Free Child Care Assistance Application Forms and Templates
What Is Child Care Assistance?
Child Care Assistance is a state-administered program available to the children of low-income parents who are absent for a portion of the day due to employment, vocational training, or education. It is also available for a limited period of time to the children of parents seeking employment – this program pays for up to 240 hours of child care per year so that the child’s caregivers can look for work.
When applying for Child Care Assistance, you need to fill out a Child Care Assistance Application. It usually asks questions about your income and expenses, your current employer and school, your children and their needs.
Child Care Assistance Application Forms by State
Child Care Assistance Application forms vary from state to state, so you need to find out whether your state accepts completed applications by mail (Minnesota, Louisiana) or requires each applicant to visit a local human services office to apply (Texas, New York).
| Alabama | Hawaii | Massachusetts (call Mass 211 to apply) | New Mexico | South Dakota |
| Alaska | Idaho | Michigan | New York | Tennessee |
| Arizona | Illinois | Minnesota | North Carolina (contact your County Child Care Contact) | Texas (apply at a Workforce Solutions Office) |
| Arkansas | Indiana | Mississippi | North Dakota | Utah |
| California (apply via child care R&R agency) | Iowa | Missouri | Ohio | Vermont |
| Colorado | Kansas | Montana | Oklahoma | Virginia |
| Connecticut | Kentucky | Nebraska (contact ACCESSNebraska at (800) 383-4278) | Oregon | Washington |
| Delaware | Louisiana | Nevada | Pennsylvania | West Virginia |
| Florida | Maine | New Hampshire | Rhode Island | Wisconsin |
| Georgia | Maryland | New Jersey | South Carolina | Wyoming |
If you already receive assistance, you will have to fill out a Child Care Redetermination Form to be found eligible again y.
How to Get Child Care Assistance?
These are the general eligibility requirements for the family to qualify for Child Care Financial Assistance:
- Income requirement – different in each state and based on family size and gross income;
- Caregivers of the child work a minimum amount of hours (20-40) per week at a minimum wage, seek employment, attend classes or school;
- Parents cooperate with the human services office to enforce child support for all the children in the family;
- You have a child care provider – a licensed child care center, child development home, or an individual who cares for your children in your own residence. It is possible to choose a relative or neighbor – as long as this person is approved by the human services office in order to receive payments from the Child Care Assistance program;
- You pay a certain amount of fee each month – some families with very low incomes are exempt from paying while others pay between $10 and several hundred dollars monthly.
What Do I Do if I Can't Afford Child Care Assistance?
If you cannot afford to pay for the cost of child care, you need to find alternative options – see them below:
- Apply for Head Start and Early Head Start programs - they provide child care and development services to children from birth to age five if they come from low-income families;
- Consider obtaining military assistance or obtaining a military family discount from your child care provider;
- Find a nanny share or a childcare co-op – a nanny or a group of parents who watch kids of several families together;
- Qualify for Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by completing IRS Form 2441 and receive credit in the form of a percentage of what you have already paid for child care.
Related Topics:
- Applying for unemployment benefits;
- Redetermining child care assistance;
- Getting medical benefits.
Documents:
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This Form is used for applying for Child Care Assistance in Alabama.
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This Form is used for non-custodial parents in South Carolina to apply for child support services.
This Form is used for aplicaci "n para asistencia de cuidado de ni 'os in Alabama. It is in Spanish.
This form is used for applying for child care assistance in Alaska. It helps families access financial support for child care expenses.
This document is used for applying for child care assistance in Alaska with a licensed provider.
This document is for applying for child care assistance in Alaska.
This form is used to apply for child care assistance in the state of Arkansas. It helps low-income families access affordable and quality child care services.
This form is used to apply for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) in Colorado. It is for parents or guardians who need financial assistance with child care expenses.
This document is an application for the Care 4 Kids program in Connecticut. This program provides financial assistance to eligible families to help cover the cost of child care.
This form is used for applying for enrollment in specialized child care facilities for mildly ill children in Florida.
This form is used for applying for enrollment in a child care program in Florida.
This Form is used for applying for child care services in the state of Georgia, United States.
This Form is used for applying for child care services in Hawaii.
This form is used for applying for child care assistance in Idaho.
This form is used to apply for child care benefits in the state of Illinois.
This Form is used for applying for child care assistance in Iowa.
This Form is used for requesting a subsidy for child care in Iowa. It is a document in Spanish.
This Form is used for requesting benefits in Kansas. It is a Spanish version of the ES-3100S form.
This document is for individuals applying for K-TAP, Medicaid, State Supplemental and/or Child Care Assistance in Kentucky.
This type of document is used to request assistance for childhood in Louisiana.
This form is used for applying for childcare assistance in the state of Louisiana. It is intended to help families with the cost of childcare services.
This document is an application for the Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) in the state of Maine. The CCSP provides financial assistance for qualifying families to help cover the costs of child care.
This Form is used for applying to the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program. It is specifically for residents of Minnesota who need help with child care expenses.
This form is used for Minnesota residents applying for child care assistance and includes additional information that needs to be provided.
This form is used for applying for child care services in the state of Missouri. It is specifically for the MO886-2845 Child Care Application.
This form is used for applying for the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship in Montana.
This Form is used for adding extra information to the Child Care Subsidy Program Application in New Jersey.
This Form is used for applying for the Child Care Subsidy Program in New Jersey. It is an attachment to the application form.
This Form is used for applying for eligibility for child care and early education services in New Jersey.
This document is used for applying for eligibility for child care and early education services in New Jersey. It is in Spanish.
This form is used for applying for child care assistance in the state of New Mexico. It helps eligible families access financial support to help cover the costs of child care services.
This form is used for requesting childcare assistance in New Mexico.
