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425 (07/2026) Chapter 2:Eligibility • Section 6: Non-financial eligibility and/or JOBS activities. Families who are approved for Categorical ERDC will receive a default of part-time hours unless they have requested and have a need for full-time or greater than full-time hours. Click here for Other parent available to provide care. Click here for Identifying activities and support services. ERDC Access to quality child care significantly impacts a family’s economic stability and overall well-being. Reliable child care allows caretakers to maintain employment, pursue education, and engage in activities that support family success.
Child care need exists when a caretaker requires another person to provide care due to work, school, authorized medical leave, or other qualifying circumstances, including family well-being activities under Categorical ERDC or Expanded Child Welfare (EXP-CW).
Not everyone who works has a child care need. For example, self-employed child care providers typically do not require care for their own children during work hours. Click here for Other caretaker available to provide care. Establishing a child care need The ERDC program helps cover child care costs so caretakers can participate in qualifying activities. How a family meets the child care need requirement depends on the eligibility pathway, Standard ERDC, Categorical ERDC, or Expanded Child Welfare (EXP-CW). 1. Standard ERDC Families must have a verified child care need. For standard ERDC, a child care need is defined as the gap between the family’s resources and the support required to ensure safe, reliable care that fosters child development and promotes family self-sufficiency. The need must be related to one of the following qualifying activities: • Employment – includes work that generates earned income (e.g., wages, self-employment, paid practicums, apprenticeships, internships, and work study).
Once approved for ERDC, additional hours may be authorized for unpaid training required by the employer to maintain a position, certification, or license. If the training is unpaid, it is considered a retention activity. If wages are provided, the hours are treated as regular employment. • Attending school – includes students enrolled in a school eligible for Federal Financial Aid, or students 20 years or younger attending high school or a GED program.
Students 21 years or older may attend a GED program, but they must be enrolled in a school eligible for Federal Financial Aid, such as a community college. • Authorized Medical Leave (AML) – includes caretakers on medical leave to care for their own medical condition or to care for a child in the ERDC EDG. 2. Categorical ERDC Families receiving TANF (or who were receiving TANF at the time of their initial ERDC approval) are