date	Issue a Notice of Termination (14 days before termination date) — OR — Enter a Repayment Agreement
4. 14-day termination period	Parent has 14 days to pay the full overdue balance	Parent can also request review and continue services during appeal
5. Termination	Services end; an IPV is issued against the parent	You may keep the (now-eliminated) deposit as partial offset

You cannot terminate a child's enrollment for non-payment without following this process and issuing proper 14-day advance written notice.

Repayment Agreements

A repayment plan is the most practical tool to stop escalation and get paid. You are not required to offer one, but EEC strongly encourages it.

If you offer a repayment agreement, it must be:

• In writing, signed by both parties
• Specific about the amount owed (broken out from any other fees)
• Include a payment schedule
• State that the parent must maintain current fees in addition to the repayment amount
• Include what happens if the parent doesn't follow the plan

Once a repayment agreement is in place, you cannot issue a termination notice as long as the parent is current on the plan. If the parent falls behind on the plan, you may then proceed to termination per the process above.

From the Family's Perspective

See Parent Fees (1.8) for the family-facing view of this same process, including what families are told about repayment plans.

---

Next Steps

• Reimbursement during fee disputes: See How Reimbursement Works (2.4)
• Provider liability for billing errors: See Provider Improper Payments and Fraud (2.9)
• Contact your CCR&R's CCFA Administrator for guidance on issuing notices