Frequently Asked Questions

Why is family income eligibility for child care assistance being expanded? Income eligibility for CCDF and OMWPK child care assistance programs is being expanded to ensure that more hardworking Hoosier families can access affordable, quality child care. This initiative has been driven by leadership from Governor Holcomb and the Indiana General Assembly. High-quality early learning programs give children a firm foundation heading into kindergarten and allow parents and guardians access to the workforce to provide for their families.

What are the new family income eligibility requirements? Families that earn up to 150% of the federal poverty level will now be eligible for child care assistance through the CCDF and OMWPK programs. Federal poverty level is based on household size.

How can families apply for CCDF or OMWPK child care assistance? Families can determine their eligibility and apply for child care assistance through the Early Ed Connect portal .

How will these changes affect families who are currently receiving child care assistance through CCDF or On My Way PreK? Families currently receiving CCDF assistance will not be affected. These families remain eligible until the end of their subsidy period. At time of eligibility redetermination, if they maintain eligibility, their family co-pay and any provider overage will be calculated based on income, years in the program and provider charges. The percentages used for these calculations remain unchanged. Families currently enrolled in OMWPK and under the 127% income threshold will also not be affected. However, currently enrolled OMWPK families who qualified for limited eligibility with income between 128%-150% FPL prior to August 1, 2023 will see changes. Their vouchers will be adjusted to offer additional weeks and reimbursements once the system updates are in place. Families will not need to reapply or submit any additional income paperwork.

When can families begin to apply for assistance under the expanded income eligibility? Families may begin applying for child care assistance through CCDF under the new rates on August 1 through Early Ed Connect. Families applying for On My Way Pre-K s do not need to wait until August 1 and should continue to apply and have their eligibility determined to ensure they are enrolled to start the school year on time.

How will the state notify families of the expanded eligibility for child care assistance? OECOSL is working with early care and education providers to promote this opportunity to families currently enrolled in care to ensure they are aware of and are taking advantage of this opportunity. Additionally, OECOSL will also conduct outreach to families who have recently applied for assistance through Early Ed Connect but were disqualified due to the prior income threshold and will be notifying eligible families with incomplete child care assistance applications about the change.

How can child care providers and community stakeholders help to share this opportunity with families? Early care and education providers are encouraged to share information about expanded eligibility with families too. OECOSL has developed communication toolkits for both child care providers and community stakeholders to help them do so. To get started, access the provider toolkit here and the community stakeholder toolkit here .

Click here to see the FPL table