Financial aid for child care
Paying for child care can be difficult as you look for a job, go to work or go to school to prepare for work. Child Care Assistance programs can help make quality child care affordable for families with low incomes.
Child Care Assistance (CCA) programs help families pay for child care costs for all children age 12 and younger, and for special needs children through age 14. The child care being used must be pre-approved and the parent must be working 20 or more hours per week at minimum wage or higher, job searching or going to school. There is no limit on how long a family may receive Child Care Assistance as long as the family income is within the program limits for the family's size and the child is age-eligible.
Help is available from the following Child Care Assistance programs:
- Minnesota Family Investment Plan (MFIP) is the current welfare program that a family may be part of for up to 60 months (5 years). MFIP families are eligible for Child Care Assistance immediately and are not placed on a waiting list. They will be assigned an employment services counselor to help with job skills and job placement.
- Transition Year Child Care Assistance is for families who are moving off MFIP and continue to receive child care assistance for up to one year. After this year, families are eligible to receive Basic Sliding Fee. If there is a waiting list, these families get first priority.
- Basic Sliding Fee requires that a family be at or below 47% of the State Median Income to be eligible for Child Care Assistance. In some counties there is a waiting list for this program.
Child Care Assistance in Olmsted County is available through Child Care Resource and Referral. Please call (507) 529-4637 to determine your eligibility. For other counties, please click here.