Help paying for child care
Child care assistance helps families with low incomes pay for child care so parents can work or go to school. The money is federal, but each state runs its own program with its own rules. Families often pay a share of the cost, called a copay. Head Start is a separate program that is free for families who qualify.
How the program works
The federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the main federal source of child care help for families with low incomes. The Office of Child Care, part of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, oversees it. States, territories and tribes get the money and run the programs. The help may be called a subsidy, a voucher, a certificate or a scholarship.
Federal rules set the outer limits. To qualify, a child must:
- be under 13, or under 19 if the child cannot care for themselves or is under court supervision, if the state allows it
- live with a family whose income is no more than 85 percent of the state's median income for a family of that size
- live with a parent who is working or in job training or school, or need protective services
States can add their own eligibility conditions and rules on who gets served first. Eligibility rules are different in each state, so check your state's rules before you decide whether to apply.
1. Find your state's program
Go to childcare.gov, pick your state, and open its page on financial assistance for families. It links to your local program. In some states, you apply through a county or regional office, as the examples below show. See child care assistance for your state's agency.
Many tribes also get federal grants to run child care assistance for tribal families.
2. Apply and expect a wait in some states
Apply with your state or local office. The office looks at your income, your family size and whether you work or are in school or training, because those decide eligibility. In Pennsylvania, for example, the local office helps with the application and explains the documents you need.
Some states have waiting lists because money is limited. Missouri started a waiting list for new applications on March 1, 2026, and places families by application date and priority. In Texas, the first step is an Eligibility Screener and Waitlist Application. Keep your application details up to date while you wait.
3. Choose a provider
Federal law says one purpose of the program is to let working parents choose the child care that best suits their family. Your state decides which kinds of providers can take the assistance. Options can include:
- licensed providers, such as child care centers and family child care homes
- some providers that are exempt from licensing, if the state allows it
- relatives age 18 or older, such as a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or a brother or sister who lives in a separate home
- faith-based programs that meet the state's rules
Your state's online child care search may show whether a provider takes assistance.
4. Pay your share
Families may pay part of the cost, called a copayment or copay. Each state sets a sliding fee scale based on income and family size. Federal rules say copays must be affordable and must not keep families from getting help. States may waive the copay for some families, such as those at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, families experiencing homelessness, or children with disabilities, in foster care or in Head Start.
A 2024 federal rule capped copays at 7 percent of family income. A new rule, effective July 13, 2026, removed that federal cap. Each state now sets its own copay levels within the federal rules.
Keeping your assistance
Once you are approved, your state checks your eligibility again no sooner than 12 months later. In between, you stay eligible if your income rises, as long as it stays at or below 85 percent of the state median income. A short break in work or school, such as an illness or a gap between seasonal jobs, does not end your help either.
Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start and Early Head Start are free, federally funded programs that get young children ready for school. Early Head Start serves pregnant women and children under 3. Head Start serves children ages 3 to 5. Local nonprofit groups, community action agencies and school districts run them.
Your family qualifies if your household income is at or below the federal poverty level. Families who get Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) also qualify regardless of income, and so do children in foster care and children who are homeless.
To apply, use the Head Start Center Locator to find a program near you and contact it. The program will tell you what papers to bring. If there is no space, ask to be put on the waiting list.
Where it works differently
- Pennsylvania. The program is called Child Care Works. Local Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) manage it, help with the application and help families find a provider. You can apply online through COMPASS or send a paper application to your ELRC.
- Texas. The Texas Workforce Commission runs Child Care Services and calls the help scholarships. Most of the money goes to 28 local workforce development boards, which serve families through Workforce Solutions offices. Texas caps the parent share of cost at 7 percent of household income. New income limits and copay charts apply from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027.
- Ohio. The program is called Publicly Funded Child Care. Ohio's 88 county departments of job and family services decide who is eligible. Families at or below the federal poverty level pay no copay. A family child care home caring for up to seven children, called a Type B home, must be licensed to be paid for serving these families.
State by state
The official statewide page for each state and territory. For a local office near you, search your county or city above.
Sources
- Administration for Children and Families: Office of Child Care
- Administration for Children and Families: Child Care and Development Fund
- Office of Child Care: Child Care and Development Fund flexibilities (2026)
- Federal Register: Restoring Flexibility in the Child Care and Development Fund (final rule, May 12, 2026)
- Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 98.20: a child's eligibility
- Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 98.21: eligibility determination
- Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR 98.45: sliding fee scale and copayments
- ChildCare.gov: Child care financial assistance options
- ChildCare.gov: Head Start and Early Head Start
- HeadStart.gov: How to apply
- Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Child Care Subsidy Waitlist
- Pennsylvania Department of Human Services: Apply for Child Care Works
- Texas Workforce Commission: Child Care and Early Learning Program
- Texas Child Care Connection: Child care scholarships
- Ohio Department of Children and Youth: Child care
Checked against the sources above on Oct 16, 2026. GovDir is a guide, not legal advice. The agency that handles your case has the final say.