You are on this page: Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
CCAP Eligibility Questionnaire
Answer a short series of questions to see if you may be able to get child care at low or no cost - in 10 minutes or less!
New Users
You can apply for CCAP using the Child Care Assistance Application portal, unless you reside in New York City or Schenectady County.
Returning Users
Users who have already registered can sign in to visit their application dashboard.
Need help with your Child Care Assistance Application?
Visit our Training and Resource Center
Application Notes
Families must meet certain eligibility requirements in order to qualify for child care at low or no cost through the Child Care Assistance Program. To see if you may be eligible to apply, view our eligibility requirements.
For help applying for the Child Care Assistance Program, visit the Child Care Assistance Program Training to view video tutorials, guides, and other application resources.
No applications for New York City and Schenectady County can be made using the Child Care Assistance Application portal. If you reside in New York City and want to apply online, you must apply through MyCity. If you reside in Schenectady County and want to apply online, you must apply on the Schenectady County Child Care website.
Contents
The New York State Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), commonly referred to as the Subsidy Program, is administered by local social services districts (LSSD) and overseen by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The goal of the Child Care Assistance Program is to help Temporary Assistance (TA) and low-income families pay for child care in order to help them become self-sufficient.
For Parents and Caretakers
- How much money can I receive?
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If eligible, you can have some or all of your child care costs paid for, depending on your circumstances. Click I Want Help Paying for Child Care below to learn more.
- What kind of providers can I use?
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You are free to choose a provider that meets your needs so long as they are licensed, registered or enrolled as a legally exempt provider. You can even ask a family friend or relative to enroll as a legally exempt provider.
- Is there a limit to how much money I can make and still be eligible?
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In most cases, currently you cannot make more than 85% of the State Median Income to qualify.
- How do I apply?
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To learn how to apply and find out more, visit to the Help Paying for Child Care page.
For Providers and Caregivers
- What does this program mean for me?
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If you provide care for families using the program, the LSSD will pay up to the cost of care, or up to the applicable market rate, whichever is less either by paying you directly, or by sending the money to the family to pay you. The family may be required to pay a portion.
You may be eligible for enhanced or increased rates depending on your qualifications, ability to provide care during non-traditional hours, provide care to special needs children or other circumstances outlined in each LSSDs Child and Family Services Plan.
Providers are eligible to be paid 80 absences per child per year.
Depending on the type of child care program you provide, you may also be eligible for payment when the program is closed for certain holidays and extenuating circumstances.
Please see the Recent Regulations and Policies and Additional Resources sections below for more information or view your LSSDs Child and Family Services Plan.
Eligibility Questionnaire Resources
- Eligibility Questionnaire Guide - English Eligibility Questionnaire Guide | Spanish/Español Eligibility Questionnaire Guide
- How to calculate Gross Monthly Income - English How to calculate Gross Monthly Income | Spanish/Español How to calculate Gross Monthly Income
- CCAP Eligibility Questionnaire Video - English Eligibility Questionnaire Video | Spanish/Español Eligibility Questionnaire Video
Informational Flyers
For Parents & Caretakers
For Providers & Caregivers
Did you know that families who are eligible for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) can use family, friend or neighbor care? In NYS, we refer to this as legally-exempt informal care. The following flyers provide more information:
- Did you Know you Could Be Paid to Provide Enrolled Legally Exempt Child Care? Informational Flyer
English | Spanish
Information for Local Social Service Districts
- Recent Regulations and Policies
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- New York Regulations - Part 415 - Child Care Services
- New York Regulations - Part 404 - Determination and Redetermination of Eligibility for Social Services
- 24-OCFS-ADM-14 - Implementation of the Online Child Care Assistance Application (CCAA)
- 24-OCFS-ADM-12 - Child Care Assistance Direct Deposit for Child Care Providers
- 24-OCFS-INF-12 - Families Placed in Another District in Need of Child Care Assistance
- 24-OCFS-INF-05 - 2024 Income Eligibility Levels
- 24-OCFS-INF-04 - Direct Deposit for Child Care Providers Receiving Payment for Child Care Assistance
- 24-OCFS-LCM-22 - Child Care Assistance Market Rates 2024
- 24-OCFS-LCM-02-R1 - Application for Child Care Assistance and How to Complete the Application for Child Care Assistance Revisions (Revised, June 7, 2024)
- 23-OCFS-ADM-18 - 2023 Changes to Child Care Assistance Regulations: Parts 404 and 415 Document Posting
- 23-OCFS-ADM-17 - Clarification on Temporary Changes and Non-Temporary Cessations for the Child Care Assistance Program Posting
- 23-OCFS-LCM-12-R3 - New York State Child Care Block Grant Allocations April 1, 2023-September 30, 2024
- 22-OCFS-ADM-13 - Market Rate Revisions, Removal of Work Requirement in Limited Situations, and Other Changes to Child Care Assistance Program Regulations 2022
- 22-OCFS-ADM-03 - Availability of Supplemental Funding for the New York State Child Care Block Grant
- 22-OCFS-LCM-08 - New York State Child Care Block Grant Assistance program Allocations SFY 2022-2023
- 21-OCFS-ADM-30 - Changes to Child Care Subsidy Regulations: Parts 404 and 415
Additional Resources
- Monthly Child Care Assistance Block Grant Spending by Federal Fiscal Year - Updated October 4, 2024
- Monthly Number of Families and Children Receiving Child Care Assistance - Posted September 17, 2024
- Monthly Child Care Assistance (CCAA) Electronic Applications - Posted October 11, 2024
- 24-OCFS-LCM-22 - Child Care Assistance Program Market Rates 2024
- Child Care Market Rate Survey 2024 Report
- Help Paying for Child Care
- Early Head Start - Child Care (EHS-CC) Partnership
- District Directory
- Child Care Plans
- New York State Child Care and Development Fund Plan
- Become a Provider
- Child Care Deserts Grant
- Combating Child Care Subsidy Fraud
- Services for Young Children Experiencing Homelessness
Promotional Images
All images are in JPEG format.
Banners
- All Banners - English - zip file
- All Banners - Spanish/Español - zip file
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Social Media
- All Social Media Ads - English - zip file
- All Social Media Ads - Spanish/Español - zip file
- Social Media - 1080x1080 - Blue (Spanish/Español Social Media - 1080x1080 - Blue)
- Social Media - 1080x1080 - Yellow (Spanish/Español Social Media - 1080x1080 - Yellow)
- Social Media - 1080x1920 - Blue (Spanish/Español Social Media - 1080x1920 - Blue)
- Social Media - 1080x1920 - Yellow (Spanish/Español Social Media - 1080x1920 - Yellow)
External Resources
- NYS Resources for Early Head Start – Child Care Partnership Applicants
- ACF Early Head Start - Child Care Partnerships (for general information about the grant)
Important Income Tax Information
The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) staff are happy to share valuable information on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Grant Program. We especially want to share this information with local Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes, as they are in contact with potential eligible families.
The Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC or EIC, is a benefit for working families with low to moderate income. To qualify, you must meet certain requirements and file a tax return, even if you do not owe any tax or are not required to file.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Grant Program is an IRS initiative designed to promote and support free tax preparation service for the underserved, in both urban and non-urban locations. Service is targeted to low-to-moderate income individuals, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking.
If you need general information about the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Grant Program, your OCFS Division of Child Care Services Regional Office can help you.