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| It is important to know that your child is well cared for while you are at work or going to school. One of the most important decisions you will ever make as a parent or guardian is choosing quality, affordable child care. Children are special and unique and deserve the best start possible so that they are ready to learn when they enter school. |
Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) can help to make quality child care affordable for income-eligible families. All families will have a copayment based on their gross income and family size. Child Care Assistance is available to:
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The Child Care Assistance Program can help families pay child care costs for children up to age 12, and for children with special needs up to age 14. Child care costs may be paid for qualifying families while they go to work, look for work or attend school. To qualify for CCAP, families must comply with child support enforcement if applicable for all children in the family. Care must be provided by a legal child care provider over the age of 18. An annual summary of statistical information about families and children participating in CCAP is available in the Child Care Assistance Program Family Profile. |
| Family size, family income and participation in authorized activities are considered. The amount of available funding also may be a factor. In some Minnesota counties there is a waiting list for access to day care under the Basic Sliding Fee program. |
| By Sept. 1, all counties are required to submit plans for administration of Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) funds. Two new documents have been created for counties to use. The first is a generic plan, Administration of the Child Care Assistance Program, which has fields that can be filled in to create a customized county plan that meets DHS requirements. The other is a county information update form, which should be completed to capture and communicate changes in a county’s CCAP contact information. |
| With the recently revised Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Policy Manual, county and contracted agency child care workers will now be able to better serve families in the program. The manual, with information on policies, procedures, rules and statutes of CCAP, will provide workers with the information they need to help families in the program so they can become employed and self-sufficient. A copy of the manual is available on the department’s Web site. |
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