What is Subsidized Child Care? A Guide for Preschool Parents

When you're looking for the very best "preschool programs," searching for "affordable childcare," or trying to understand "childcare vouchers," you've probably encountered the term subsidized child care. This is a vital concept for so many families, and it's all about making sure that high-quality early education is accessible to every child!

What Subsidized Child Care Means

Simply put, subsidized child care means the government (at the federal, state, or local level) helps pay for some or all of your child's care costs.

Instead of you paying the full tuition rate to the child care center, a government program pays a portion of the fee directly to the provider, significantly lowering (or eliminating) the amount you owe. This allows families with financial need to access quality early learning environments, like licensed preschools and child development centers.

Key Terminology and Programs

To understand how to access this help, here are the three main types of support parents often search for:

• Child Care Vouchers: These are arguably the most common form of subsidized childcare. A voucher is essentially a promise of payment issued by a state or local agency (often called the Child Care and Development Fund, or CCDF). Once you are approved, you take the voucher to a participating licensed provider (like a preschool), and the program pays the provider directly.

• Head Start and Early Head Start: These are federally funded programs that provide free comprehensive services (including education, health, and nutrition) to children from low-income families. Early Head Start serves infants and toddlers, while Head Start is for preschoolers (ages 3 to 5).

• Sliding Fee Scale: Some individual preschools or non-profit centers offer their own form of internal subsidy. They use a sliding fee scale to adjust tuition based on a family's income and size, meaning the less a family earns, the lower their tuition rate.

How to Know if You Qualify

Eligibility for subsidized child care is generally based on two main factors:

• Income: Your total household income must be below a certain percentage of the state's median income.

• Need: Parents must typically demonstrate a need for child care, meaning they are working, attending school, or participating in job training.

Next Steps for Your Family at Oak Tree

If you are a parent searching for affordable child care, we are here to partner with you!

We accept funding from many of the area's largest assistance programs, including:

• Free through CALWORKS, TANF, and TAD

• CCRC (Child Care Resource Center)

• Crystal Stairs

• Pathways

Want to see if your family qualifies? We're here to help! Just click here to fill out our simple form, and a team member will reach out to you personally.