An empty classroom with desks and chairs. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sunrise over the ocean. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

A stack of children's books. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Other support alongside CCDF

CCDF rarely stands alone in a family budget. Other programs interact with it, and one of them may matter more to your family than the subsidy itself. This page covers the main interactions; it does not replace the detailed guides for each program.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

TANF provides cash assistance and work supports to very low income families with children, and it is the program most closely linked to CCDF. States must spend at least 70% of their mandatory and matching CCDF funds on direct services for TANF families, families transitioning off TANF, and families at risk of becoming TANF recipients. TANF families usually get priority for CCDF, and a family leaving TANF for work often keeps child care help through the transition. If you receive TANF, ask your caseworker about child care at the same time as cash assistance: the two applications are often connected, and a missed referral is a common gap.

SNAP, housing, and Medicaid

Many CCDF families also receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits: in fiscal year 2019, about 33% of CCDF families reported SNAP income. SNAP, housing assistance, and Medicaid have their own eligibility rules and do not change your CCDF copayment directly, but they share the same household information, so a change you report to one program may need reporting to the others. Keep a single list of what you reported, to whom, and when: inconsistent records across programs are a common source of overpayment notices.

Head Start and Early Head Start

Head Start and Early Head Start provide early learning, health, and family support for children from low-income families, with Early Head Start serving pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. A child can receive Head Start and CCDF-funded care at different times of day: for example, a part-day Head Start program plus CCDF-funded care for the rest of the working day. The two programs coordinate locally, and your Head Start program can often help you apply for CCDF for the wraparound hours. The same session cannot be paid for twice, so the hours must be recorded correctly.

State pre-kindergarten

Most states fund pre-kindergarten for some children, usually 4-year-olds and sometimes 3-year-olds, with eligibility based on income, disability, or other risk factors. Like Head Start, state pre-K can combine with CCDF: pre-K hours in the morning and CCDF-funded care in the afternoon, for example. If your child attends both, check with both programs how the sessions are recorded, so you are not charged for hours another program already covers.

Tax credits

The federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit are separate from CCDF and are claimed on your tax return, not through your child care agency. Child care costs paid with CCDF subsidy funds generally cannot also be claimed for the dependent care credit: only the amount you paid out of pocket, including your copayment, may count, and the rules have their own limits. Keep your provider's receipts and your copayment records through tax season, and check the current IRS rules before you claim.

Sources: Administration for Children and Families, CCDF and TANF coordination guidance; ACF, Characteristics of Families Served by CCDF (FY 2019); 45 CFR Part 98.

General information only. This page explains the Child Care and Development Fund in plain English. It is not legal, financial, or benefits advice, and it cannot decide whether you qualify or how much help you would receive. Only your state, territory, or Tribal lead agency can decide a concrete case. Rules, income limits, and copayments differ by state and change over time, so always confirm the current position with your state child care agency before you act on it. Contact: hello [at] tapetoolhq.com.