(a) The CCDF is available, subject to the availability of appropriations, in accordance with the apportionment of funds from the Office of Management and Budget as follows:

(1) Discretionary Funds are available to States, Territories, and Tribes,

(2) Mandatory and Matching Funds are available to States;

(3) Tribal Mandatory Funds are available to Tribes.

(b) Subject to the availability of appropriations, in accordance with relevant statutory provisions and the apportionment of funds from the Office of Management and Budget, the Secretary:

(1) May withhold a portion of the CCDF funds made available for a fiscal year for the provision of technical assistance, for research, evaluation, and demonstration, and for a national toll free hotline and Web site;

(2) Will award the remaining CCDF funds to grantees that have an approved application and Plan.

(c) The Secretary may make payments in installments, and in advance or by way of reimbursement, with necessary adjustments due to overpayments or underpayments.

(d) The following obligation and liquidation provisions apply to States and Territories:

(1) Discretionary Fund allotments shall be obligated in the fiscal year in which funds are awarded or in the succeeding fiscal year. Unliquidated obligations as of the end of the succeeding fiscal year shall be liquidated within one year.

(2)

(i) Mandatory Funds for States requesting Matching Funds per §98.55 shall be obligated in the fiscal year in which the funds are granted and are available until expended.

(ii) Mandatory Funds for States that do not request Matching Funds are available until expended.

(3) Both the Federal and non-Federal share of the Matching Fund shall be obligated in the fiscal year in which the funds are granted and liquidated no later than the end of the succeeding fiscal year.

(4) Except for paragraph (d)(5) of this section, determination of whether funds have been obligated and liquidated will be based on:

(i) State or local law; or,

(ii) If there is no applicable State or local law, the regulation at 45 CFR 75.2, Expenditures and Obligations.

(5) Obligations may include subgrants or contracts that require the payment of funds to a third party (e.g., subgrantee or contractor). However, the following are not considered third party subgrantees or contractors:

(i) A local office of the Lead Agency;

(ii) Another entity at the same level of government as the Lead Agency; or

(iii) A local office of another entity at the same level of government as the Lead Agency.

(6) In instances where the Lead Agency issues child care certificates, funds for child care services provided through a child care certificate will be considered obligated when a child care certificate is issued to a family in writing that indicates:

(i) The amount of funds that will be paid to a child care provider or family, and

(ii) The specific length of time covered by the certificate, which is limited to the date established for redetermination of the family's eligibility, but shall be no later than the end of the liquidation period.

(7) In instances where third party agencies issue child care certificates, the obligation of funds occurs upon entering into agreement through a subgrant or contract with such agency, rather than when the third party issues certificates to a family.

(8) Any funds not obligated during the obligation period specified in paragraph (d) of this section will revert to the Federal government. Any funds not liquidated by the end of the applicable liquidation period specified in paragraph (d) of this section will also revert to the Federal government.

(e) The following obligation and liquidation provisions apply to Tribal Discretionary and Tribal Mandatory Funds:

(1) Tribal grantees shall obligate all funds by the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year for which the grant is awarded. Any funds not obligated during this period will revert to the Federal government.

(2) Obligations that remain unliquidated at the end of the succeeding fiscal year shall be liquidated within the next fiscal year. Any tribal funds that remain unliquidated by the end of this period will also revert to the Federal government.

(f) Cash advances shall be limited to the minimum amounts needed and shall be timed to be in accord with the actual, immediate cash requirements of the State Lead Agency, its subgrantee or contractor in carrying out the purpose of the program in accordance with 31 CFR part 205.

(g) Funds that are returned (e.g., loan repayments, funds deobligated by cancellation of a child care certificate, unused subgrantee funds) as well as program income (e.g., contributions made by families directly to the Lead Agency or subgrantee for the cost of care where the Lead Agency or subgrantee has made a full payment to the child care provider) shall,

(1) if received by the Lead Agency during the applicable obligation period, described in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, be used for activities specified in the Lead Agency's approved plan and must be obligated by the end of the obligation period; or

(2) if received after the end of the applicable obligation period described at paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, be returned to the Federal government.

(h) Repayment of loans made to child care providers as part of a quality improvement activity pursuant to §98.53, may be made in cash or in services provided in-kind. Payment provided in-kind shall be based on fair market value. All loans shall be fully repaid.

(i) Lead Agencies shall recover child care payments that are the result of fraud. These payments shall be recovered from the party responsible for committing the fraud.

[63 FR 39981, July 24, 1998, as amended at 81 FR 3020, Jan. 20, 2016; 81 FR 67591, Sept. 30, 2016]