How do I qualify for a child care subsidy?
For the past few decades, the Department of Health and Human Services has issued child care assistance to each state on a recurring basis. States then administer child care programs and determine their own eligibility requirements for individual families.
There is a range of criteria each state considers for a family to qualify for a child care subsidy, including:
- Household income
- Residency status (most states require that you and your child are residents of the state in which you’re applying for the subsidy)
- Some states, like Texas, require that caregivers work or attend school for a certain number of hours each week in order to qualify
- Others, like California, have age requirements for different types of care
Attendance requirements for child care assistance
When you’re using a child care subsidy program, are there attendance requirements for children? It depends on the state you live in — for example, in Texas, children are allotted 40 unexplained absences per year. Some states don’t have attendance requirements, however.How Long Does It Take to Get Approved for a Child Care Subsidy?
The earliest date you can expect to get approved for a child care subsidy is whatever date you complete your interview.Typically, once you’re in the interview stage, you will have already provided the necessary verification information. This includes the name of your preferred daycare, early learning center or other care facility/program. If additional documentation is required, an eligibility worker will let you know at the time of your interview. They can then approve or deny your application.
The child care subsidy approval process also varies by state.
New York makes a decision within 15 days of receiving a child care subsidy program application. North Carolina can take up to 30 days to process an application. Other states, like Texas, might have longer waitlists due to a larger population and limited funds. This can cause the approval process to take two to three months.
Check with your state’s child care subsidy program to learn the average wait time. Then, you can plan ahead to ensure there are no gaps in your child’s care — especially if you already know when you will return to work after maternity leave or when you’ll need to start child care.
