Need Help Paying for Child Care?
Follow these steps:
The Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) offers assistance in paying for child care for eligible families. Participants must be working, going to school, or searching for a job to apply and must be income eligible to receive assistance with the cost of child care.
In order to determine eligibility, the family would need to come to the Child Care Resource Center office that represents the county in which the family resides. The family would meet with one of the case managers to do a 30 to 45-minute intake. Intakes are conducted on a first come, first serve basis with the last intake conducted no later than 4:15pm.
The family will need to provide verifications within 13 days of the intake. The income guidelines can assist a family in knowing if they may be eligible for subsidy services.
Choosing and Using Child Care
When selecting a child care program that is right for your family, you will want to visit the program to see if meets your expectations. The CCRC can provide you with a list of licensed child care centers and registered in-home and facility providers upon your request. There are Things to Ask the providers when visiting the programs to determine if the program is a right fit for you and your child(ren).
High quality programs should have degreed staff that have been trained in early childhood development. Staff with the knowledge on how to care for young children will positively impact your child’s development. Having access to a plethora of materials to engage and enhance learning provides your child with opportunities to promote their understanding of the world around them. The state of West Virginia has a Tiered Reimbursement Program that identifies programs that have met additional requirements beyond the health and safety requirements a registered or licensed program. These programs have been identified as either a Tier II or III program. You can find more about the Tiered Reimbursement program by visiting https://dhhr.wv.gov/bcf/Childcare/Pages/Tiered-Reimbursement.aspx
How can parents help their children succeed?
- Selecting a child care program is important in determining the quality of care your child will receive. When searching for a child care program, visit the program, speak with the staff and ask questions that will help you understand how your child’s typical day will be like. Refer to the Things to Ask document to get an idea of the types of questions you should be asking the child care provider and what to look for in a child care program.
- In addition to finding a high quality child care program, parents can help their children succeed by spending quality time together. Listening to what your child has to say and asking questions to provoke more information is important. This let your child know you care and respect their thoughts. Model good behaviors such as reading, being active, eating well, and practicing good manners. Life is stressful and demanding, but it is important to show your child you have healthy ways of responding to those stressors.
- Parents should be involved in their child’s school and child care programs.
Paying for Child Care
After completing your application process for child care subsidy assistance and learning you are eligible, you will be provided a certificate that is good for one (1) year. You will also be given your child care fee that you are responsible for paying your child’s child care program. This is a minimal fee based on your income.
Not eligible? Check to see if the following programs can assist you:
If you find that you are not eligible for child care subsidy, you may want to check with your employer to see if they can assist with child care needs. Some employers offer assistance programs to aid their employees in covering child care costs, such as:
Flex time – full time work with more hours per day, but fewer days per week, flexible scheduling, telecommuting, job sharing, part time work
Leave Policies – extended parental leave, use of sick leave for family illness, personal leave
Dependent Care Spending Assistance Plan – money set aside from your gross wages into a nontaxable spending plan. Neither your employer nor you pay taxes on the amount of the set aside – allowing you to pay for child care expenses with tax-free dollars
Flexible Benefits Plan – the employer can offer a range of benefits, from health care premiums to child care costs as tax free set asides
Child Care Vouchers – the employer offers an allowance or stipend to help cover child care cost
Child Care Vendor Plan – the employer contracts with a local child care program to reserve slots for their employees. The employer may also pay for all or a portion of the cost.
Contact your Human Resources Department for more information.
Head Start is a national program funded by the Office of the Administration for Children & Families that provides comprehensive developmental and social services to America’s low-income preschool children and their families. Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the comprehensive development of children from birth to age 5, in centers, child care partner locations, and in their own homes. Head Start services include early learning, health, and family well-being. The program is administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families. The following website can provide you with information on Head Start programs: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs
There are four major components of the Head Start Program:
- Education: This component serves children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Great care and consideration is given to ethnic and cultural curriculum.
- Health: Families receive services related to medical, dental, mental, and nutritional heath. The Head Start Program emphasizes the prevention of health problems.
- Parental Involvement: Parents are able to serve on advisory boards and program-planning committees, volunteer in the classrooms, and attend parent-education sessions. Head Start staff complete home visits as well, to facilitate communication.
- Social Services: Social service teams work to identify the needs of a family and find appropriate community-based referrals.
In 1994, Head Start established a program to serve low-income infants, toddlers, and pregnant women, called Early Head Start. The main focus of the program is to promote children’s development in physical, social, emotional, and cognitive areas, empower parents to develop better parenting skills, and help parents reach their goal of economic independence. Services that are available through the Early Head Start Program include:
- Home visits, which include developmentally appropriate early childhood education
- Parent education
- Comprehensive health services
- Support services for families, including case management, referrals to community resources, and peer support
Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: Helps families pay for child care for children under the age of 13, if the parents are working, or looking for work. Parents who are full-time students can also claim the credit. Qualifying care includes child care centers, family child care homes, and care provided by paid friends or relatives — as long as the relative is not a dependent of the taxpayer. The size of the credit depends on the number of children in care, your family income, and the amount you paid for child care during the tax year. There are limits on the credit given for one child, and two or more children.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Questions and Answers: Earned Income Tax Credit: A refundable tax credit for low- and moderate-income families, particularly those with children. The EITC is based on family income and the number of children in the family. Both single- and two-parent families are entitled to the credit, as long as one parent is employed. A number of states have their own Earned Income Tax Credits; check with your state department of revenue for more information.
State Tax Credits: Twenty-four states have state tax programs related to the Child and Dependent Care Credit. Check with your state department of revenue for more information.
In-Home Care or Nanny Tax: When you hire an in-home caregiver, you become an employer under federal law. You need to be aware of laws regarding taxes, verification of employment eligibility, and minimum wage. For information on these topics, contact the Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service, an accountant, a tax advisor, or an insurance agent.
Eligibility and Procedures
Child Care Eligibility
Child Care Reviews
Subsidy Forms
Those wishing to apply for subsidized child care, or who currently receive subsidized child care, will at times need to submit verification of employment or other changes. The CCRC has individual forms for such information (listed below).
New Employment Verification Form
- This form is to verify new employment situations in which the applicant has not yet received pay and is unable to provide paystubs as proof of employment. Once the applicant has received one months’ worth of paystubs, copies must be given to the agency.
- The top of the form needs to be completed by the parent. The bottom portion needs completed by the employer.
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Change of Information Form
**All Changes MUST be reported within five (5) days of the change.**
- Used to report changes to your case, included but not limited to:
- Change in child care provider
- Addition of child care provider
- Changes in Family Size
- New Child
- Marriage
- Divorce/Separation
- Addition of Household Member (boyfriend, girlfriend, biological parent of child in care.
- Change in Contact Information
- Address
- Phone Number
- Name
- Change/Addition of Employment Status
- Job Change
- Schedule Change
- Loss of Job
- Request of 90 day Job Search
- Change/Addition to School Status
- Schedule Change
- Graduation
- Withdrawal
- Changes/Addition to Income (child support, social security, disability income, etc).
- Additional Information
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