Where this sits: Benefits › Programs › Child care assistance. Related: MFIP, SNAP.
Ask first
Has the family been on MFIP in the last year? Children's ages, household size and income.
Also: is each parent working, looking for work, in school or in an employment plan?
What it pays
CCAP pays part of a family's child care costs. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) oversees it and counties run it. The family picks a provider (licensed family or center care, a certified license-exempt center, or a legal nonlicensed provider such as a relative) and the county pays the provider up to a maximum rate that varies by county, type of provider and the child's age, and is higher for accredited and 3- or 4-star Parent Aware providers. The family pays a copayment by income and size: $0 below 75% of the poverty level, rising to 14% of income, plus any amount the provider charges above the county's rate.
The parts of the program
- MFIP child care, Transition Year (the year after leaving MFIP) and Transition Year Extension are fully funded: every eligible family is served. There is also MFIP child care for student parents.
- Basic Sliding Fee is for other families. Each county or agency gets a fixed amount a year; when it runs out, eligible families go on a waiting list.
Who qualifies
- Parents or caregivers who are working, in school, looking for work, or doing employment plan activities.
- Children 12 or younger, or 13 or 14 with special needs, who meet citizenship and immigration requirements.
- Cooperation with child support for every child with a parent outside the home.
- Assets of $1 million or less.
- Income under the limit. Limits are tied to state median income: at entry 67% for MFIP families and 47% for others, and 67% at redetermination (House Research, December 2024). During the 12-month eligibility period, income can rise to 85% of state median income with no change to eligibility or the copayment; above 85%, eligibility ends after notice. DCYF's table showed $56,850 a year for 3 people and $67,679 for 4 on 2026-10-30, but said limits change on Oct. 12, 2026, so check current figures.
- Families experiencing homelessness get three months after applying to provide documents and start an activity.
How to apply
Apply online at MNbenefits, or through the county human services office or the local contracted agency, in person, by mail or by fax. Any Minnesota county must accept the application and forward it. If the agency has a waiting list, ask to be added.
How it fits with other programs
- MFIP: families on MFIP get child care through the MFIP part, then Transition Year after leaving MFIP.
- SNAP: a household member getting (or eligible for) Transition Year or Basic Sliding Fee child care makes the household categorically eligible for SNAP; being on the waiting list does not.
- Child support: families must cooperate, and all support received counts as income; see child support and benefits.
Changes
- A federal rule of March 2024 requires changes over several years; which have taken effect is not known to this site.
- 2028-10-09, new copayment schedule (2025 state law): $0 below 100% of the poverty guidelines, then 2.6% of adjusted gross income, rising to a top rate of 6.9%; ineligible above 67% of state median income.
- Income limits change every year.
Not covered here
Authorized activities and hours in detail, the current copayment schedule, Basic Sliding Fee priorities (who comes off the waiting list first), provider rates, Early Learning Scholarships and Head Start.