Expanded Eligibility for Child Care Workers
CCDF and On My Way Pre-K (OMWPK) income eligibility expanded for employees of licensed or regulated child care programs on Sept. 30, 2024, allowing more workers to apply and qualify for child care assistance. This change was a result of Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 2, which passed earlier in 2024.
The income threshold for child care workers to be eligible for assistance will increase to 85% of state median income (SMI) from 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL):
State Median Income (SMI) Chart
FamilySize | 85% SMI |
---|---|
2 | $4,594 |
3 | $5,675 |
4 | $6,756 |
5 | $7,837 |
6 | $8,918 |
7 | $9,121 |
8 | $9,323 |
9 | $9,526 |
10 | $9,729 |
150% FPL Chart
Family Size | 150% FPL |
---|---|
2 | $2,555 |
3 | $3,228 |
4 | $3,900 |
5 | $4,573 |
6 | $5,245 |
7 | $5,918 |
8 | $6,590 |
9 | $7,263 |
10 | $7,935 |
*For additional family sizes, please contact your eligibility office.
How to Apply for Expanded Assistance
Newly eligible child care workers must talk with their program administrator/supervisor at the site where they work, who will then make a referral for them through a simple process in I-LEAD.
Note: There is a waitlist in effect for all CCDF and On My Way Pre-K applicants. Completing a referral for a child care employee puts that employee on the waitlist. Child care workers are receiving priority on the waitlist as long as funding permits. Applications are processed and vouchers issued on a first come, first served basis by region. Employees who receive assistance will likely be required to provide a co-payment.
Prepare in Advance
Providers and child care workers can take the following steps to ensure a smooth referral and application process:
Providers
- Ensure your I-LEAD employee roster is up to date and that all employee contact information is correct.
- Ensure potentially eligible employees have a consent form, updated fingerprints and a completed background check on file. If any of these are in progress, work with employees to complete.
- After making a referral, you may be able to help your employee collect information required to include with their application:
- You can fill out the provider information page, which must be included with the employee’s application, in advance.
- Employees are also required to include, among other documents, a copy of their ID, recent pay stubs and a copy of their child(ren)’s birth certificates if available. If any/all are available to you, you can collect this information and be ready to share when an employee begins their application.
Child Care Workers
- Use the chart above to determine if you would likely be eligible for child care assistance.
- Work with your child care program administrator/supervisor to ensure you have a consent form, updated fingerprints and a completed background check on file.
- When applying for assistance, you will be required to provide:
- Verification of your identity and of your co-applicant, if applicable
- Child(ren)’s birth certificate(s) - your program administrator/supervisor may be able to help provide if your child(ren) are enrolled at the program where you work
- Current paystub – your program administrator/supervisor may be able to help provide this
- Proof of any other income
- Provider information page (to be filled out by your program administrator/supervisor)
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions: Expanded Eligibility for OMWPK and CCDF for Employees of Licensed Early Child Care Programs
- What does this change include?
- How does this change benefit the early child care workforce?
- Who is impacted by this change?
- What is 85% of Indiana median income?
- How do qualifying workers apply for child care assistance?
- Are child care workers subject to the same eligibility redetermination processes as others receiving CCDF?
- Will eligible child care employees receiving CCDF have co-pays?
- Should child care programs expect to cover any fees related to staff becoming newly-eligible for CCDF?
- Can an emerging provider get CCDF reimbursement after becoming fully licensed?
- Can child care employees have their child in the classroom or environment in which they teach with this new change?
- Will every child care worker who applies for child care assistance receive it?
- Is this assistance program different from CCDF or On My Way Pre-K (OMWPK)?
- Will the program administrator/supervisor receive notice that a child care worker has been approved after their referral is complete?
- Does this change apply only to full-time employees?
- Does this change apply to anyone who works at a child care program, including cooks or bus drivers, or just to educators?
- If a child care worker is already on CCDF, do they need to be referred through this new process?
- Can employees currently using CCDF but with high co-pays be referred through this process?
- What happens if an employee receives CCDF through this process, but then leaves their place of employment?
Reduced Minimum Ages for Caregivers in Licensed Child Care Centers
As of July 1, 2024, Senate Enrolled Act 2 introduces new staffing rules for licensed child care centers, expanding opportunities for younger caregivers while ensuring safety and quality in child care programs. Key changes include:
- 18-Year-Old Caregivers: These individuals can now serve as lead teachers in all classrooms, including those caring for infants and toddlers.
- 16- and 17-Year-Old Caregivers: These caregivers may now be included in child-to-staff ratios and can work as child caregivers for school-age children (ages 5–15). However, they must always be supervised by a lead caregiver over the age of 18.
Supervision Requirements
- A lead caregiver (age 18 or older) must supervise 16- and 17-year-old caregivers at all times when they are responsible for school-age children.
- Supervision requires that the lead caregiver is always present and available to oversee the younger caregiver’s interactions and activities with children. At no time should a 16- or 17-year-old caregiver be left alone with a child.
These changes aim to address workforce needs while maintaining safe, supportive environments for children. Child care centers are encouraged to review the updated guidelines carefully and ensure compliance to uphold quality care standards.
Resources
- Young Caregivers One-Pager
- Sample Training Plan for Newly Eligible Caregivers
- Family Communication Toolkit
- Family FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions: Reduced Minimum Ages for Caregivers in Licensed Child Care Centers
- What changes have been made to caregiver age requirements?
- Who is considered a lead caregiver under the law?
- What providers are impacted by this change to the law?
- How will this change impact providers whose national accreditation requires lead teachers to be at least 21 and assistants to be at least 18 years old?
- If we are a school with accreditation, will we still need to go through PTQ Level 3 re-certification?
- Are minimum age requirements changing for staff teaching 3-5-year-olds?
- Can 16- and 17-year-old caregivers count towards staffing ratios in an infant or toddler room?
- What ages fall under ‘school-age’ in this change?
- How many more potential early child care and education workers will be eligible due to this change?
- When did licensed child care centers begin hiring these age groups?
- What do early child care programs need to understand or prepare for when hiring younger caregivers within their programs?
- Should programs inform families of this change?
- What resources are available to support programs in communicating this change to families?
Frequently Asked Questions: Additional Legislative Changes
Frequently asked questions have been provided below related to each additional legislative change.
Streamline Options for K-12 Schools to Participate in On My Way Pre-K
Increase number of unrelated children allowed in unregulated homes, with limits on non-related infants.
Allow a family child care home to become licensed when caring for children for at least 6 hours/day.
Allow contracted support employees at a school to access child care at that school.
Allow Qualified Individuals to Serve as ECE Substitute Teachers
Broader Legislative Changes that will Stand to Impact the Field Long-term
New Micro-Facility Pilot Program
Statewide Compensation Study and Dashboard
- Why did the governor direct the Early Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC) to study early childhood educators’ and out-of-school time employees’ compensation and accelerate the delivery of and action on rulemaking?
- Where can I learn more about this effort?
- When will the new dashboard be live and accessible to the public?
New Child Care Subsidy Reporting Requirements for State Agencies
Find Support
Email providerinquiry@fssa.in.gov with any questions that are not addressed in the FAQs. FAQs on this page will continue to be updated as OECOSL receives additional questions.