Going back to work or school? Here’s how to apply for child care assistance in Kansas
Adults who need help paying for child care in Kansas can receive assistance from the state that might allow parents to keep their own job or return to school.
The Child Care Subsidy Program operated by the state Department for Children and Families pays a portion of child care costs for those who qualify. The amount a family will receive depends on their household income, the typical rate for child care in their region and a child’s age.
Carla Whiteside-Hicks, director of early childhood programs and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, said parents still control the child care process when they receive assistance. The state doesn’t tell families which provider to use.
“You don’t have to accept mediocre child care, you can look for excellent care,” Whiteside-Hicks said.
The assistance is typically funded with federal dollars that run through the state agency. During the pandemic, Kansas received additional funding from all three federal COVID-19 relief bills that helped support child care providers, Whiteside-Hicks said.
You can apply for child care assistance using a printable form online here. You can also apply for assistance programs online using the DCF self-service portal, where you can make an account.
Here’s what you need to know about applying for child care assistance in Kansas.
Am I eligible?
The state generally defines eligible families as those who:
- Receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Are low-income and working
- Are in education or training activities
- Are teenage parents completing high school or General Educational Development (GED)
The state also considers a family’s income. When you first apply, the maximum monthly income before taxes for a family of two is $2,686. For a family of four, the limit is $4,085. You can learn more about income guidelines and family sizes online on the Child Care Subsidy Program website.
When you apply, be ready to provide income information, identity verification for adults and proof of citizenship and birthday for children.
The child generally must be younger than 13 years old in order for the family to qualify for assistance. Some kids between the ages of 13 and 18 might qualify, as staff will consider both physical and mental self-care skills.
An eligible family also cannot have more than $10,000 of countable resources, which includes vehicles the family owns. A home, furniture and personal items are not counted in this category.
You can visit the online DCF self-service portal to check your eligibility for certain benefits, including for child care. The self assessment tool will ask you a series of questions about your household.
Adults whose income or countable resources are slightly above the limits should still apply, Whiteside-Hicks said. There could be other factors that affect eligibility or how a household’s income is defined.
“We would like for you to apply and allow us to make us that determination,” said Whiteside-Hicks.
What happens when I’m approved?
If you’re approved, you can choose your child care provider. Child care centers, family child care homes and group child care homes are all eligible to choose as long as they are licensed. Parents can also choose a relative provider who is out-of-home or in-home.
Relatives must be at least 18 years old and cannot live with the child. The state defines relatives as grandparents, great grandparents, siblings, aunts or uncles of the child. Cousins and great aunts and uncles will not count.
The state will issue the assistance funds to you on an Electronic Benefit transfer, or EBT, Kansas Benefits card that is similar to a debit card. If you also receive food assistance, it will be issued through the same card.
On the first of every month, the state puts the funds into a child care account on the card. Families then pay providers electronically.
Most families still have to pay a portion of their child care costs. The amount of assistance varies for each household depending on their circumstances.
Getting the word out
Of the most populous counties in Kansas, families in Sedgwick County receive more assistance than elsewhere.
In Sedgwick County, the program served an average of 3,046 children a month in fiscal year 2020, or from July 2019 to June 2020, according to state reports. That amounts to more than $14.9 million spent for fiscal year 2020 in Sedgwick County.
In Johnson County, the state’s most populous, the state spent more than $9.3 million on child care assistance in fiscal year 2020. Families in Wyandotte County received more than $4.2 million in assistance in the same time period.
The number of child care assistance cases across Kansas began to drop off in the early months of the pandemic beginning in April last year, state reports show.
That’s likely because there were fewer people in the workforce at that time, as employees were laid off or working remotely from home alongside their children.
“We actually expected that decrease,” said Whiteside-Hicks. “So now we’re making sure we get the word out as the state is beginning to recover financially.”
The number of assistance cases did jump back up by summer last year when businesses began to reopen again, according to the state reports.
For more information about how to apply for child care assistance in Kansas, you can call 1-888-369-4777. You can also pick up applications in person at any DCF Office.
The Wichita Regional Service Center for DCF is at 2601 S. Oliver near the Planeview neighborhood.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 1:29 PM.
