Page 1

Revision Date: September 11, 2025 childrenandyouth.ohio.gov Mike DeWine, Governor | Jim Tressel, Lt. Governor | Kara B. Wente, Director Procedure Letter 21 TO: Early Care and Education Stakeholders FROM: Kara B. Wente, Director DATE: August 29, 2025 SUBJECT: Update to 2025 Early Care and Education Income Eligibility Standards Background In order to determine eligibility for early care and education programs, families must meet federal poverty guidelines, which are updated annually and released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The monthly income standards will be used to determine eligibility for Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC), Child Care Choice Voucher Program (CCVP), and the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Grant. View the 2025 Federal Poverty Guidelines here: Federal Register: Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines. Purpose The new monthly income eligibility standards are listed below. Ohio Benefits (OB), the integrated eligibility system, has been updated to include the 2025 federal income eligibility standards, effective October 1, 2025. All PFCC, CCVP and ECE applications, recertifications, and case updates, effective on or after October 1, 2025, will be based on these new standards. The new monthly income standards are as follows: