Income limits and how to apply, written for where you live.
All 50 statesChild Care Assistance Calculator
Your state's real income limit to get in, what the program pays, and how to apply. The limit for a family of three runs from $33,072 in Nevada to $109,956 in Maine.
Child Care Assistance Calculator
Your state's real limit · All 50 states + DC · Free
Gross income before taxes, everyone in the household combined.
Every state requires a qualifying activity. Part-time work, school, and job training all count in most states.
Free · No signup · No personal information stored
There are two limits, and almost nobody quotes the right one
Child care assistance has an entry limit and a separate, higher limit for families already enrolled. Federal rules require every state to let an enrolled family keep its assistance until income reaches 85% of the state median. That 85% figure is the one nearly every article quotes, and it is the wrong number for a parent who has not applied yet.
Only 16 states let a new applicant in at that level. Thirty-one set the entry limit lower, and the real figures are not close to each other. A family of three can start receiving help at $109,956 a year in Maine and at $33,072 in Nevada. Same federal program, more than a three times difference depending on which side of a state line you live on.
That gap is the reason this money goes unclaimed. A parent reads the 85% figure, does the math against their own state's median income, decides they earn too much, and never applies. Sometimes they were right. Often they were reading the wrong limit.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Child care has climbed almost twice as fast as everything else
Between 1997 and 2025, day care and preschool rose +188%, everything else Americans buy rose +101%, and hourly pay for regular workers rose +151%. Child care outran a paycheck by 37 percentage points.
Consumer Price Index for day care and preschool (CUUR0000SEEB03) and for all items (CUUR0000SA0), with average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees (CES0500000008), all from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Annual averages of monthly figures, indexed so 1997 equals 100. 2026 is excluded because only half its months have been published. These are nominal figures, which is the point: the "everything else" line is inflation.
Common questions
What is the income limit for child care assistance?
It depends entirely on your state, and the range is enormous. Nevada lets a family of three start receiving help at up to $33,072 a year, while Maine allows up to $109,956. Texas allows $73,692 and California allows $89,664. These are the limits to START receiving assistance, which is the number that decides whether your application is approved. Enter your state and household size in the calculator above to see yours.
Why do other websites say the limit is 85% of state median income?
Because that is the federal maximum a state is allowed to set, and it is also the income a family is permitted to reach once they are already enrolled. It is not the income that gets you in the door. Federal rules require states to let an enrolled family keep its assistance until income reaches 85% of state median income, but states set their own, usually lower, limit for new applicants. Only 16 states admit new applicants at 85% of state median income. Thirty-one set the entry limit lower. Quoting the 85% figure to someone who has not applied yet answers a question they did not ask.
How much does child care assistance pay?
The state pays your child care provider directly and you pay a copay based on your income. Federal rules treat a copay above about 7% of household income as a barrier to access, so most states set their copay schedule at or below that. For a family with two young children in full-time care, the assistance is often worth $15,000 to $25,000 a year. The exact amount depends on your state, your income, your child's age, and what your provider charges.
Can I get child care assistance if I work?
Not only can you, you generally must. Every state requires a qualifying activity, which means working, attending school, or being in a job training program. Part-time work counts in most states. Child care assistance exists specifically so that parents can work, so having a job helps your application rather than hurting it.
What is CCAP and what is CCDF?
CCDF is the Child Care and Development Fund, the federal money that pays for child care assistance. Each state runs its own program with that money and gives it its own name. It is called CCAP in some states, Child Care Services in Texas, School Readiness in Florida, Publicly Funded Child Care in Ohio, and Wisconsin Shares in Wisconsin. They are all the same underlying program with state-specific rules and income limits.
Is there a waiting list for child care assistance?
In several states, yes. The federal money is a block grant rather than an entitlement, which means the program serves as many families as its funding allows and no more. States that run out keep a waiting list, and many prioritize certain families, commonly those leaving cash assistance, teen parents who are finishing school, and children with disabilities. Ask about the waiting list when you apply, because being on it is what gets you a slot when one opens.
Will I lose my child care assistance if I get a raise?
Usually not right away, and this is the part that catches people out. The limit to get into the program is lower than the limit to stay in it. Once you are enrolled, federal rules let you keep assistance until your income reaches 85% of your state's median income, which is well above the entry limit in most states. Report income changes as your state requires, but do not turn down a raise on the assumption that it ends your help.
What if I earn too much for child care assistance?
Four routes stay open regardless of the CCAP limit. Head Start uses its own rules under 45 CFR 1302.12: a child qualifies outright at or below the poverty line, or if the family gets public assistance such as TANF or SSI, or if the child is homeless or in foster care, and a program may additionally fill up to 35% of its seats with families under 130% of the poverty line and up to 10% with families above the guidelines entirely. Georgia and Oklahoma offer pre-K to every four year old regardless of income, several more states are phasing it in, and many districts run their own program. A dependent care FSA at work has no income cap, and for 2026 the limit rose from $5,000 to $7,500, though your employer had to amend its plan to adopt the higher figure. And the federal child and dependent care tax credit counts up to $3,000 of care expenses for one child and $6,000 for two or more, claimed on IRS Form 2441, with no income limit on claiming it.
Source: Administration for Children and Families, CCDF Family Income Eligibility Levels by State, January 2025, built from the FY2025-2027 CCDF State Plans. States can amend their plans, and some count income differently or administer the program at the county level. Your state agency makes the official determination.