Child Care Assistance for Low Income Families

If your household income is below a certain amount, you may qualify for childcare assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). You can determine your eligibility here: https://ccmis.dhs.state.ia.us/clientportal/.
The HHS Child Care Assistance Program is designed to help pay for childcare while a parent attends school or work. It can also be used to help pay for childcare while a parent seeks employment or while a parent is unable to care for a child due to illness or disability.
To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have a child who needs care and is under the age of 13 (or under the age of 19 if your child has special needs), and you get help from the Family Investment Program (FIP), OR
• Your family meets monthly income guidelines if you don’t get FIP and you do one of the following:
  • Work an average of at least 32 hours per week (28 hours if a special needs child requires care),
  • Attend an approved training or education program full-time,
  • Work and attend training for a total of at least 32 hours per week (28 hours if a special needs child requires care),
  • Actively seeking for work (time-limited),
  • Become unable to work or attend training due to an approved medical reason.

  Once you are determined to be eligible for the HHS childcare assistance program, eligibility will be valid for 12 months. Childcare assistance can continue for 12 months regardless of temporary changes in your circumstances. A family's assistance may only be canceled after a non-temporary change.
  You may have to pay part of the childcare costs: if you and the provider agree in writing, the childcare provider can charge your family the difference between what the government will reimburse and the provider’s private pay rate.
  While there are several types of childcare that you can choose from, the childcare provider you use must be approved by HHS. If you do not know whether a childcare provider has been approved, ask your local HHS office. You can also use this link to locate a childcare provider: https://ccmis.dhs.state.ia.us/clientportal/ProviderSearch.aspx.
  For more information about childcare assistance or to apply, contact your local HHS office. To find your local HHS office, visit: https://hhs.iowa.gov/about/hhs-office-locations.
  If you aren’t getting the benefits that you think you should be getting, contact Iowa Legal Aid.

  • Iowa Legal Aid provides help to low-income Iowans.
    • To apply for help from Iowa Legal Aid:
    • call 800-532-1275
    • Iowans age 60 and over, call 800-992-8161
    • apply online at iowalegalaid.org

    If Iowa Legal Aid cannot help, you can look for an attorney on “Find A Lawyer” on the Iowa State Bar Association website – iowabar.org. A private attorney there can talk with you for a fee of $25 for 30 minutes of legal advice.