How long is the waiting list for child care subsidy

Child Care: Subsidy Eligibility and Receipt, and Wait Lists

A federal fund gives subsidies to low-income families to pay for child care while parents work or attend school. Here's some information we found about the fund:

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, fewer families qualify for subsidies under state rules because most states set stricter income limits than the federal max

Lower-income families with preschoolers got the most subsidies

Some states use wait lists to manage caseloads, but it's hard to maintain the lists

Some states reported higher child care costs as more families sought full-day care for older kids due to school closings and other effects of COVID-19

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What GAO Found

An estimated 1.9 million children received child care subsidies in fiscal year 2017, representing approximately 14 percent of all children estimated to be eligible under federal rules – and 22 percent of all children estimated to be eligible under state rules -- in an average month. These figures are from the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) analysis of fiscal year 2017 data, the most recent year for which such analysis is available. Generally, fewer families qualify for subsidies under state eligibility rules than under federal eligibility rules since most states use flexibility provided by HHS to set their income eligibility limits below the federal maximum.

Health and Human Services’ Estimated Number of Children Eligible Under Federal and State Rules, and Estimated Number Receiving Child Care Subsidies, Fiscal Year 2017

GAO found that the extent to which children who meet federal child care eligibility requirements also meet state eligibility requirements varies by state as does the share of eligible children who receive Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies. Under state requirements, the CCDF subsidy receipt rate ranged from 5 percent to 32 percent of eligible children. Under federal requirements, the CCDF subsidy receipt rate ranged from 4 percent to 18 percent of federally eligible children.

According to HHS estimates, among families who met federal child care eligibility criteria, children from lower-income families were more likely to receive child care subsidies compared to children from higher-income families. These estimates also showed that preschool-age children were more likely to receive subsidies compared to older, school-age children and that Black children were more likely to receive subsidies compared to children of other races / ethnicities.

As reported in previous GAO work, states have varied strategies for managing their wait lists. Some states have a single statewide list while others have sub-state lists that allow sub-state areas to have their own policies. Some states conduct full or partial eligibility determinations prior to placing families on wait lists, and many states require periodic reviews of their wait lists. According to state administrators GAO interviewed, the strategies that states use to manage their wait lists pose certain challenges. For example, state administrators told GAO that sub-state lists can contain duplication, making state-wide estimates of families in need difficult. And administrators told GAO that maintaining up-to-date contact information is challenging, in part due to insufficient technology.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted child care in several ways, including cost, eligibility and subsidy receipt, according to some members of the National Association of State Child Care Administrators (NASCCA). These members told GAO that despite initial declines in the number of families receiving subsidies, some states are seeing their child care costs increase due to, for example, more school-age children using full-day care; increased expenses for additional health and safety measures; paying for more absences and for parent co-pays; and families applying for subsidies for relative care. NASCCA members noted that some states have made changes to policies to help families and providers. To help families access child care, some states have increased income eligibility for subsidies to 85 percent of the state median income; temporarily waived work requirements to receive subsidies; and covered family fees for parents when a family must quarantine due to a COVID-19 exposure. Changes to some state policies aimed at helping providers include providing funds to providers to help with increased costs, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and additional cleaning supplies; paying providers based on their pre-COVID-19 level authorized enrollments; and raising the state's provider reimbursement rate to help providers cover overhead costs.

Why GAO Did This Study

The federal child care subsidy program known as CCDF is one of the primary sources of federal funding dedicated to assisting low-income families with child care who are working or participating in education and training. Funding for CCDF, which is administered by HHS at the federal level, comes from two funding streams: discretionary funding in the form of block grants authorized by the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG Act) of 1990, as amended, and mandatory and matching funding authorized under section 418 of the Social Security Act. CCDF was appropriated more than $8 billion in federal funds in 2019.

For more information, contact Kathryn Larin at (202) 512-7215 or [email protected].

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Early education and care financial assistance for families

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Eligibility requirements

You may apply for child care financial assistance, however to be eligible to receive funding you and your family must meet income-based and service need requirements.

To meet the income requirement, your household income must initially be at or below 50% of the state median income (SMI). If your child has a documented disability or special need, your household income must initially be at or below 85% of the SMI. Use the SMI Income Eligibility chart to see if your household income is within limits.

To meet the service need/activity requirement for child care financial assistance, all of the adult members in your household must be:

• Working, seeking employment, or enrolled in an education or training program (not including graduate, law, or medical school) for at least 20 hours per week for part-time care, and at least 30 hours per week for full-time care;
• Retired and older than 65; or
• You have a diagnosed and documented disability or special need.*

*Disability/special need of parent is limited to two years.

Key Actions for Eligibility requirements

State Median Income (SMI) Eligibility Chart FY2023 

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for financial assistance, call Mass 211 or contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency.

If funding is available, you will receive a notice in the mail that asks you to schedule an appointment with your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency.  At this appointment you will complete an application and provide documents that verify your eligibility for child care financial assistance.  

The funding availability letter will indicate which type of child care financial assistance is available:

• An income eligible contracted slot available through a specific program, or
• A voucher available through your local CCR&R that can be used at any program that can accept state subsidy payments (approved by CCR&R).

You must call within 15 days of receiving the letter to schedule an appointment or let us know that you are not interested. It is important to call quickly because other children are still waiting for a space. Be sure to tell us if you have another child that needs care, because there might be funding available for them too.

Key Actions for How to apply

Find your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency 

Waitlist for funding

If funding is not available, you may opt to put your name on a waitlist for child care financial assistance.

While on the waitlist, you will be sent:

• A confirmation letter with your household ID number, which is the ID number that is used when referring to your application.
• A renewal letter asking you to confirm that you wish to remain on the waitlist if you have been on the waitlist for 1 year.

If you don't respond to any of these letters, your family will be removed from the waitlist. You can ask to be put back on the waitlist.

• If you call Mass 211 or your CCR&R within 30 days of removal, your name may be placed back on the waitlist with your original application date.  
• If you call Mass 211 or your CCR&R after 30 days of removal, you will be placed back on the waitlist with a new application date.

You can update your record, view your waitlist status, and see your notification history on EEC's Self Service Waitlist Application Tool anytime. If you do not have your username and password, please contact Mass 211 or your CCR&R to update your information.

Learn more about EEC's waitlist for child care financial assistance in these parent information sheets, available in English, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Spanish. 

Parent Fees

NEW COPAYMENT STRUCTURE: 

If you receive EEC Financial Assistance, you may be required to pay a parent fee depending on your household size and income.  EEC has worked over the last few years to reduce fees for families receiving EEC financial assistance and completed the roll-out of new fees on February 1, 2022. Every year, EEC will also update the parent fee chart for any changes to the Federal Poverty Guidelines and the State Median Income.  View the updated parent fee chart, and use EEC’s online calculator to get an estimate of your parent fee.

If you are currently receiving EEC Financial Assistance and you have questions about your parent fee, please reach out to the subsidy administrator listed on your Application and Fee Agreement.

Work with families who receive EEC child care subsidies?  Parent Fee Update Letter.

NOTICE REGARDING PARENT FEES FOR FAMILIES TERMINATED FROM CARE BETWEEN 2019 AND 2021:

If your EEC child care subsidy was terminated between March 2019 and February 2021.  A court has ruled that EEC must allow families who lost child care because of fees between March 2019 and February 2021 to get back on the waitlist, even if they still owe fees. EEC has a new fee scale.  For most families, the new parent fees are lower than they were under the prior fee scale.  

If your family was terminated from child care between March 2019 and February 2021 because you owed fees, and you want to get back on the waitlist, you may do so by calling Mass 211 (dial 2-1-1 or call (877) 211-6277). 

You can also get information about the court decision from Greater Boston Legal Services, which represents the families affected at no cost, at 833-887-1717 or https://www.gbls.org/child-care-fees.

If you left child care because you owed fees at a different time, you may be able to get back on the waitlist if you work out a Repayment Agreement with the provider whom you owe.  Call Mass211 (dial 2-1-1 or call (877) 211-6277) for more information. 

Key Actions for Parent Fees

Watch this video on how CCR&Rs can help you 

Additional Resources for Parent Fees

Other Information

Low-income families with children age five or younger may be eligible for child care financial assistance through the federal Head Start program. Head Start funding is not administrated by the Department of Early Education and Care.

Key Actions for Other Information

Learn more about Head Start 

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Changes in the parental benefit and parental leave system in 2022

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How will the lives of families improve after April 1, 2022, when the changes take effect? nine0003

One-stop solution for issues related to parental benefits and parental leave. All matters relating to compensation and holidays are now handled by the Social Insurance Board. Previously, in order to ask questions about benefits, parents had to contact both the Health Insurance Fund and the Social Insurance Board, from April 1, all questions related to the system of state benefits for a child are transferred to the jurisdiction of the Social Insurance Board (except in cases when it comes to benefits that are assigned by local government). Most of all, this will affect the procedure for granting maternity leave and maternity benefit, which was previously handled by the Health Insurance Fund. nine0005

Instead of maternity leave and maternity benefit, mothers can take advantage of parental benefit and maternity leave. If ​​the EHIF pays the maternity benefit as a lump sum for 140 days, the Social Insurance Board pays the mother's parental benefit monthly for 100 calendar days. Although at first glance it may seem that the mother's parental benefit is now paid for a smaller number of days than was previously done under the maternity benefit, this is still not the case - the remaining days are now divided into divisible parental benefit, which can be take advantage of both parents. In this way, not a single day is lost and families can use parental benefit more flexibly. nine0005

Parents have the opportunity to simultaneously take parental leave for up to 60 days. From April 1, parents have the opportunity to simultaneously take parental leave for up to 60 days, during which both parents can receive parental benefits. This allows both parents to take care of a small child at the same time.

If earlier, from the moment of the birth of the child, the parents had 71 days to decide which of them will receive parental benefit, then from April 1, as a rule, this decision can be made already on the 31st day from the moment of the birth of the child . In particular, this will allow the father to start staying at home with the child much earlier. nine0005

The amount of parental benefit can be divided over several days, which allows parents to more flexibly combine workload and child care. In the future, the parent will be able to select specific calendar days for which he wants to receive parental benefit - this option can be used until the child reaches the age of 3 years. For example, this allows the parent to work part-time and take care of the child, dividing the time of receiving parental benefit into a longer period. It is also possible that both parents stay at home with the child in turn. nine0005

Both parents are entitled to 10 working days of parental leave until the child reaches 14 years of age. Now parents have the opportunity to use parental leave more flexibly, adjusting it to individual needs - starting from April 1, each parent can plan their own vacation, without focusing on when the other parent can go on vacation. It also gives parents the opportunity to schedule their parental leave so that they can go on leave at the same time. nine0005

Parental leave days will no longer be calculated on a per-year basis - they will now all be allocated up until the end of the calendar year the child turns 14. If ​​before April 1, 2022, the number of days of parental leave was calculated for the whole family (all its members had only three or six days a year), now the calculation system is child-oriented - each parent is entitled to 10 days of leave for each child up to 14 years of age. This right can be exercised before the child reaches the age of 14. Parents can decide when is the best time for them to take parental leave, which can be spread over 14 years. For example, these days can be used when a child starts kindergarten or school and needs extra support. nine0005

The possibility of more flexible parental leave planning is now also available for the so-called. "patchwork" families, where there are stepbrothers and sisters. In both parental leave and parental leave of a disabled child, the biological parent may waive his or her vacation days in favor of the other parent's spouse or transfer them to his/her registered partner or cohabitant.

Parents raising a child in a foster family have the right to take adoption leave and receive the parental benefit of the adopter. nine0063 Adoptive parents, as well as adoptive parents who have adopted minors into their family, have the right to adoption leave and parental compensation of the adopter. There is also a new type of parental benefit – the parental benefit of the adopter. The previous system operated as follows: those who adopted a child under the age of 10 into their family had the right to adoption leave and parental compensation of the adopter. The new system operates as follows: adoptive parents and adoptive parents have the right to 70 days of parental leave and parental compensation until the adopted child reaches the age of 18 (with the exception of intra-family adoption, when one of the spouses adopts a child of his spouse). The new order is primarily intended to improve the adaptation of adopted children in a new family. nine0005

NB! Starting April 1, we pay maternity, paternity and divisible parental benefits based on the daily rate. If before that the calculation was monthly, the same amount was paid every month, then starting from April 1, parental benefit is paid at the daily rate. For the recipient of compensation, the change means that in different months the amount differs in some way depending on the number of days in the month. In the future, parents have the opportunity to use and schedule parental benefits for the days of the month on which they wish to use the benefit. nine0005

Please note that child care allowance and child allowance are different types of benefits

For children born after August 31, 2019, only child care allowance is no longer granted! Payment of child and other types of benefits will continue in the same order!

Child allowance for the first and second child is 60 euros per month for each child. For the third and each subsequent child, the amount of the child allowance is 100 euros per month. The right to receive child allowance arises from the moment the child is born and up to his 16th birthday (or until 19-anniversary, if the child is studying).

The amount of the child care allowance was 38.36 euros per month from the end date of the parental benefit until the child turns 3 years old. If the family is also raising children between the ages of 3 and 8, the child care allowance for each child was 19. 18 euros per month. Families with 3 or more children under the age of 8 also had the right to receive a child care allowance (19.18 euros). nine0005

Learn more about phasing out child care benefits.

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