Am I Eligible?

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Who can get income-eligible child care?

How do I meet the activity requirement for child care?

Which children qualify?

What are the income limits?

What income is counted?

Which family members are counted?

Can noncitizens get income-eligible child care?

What changes can affect my eligibility and fees?

Who can get income-eligible child care?

To be eligible for income-eligible child care, you must:

• be a resident of Massachusetts
• meet the income limits (see income limits elow)
• be the parent or caretaker of a child age 12 or under living in your household, or an older child with special needs, who is a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen 
• and meet the activity requirement (see activity requirement below)

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements, but you need child care because of special circumstances, the EEC can make an exception to the rules.

Income-eligible child care is for families who are not getting TAFDC and have not gotten TAFDC for over a year. If you are a TAFDC family, you should apply for DTA child care, which has no waiting period. You will need a referral from the DTA. See DTA child care.

Funding for income-eligible child care is limited and not everyone who is eligible will get child care assistance. If you are not in a priority category, you may have to wait several years for a voucher or contracted slot.

How do I meet the activity requirement for child care?

You meet the activity requirement for child care if:

• you are looking for a job (up to eight weeks of job search)
• you are working at a paid job (full or part time)
• you are taking a maternity leave from paid employment (up to twelve weeks leave)
• you are in an education or training program (not including graduate school, medical school, or law school)
• you or your child has a disability or special need. The disability or special need must be certified by a doctor or clinic.
• you are homeless and doing a housing search or other shelter activities
• you are deployed or activated in the military
• you are age 65 or older and retired

In families with two parents, both parents must meet the activity requirement. You must show a full-time need (30 hours or more per week) to get full-time child care, or a part-time need (at least 20 hours per week) for part-time care.

If you are starting a new job, education, or training program, you will be eligible to enroll your child in child care up to two weeks before beginning your new activity.

Which children qualify?

Families can get child care for children who are:

• twelve years old or younger,
• OR older than twelve with special needs

Children must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens, with proof of citizenship or eligible immigration status. The immigration status of the parent or caregiver does not matter.

What are the income limits?

Income limits are based on the state median income (SMI). The state median income is the "midpoint" income for families in Massachusetts. Half of families have incomes above the median, and half have incomes below the median.

Your family's gross monthly income must be within these limits:

• For a family without a disabled child or parent:

  Gross family income cannot be more than 50% of the state median income (SMI) when you apply. Families in the program remain eligible until their gross family income reaches 85% of the state median income.

• For a family with a disabled child or parent:

  Gross family income cannot be more than 85% of the state median income (SMI) when you apply. Families in the program remain eligible until their gross family income reaches 100% of the state median.

Families headed by caretakers are exempt from the income limits.

For larger families, see the Massachusetts EEC Financial Assistance: Income Eligibility Table (requires Adobe Reader)

Note: EEC income limits are based on the State Median Income (SMI).

What income is counted?

Income from all family members age 18 or older is counted, including:

• wages and salary (before deductions) 
• self-employment income
• tips and commissions
• Social Security benefits (including retirement, SSI, SSDI) 
• interest and dividends
• income from estates and trusts
• rental income and royalties
• pensions and annuities
• unemployment or worker's compensation
• alimony and child support
• public assistance payments
• lottery winnings
• military income except for hazard or combat compensation

Income that is not counted includes:

• money from the sale of property
• tax refunds
• gifts
• cash value of food stamps
• loans and grants that cannot be used for living expenses
• income earned by children under 18
• military hazard/combat compensation and military housing allowance

Note: Child support or alimony that you pay to another household is deducted from your family's gross income.

Which family members are counted?

A family includes the parent(s), dependent children, and any dependent grandparents who live in the same household:

• A parent may be biological, adoptive, or a stepparent, or a caretaker for children whose parents do not live in the home.

• A dependent child is a child under the age of 18, or a full-time student under the age of 24.

• A dependent grandparent is a grandparent of the child receiving care, who is financially dependent on the child's parent(s).

A family may also be a teen parent and his/her children who live in the same household. Teen parents who live with their parents and depend on them for support may be included in the teen parent's family as long as they are a full-time students and not applying for child care on their own.

Can noncitizens get income-eligible child care?

Income-eligible child care in Massachusetts is funded by the federal government. According to federal rules, the child must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen to qualify for income-eligible child care. The immigration status of the parent or caregiver does not matter because the child is considered to be the person who receives the benefit.

You must provide proof of the child's citizenship or eligible immigration status before you can get benefits. Your CCR&R counselor will let you know what type of proofs you need.

Children in child care programs combined with Head Start programs to provide full-day child care do not have to meet the citizenship/immigration status requirements. 

For more information about noncitizen eligibility, see Which noncitizens can get public benefits?.

What changes can affect my eligibility and fees?

Your eligibility or your payment amount may change if:

• your activity changes (for example, if you stop working)
• your children no longer meet the age requirements
• you do not pay your part of the fees for child care services
• your income goes up or down
• your family size or composition changes
• you move out of Massachusetts