Help with Child Care

Child care is just plain expensive. Many parents have trouble find a way to foot the bill. At Mom Trusted, we know a few ways to help make child care more affordable. We have some general information shared below, but because child care financial assistance varies from state to state, please click the link below that corresponds with your state below:

General information:
Head Start programs are available in most areas of the country. For decades, Head Start has assisted millions of low-income family in an effort to make child care more affordable. Each program within Head Start has a strong emphasis on education, teaching children both literary and mathematical skills. It also strives to teach healthy habits and each child is visited by a health care professional within 45 days of enrolling in Head Start. Parents are able to meet with staff members on a regular basis to help achieve career goals and discuss social services including medical, dental and mental health care services. To qualify for most Head Start programs, you must make an annual income at or below the federal poverty line. To learn more about Head Start, visit our How to Enroll in a Head Start Program article.

One of the main sources behind child care financial assistance is the Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant program. Last year, the program was responsible for funding nearly $5.2 billion in child care aid. The CCDF helps low-income families to pursue higher education or work careers by making childcare more affordable and giving parents in low-income families the financial support they need to send their children to day care or a child care center. For more information, visit HHS.gov/Recovery.

Another program set to help low-income families is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF is a welfare program that, while not directly aimed at child care, works to financially assist families in need. Its four major goals include helping needy families so that their kids can receive care in their own homes, promoting job preparation, preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancies and encouraging maintaining two-parent families. For more information on TANF, visit the TANF Overview.

For more specific information regarding your area’s child care assistance, click on your state below:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming