Help paying for child care: assistance programs in every state (2026)

Apply to your state's child care assistance program (each state's is in the table above). If your income is at or below the poverty line, Head Start and Early Head Start are free. Working parents can also cut costs with a dependent care FSA or the Child and Dependent Care Credit.

Each state sets its own. Federal law allows up to 85% of state median income, but most states set a lower limit. In February 2025 the middle state's limit for a family of three was 60% of state median income, and limits ranged from $26,686 in Georgia to $148,464 in Vermont.

It depends on your income, family size and state. As of March 2026, 31 states and DC limited copays to 7% of income or less, according to ACF's review of state CCDF plans: 15 states and DC at 7%, and 16 states below it. The federal requirement to cap copays at 7% ended July 13, 2026, so states can now set higher copays. In 40 states, a provider can also charge you the difference when its price is above the state's payment.

In many states, yes. Seventeen states had waiting lists or frozen intake in February 2025, up from 13 a year earlier, with about 225,500 children on waiting lists, a 90% increase. In the latest information we found, 22 states and DC had a statewide waiting list or had frozen intake for new families. Families on TANF, in protective services or experiencing homelessness often skip the list.

Child care assistance pays for a child's care, so it starts once your baby is born. Early Head Start serves pregnant women and children under 3, for free if you qualify, and WIC and pregnancy Medicaid can help now.

In 20 states and DC, you can qualify while you search for work, usually for about 3 months. Everywhere else you generally need to be working or in school or job training to qualify, though every state lets you keep help for a while if you lose your job after you're enrolled.