Basic Eligibility Alignment 400-28-20-40

(Updated 4/1/2026 Release 26.2 )

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CCAP Workforce Benefit

Households who have at least one caretaker participating in employment as an employee in a ND licensed or ND tribally licensed or registered child care setting that is open and operating child care services an average of 25 hours a week can be eligible for CCAP with a waived co-payment. Households applying for CCAP who have verified employment in a licensed or certified child care program are eligible to have all household income excluded, if they meet all other eligibility requirements. In households with two caretakers, the second caretaker must also be in an allowable activity, however activity search will not be time limited.

Child Care employees must work at least an average of 25 hours per week at a ND licensed child care program or ND tribally licensed program. The employee must have their employer complete a SFN 354 , which will serve as verification of their employment. Providers who are Approved Relatives, Self-Declared, or out-of-state licensed are not eligible to have employees who would qualify.

Households who reside outside of North Dakota but are employed with a ND licensed program may be eligible for the Workforce Benefit.

Owners of a licensed child care program do not qualify for the CCAP Workforce Benefit, unless their children attend a different licensed child care program.

At the time employment ends, or the license for the child care program ends or hours are reduced below the average of 25 hours a week, it must be reported within 5 days by the household or the employer. Income will no longer be waived for these households, and co-payments will be determined the month following the month of employment ending. If there is no other known allowable activity the household must be allowed three months of continued assistance. The three months of continued assistance begins in the month following the month of the employment ending. CCAP will be closed for any household with monthly gross income, minus allowable deductions over 85% SMI for the household size.

A new SFN 354 is needed for change in childcare employment, or at review if employment hours are questionable.

Note : Maternity leave, provider temporary closure, vacation time, temporary sick leave is an allowable exception for hours to reduce below the minimum average of 25 hours a week. These should be confirmed by the employer that this reduction in hours is not expected to continue beyond one month, except for maternity leave and extended sick leave. These should be verified by the employer with an anticipated return date. When reviewing inconsistent paystubs for CCAP Workforce Benefit eligibility, if a calendar month shows that the employee is not working an average of 25 hours a week additional information should first be gathered from the employer to determine why the employee did not meet the hour requirement before determining any overpayments or ending the workforce approval.

Note: A calendar month can consist of 4 weeks of paystubs or 2 bi-weekly paystubs for review.

Example 1: A two caretaker household applies for CCAP in July. An SFN 354 is turned in for one caretaker. The other caretaker is not in an allowable activity. The SFN 354 is reviewed and it is determined that one caretaker is employed with a ND licensed child care program with 30 hours a week. CCAP is denied as the second caretaker is not in an allowable activity. Example 2: A two caretaker household applies for CCAP in July. An SFN 354 is turned in for one caretaker. The other caretaker is employed and provides income verification. The SFN 354 is reviewed and it is determined that this caretaker is only employed for 20 hours per week. The household must meet all CCAP eligibility requirements as they do not meet the minimum work hour requirement for the CCAP Workforce Benefit. Example 3: A household is approved under the CCAP Workforce Benefit for an eligibility period of 18 months from July through December of the next year. In October it is reported that the child care program's license has ended October 17th. Starting November, income is evaluated and it is determined the household is over 85% SMI. The CCAP case closes October 31. Example 4: A household is approved under the CCAP Workforce Benefit for an eligibility period of 18 months from July through December of the next year. In February the household reports that they are no longer employed with the child care program. The household will be allowed three full months of activity search beginning March.