Parents of limited income meet certain program qualifications may be eligible for help with the cost of child care. See our What is CCAP? page to learn if you qualify. You will need to submit an application and work with a CCAP Eligibility Specialist to supply the information needed to determine if you are eligible to receive assistance. An Eligibility Specialist will either “approve” or “deny” your application based on the information you give them. Information is verified using various state databases. If information is missing or additional information is needed, you will be sent a Request for Additional Information Form. You must submit the needed information within 10 business days of the request or your application will be denied.

No two families are the same, so your child care needs must be more than "one-size-fits-all". There are different types of early care and education that provide many options to meet individual family requirements. Below we'll help you understand the types of care available to you to help you make the right choice for your children and family.

Child Care Center and Programs

Child Care Centers care for larger numbers of children at a time in a non-residential setting. Centers usually group children by age and offer developmentally appropriate care and education for each age range. Licensed Child Care Centers meet state-mandated health and safety standards, staffing ratios, and staff education and training levels. License-Exempt Child Care Centers include those operated by public or private schools, faith-based organizations, and colleges or universities. Since these settings are not licensed, they are not held to the same standards for health and safety, staff to child ratios, or group sizes as licensed centers.

Early Head Start and Head Start

Early Head Start and Head Start programs support the early care and education needs of families facing hardship during their children’s early years. These programs respond to each child and family’s unique ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage. Early Head Start and Head Start programs address issues of poverty and promote school readiness with resources to meet the family’s educational, health, nutritional, and social service needs. Early Head Start and Head Start programs have eligibility requirements and offer a low-cost option for early learning. To locate a program in your area, search this national list.

Family Child Care

Family Child Care programs are hosted in an early care and education provider’s home. This option creates a warm, home-like experience for children. The programs serve fewer children at a time, and often offer flexible hours. Licensed Family Child Care providers meet state requirements for health and safety which increase the number of children they can have in care. License-Exempt Family Child Care providers care for even fewer children at once, and they are usually family, friends, or neighbors of the family.

In Home Care

Some families may choose to hire someone to provide child care in the home. Examples of in-home care providers include nannies, relatives, or au pairs. This type of care is not regulated by state licensing standards.

While choosing a child care provider, please keep in mind that the following will ensure your provider meets the qualifications to be paid under the Child Care Assistance Program:

• A provider may be licensed or license-exempt (not legally required to be licensed);

• A provider may be a child care center or a home;

• A provider may be a relative, friend or neighbor;

• A provider must be at least 18 years old;

• A provider may not be the parent or step parent of the children;

• A provider may not be on the same TANF cash assistance grant as you and your children if you are receiving these benefits.

• And a provider must authorize and submit to all required background checks.

We can help you find a provider! Our Referral Specialist can give you a list of child care providers in your area, tips on your options, and information and resources on how to look for safe, quality care.

If you need to change providers for any reason, you should notify your CCAP Specialist to help ensure your new provider can get paid when they started caring for your child(ren).

Once you have been approved for child care assistance, both you and your provider will receive an approval letter in the mail, within 30 days but typically much sooner. This letter contains information about your approval, including the length of time you are eligible for the program (eligibility period), the amount you are required to pay your child care provider each month (copayment), the children who are approved for child care reimbursement, the number of days per week your provider is eligible for reimbursement (eligible days), and the daily rate in which the state will reimburse your provider (daily rate).

You want to be sure you submit your application within seven days of your child(ren) starting with your provider because we can only backdate up to seven days from the date we receive your application. Parents are responsible for paying for any childcare provided before the start date listed on your approval letter.

Before your approval period ends (typically 12 months after approval), you will receive a notice in the mail with a "Redetermination" form. You must redetermine your case by completing this form and submitting to our office before your approval period ends to ensure no lapse in provider payments. If you do not submit a Redetermination form with appropriate documentation, or if you no longer meet eligibility guidelines, your case will be canceled and your provider's final payment will be for the last month of your initial eligibility period.

If you have not received your Redetermination form by the last month of your eligibility period please contact us or use the forms request form on this website to request one be mailed to you.

A copayment is the portion of child care costs parents are required to pay the child care provider each month. You are only required to pay the amount listed on your approval letter, and if you have more than one provider, the approval letter will state which provider you are required to pay (only one provider is issued the copayment amount, it is not split).

The copayment amount you are assessed is determined by IDHS and will vary because they are based on gross income, family size, and whether the child(ren) in care are considered full time or part time. Copayments could change each time your case is redetermined, or if there is a change in your income, family size, number of children in care, and schedule. If your copayment changes, you will receive a new approval letter indicating the change so you know what to pay your provider.

Copayments should be directly paid to the provider listed on the approval letter. This copayment amount is deducted from your provider's payment each month from IDHS, so not paying the full copayment each month will result in your provider not receiving full payment. Copay collection will depend on your provider's preference. Parents and providers should agree on when, and how, the copayment will be paid monthly.

PLEASE NOTE: Providers MAY charge you more than your copayment each month if the daily rate they charge private paying parents is higher than the daily rate that IDHS will pay. However, your provider cannot charge you a daily rate that is higher than what they charge a private paying parent. Please discuss rates and fees with your provider, and if the cost is too high, we may be able to help you find a new provider with more affordable rates.

You can change your provider at any time. If you need help finding a new provider, we can help. We offer referral services where we can give you a list of providers in your area that range from child care centers to home day cares. You should always notify your Specialist as soon as possible when changing providers to help ensure your new provider is paid when they begin watching your child(ren).

In order to receive payments providing child care services to eligible families through the Child Care Assistance Program, all license exempt child care providers must agree to a Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS) check. All persons subject to CANTS checks shall also be screened through the Illinois and National Sex Offender Registries. In addition all non-relative license exempt child care providers must complete and sign authorizations for a State and Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint-based criminal history record check and submit to fingerprinting, if required, to determine if the child care provider has prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges that may exclude them from the program. The appropriate forms will be mailed to your provider once approved on your case.

The amount a child care provider is paid daily, or their daily rate, is determined by IDHS and is based on the type of care being provided (child care center, licensed home provider, or license exempt provider), the age of your child(ren), and the number of hours the child(ren) are in care. A full-day rate is for child(ren) in care more than five hours. A part-day rate is determined for child(ren) in care less than five hours, and a school age rate is typically determined for school age children attending before and after school hours. Make sure you discuss these rates with your child care provider so you understand how much the provider will charge you.

Approval letters will list the maximum number of days per week your child care provider can be paid each month. Once approved, your provider will also receive the approval letter. The number of approved days is based on the work and/or school schedule, hours listed on check stubs submitted with your application, and if/when the child(ren) are in school.

If your child care provider has never been approved to accept CCAP payments before, it could take 4 to 8 weeks for your provider to receive their first payment. This delay is due to information we need to collect on the provider, such as their legal name and social security number being recorded with the Illinois Office of the Comptroller (who issues payments). A W9 tax form will need to be completed for this reason, and the sooner the provider completes and returns this form, the sooner payments can be issued. The provider will also be required to submit a copy of their signed social security card and valid state-issued photo ID before they can be approved on your case. Once it's been determined that your provider can be paid by the State, they will receive their first "Child Care Certificate," then one each month moving forward. This billing form is completed by the provider, and reviewed the parent, and determines how much IDHS will pay your provider for the month.

We do our very best to ensure providers are paid in a timely manner, however, payments can be delayed if your provider:

• Does not complete the W9 tax form as soon as possible;

• Does not send a copy of their signed SSN card and valid photo ID;

• Does not notify us of a change in address;

• Mails a billing certificate that is not complete or is not signed in ink;

• Asks to be paid for more days than you are eligible;

• Does not have his or her name on the mailbox;

• Has not provided an apartment number.

You have the right to:

• Be notified by mail if your case is approved, renewed, canceled or denied, or if we need additional information in order to start or continue your child care assistance.

• Be notified by mail of any changes in your co-payment or in the number of days for which you are eligible.

• Appeal decisions regarding your case.

You have a responsibility to:

• Pay your child care provider the monthly copayment amount listed on your approval letter.

• Make sure that all paperwork you mail or bring in to your CCR&R is complete and accurate, includes all necessary documentation, and is signed in ink.

• Notify us as soon as you have made a decision to change provider

• Notify us within 10 business days if:

  • You move.

  • You stop or start working.

  • You stop or start attending school or a training program.

  • You change your job or your school/training program.

  • You change work or school hours.

  • There is a change in your family size.

  • There is a change in your income.

  • You get married or divorced.