Minnesota runs its publicly funded child care subsidy through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), administered by the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), an agency that was carved out of the Minnesota Department of Human Services in 2024 to consolidate early-childhood, child welfare, and economic assistance for children under a single Cabinet-level department. CCAP has two doors: the MFIP and Diversionary Work Program (DWP) pathway for families receiving cash assistance, and the Basic Sliding Fee (BSF) pathway for working families up to 47 percent of State Median Income at intake. The 87 county and tribal social services agencies handle day-to-day intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, and provider payment under DCYF contract.
If your family income is at or below 47 percent of State Median Income at intake, at least one parent is working, in school, or in approved job training, and your child is under thirteen, you almost certainly qualify on paper. The 2023 omnibus Children, Youth, and Families budget made several material improvements: the Basic Sliding Fee statewide waitlist was eliminated effective July 2024, reimbursement rates were raised to the federal equal-access benchmark, and Parent Aware quality bonuses were expanded. Minnesota's CCAP is among the more generous CCDBG implementations in the Upper Midwest in 2026.
DCYF sets statewide CCAP rules: who can be eligible, what counts as a work, school, or training activity, the family co-pay schedule, and how providers are paid. The 87 county and tribal social services agencies handle intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, recertification, and direct provider payment under DCYF contract. Tribal-administered CCAP is available through the eleven Minnesota tribal nations under direct DCYF compacts. Minnesota's Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) and School Readiness Plus (SRP) programs run separately under the Minnesota Department of Education for four-year-olds in participating school districts.
Minnesota's CCAP eligibility rules require a need activity (work, school, or training), Minnesota residency, and household income within the program ceiling. The MFIP and DWP pathway has no income test at intake; eligibility follows the cash assistance case.
Basic Sliding Fee initial CCAP eligibility is set at 47 percent of State Median Income, with ongoing eligibility maintained at 67 percent of SMI for the certification year. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2026:
Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) applies to children of MFIP, DWP, and Tribal TANF recipients in approved work or training activities, children in foster care, and children in the twelve-month Transition Year window after MFIP closes. Both parents (or the single parent in a single-parent household) must be working, in school, or in a DCYF-approved job-training program. Children must be under age thirteen, or under age fifteen if the child has documented special needs.
Minnesota sets a monthly family co-pay on a statewide sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, expressed as a fixed dollar amount rather than a percentage. Approximate monthly amounts for 2025-2026:
The co-pay is paid directly to the provider each month. CCAP reimbursement covers the difference between the family co-pay and the contracted reimbursement rate, up to the DCYF-published county maximum. MFIP-pathway families have lower co-pay obligations during the cash assistance window.
DCYF reimburses CCAP providers at a base rate set by county and child age, with quality enhancement add-ons for providers participating in Parent Aware at One Star through Four Star. Three-Star and Four-Star providers receive the largest add-ons, typically 15 to 30 percent above the base rate. Reimbursement rates were updated in 2024 under the Laws of Minnesota 2023, Chapter 70, to comply with the federal equal-access requirement. Full-time infant center base reimbursement ranged from roughly $1,100 per month in rural Greater Minnesota counties to roughly $2,200 per month in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Family child care provider rates ran 10 to 20 percent below center rates.
Minnesota's Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) and School Readiness Plus (SRP) provide free preschool for four-year-olds in participating school districts. Many working families use CCAP for younger children and combine VPK or SRP with CCAP wraparound at age four.
The Basic Sliding Fee statewide waitlist was eliminated effective July 2024 under the 2023 omnibus Children, Youth, and Families budget. MFIP and DWP child care has no waitlist and is guaranteed for cash assistance recipients in approved work or training. Working families are typically determined within thirty calendar days of completed application; MFIP-related cases within five business days.
Use mn.gov/dcyf to find your county or tribal social services agency. Each county or tribal agency handles CCAP intake for residents of its service area. Larger counties include Hennepin County Human Services, Ramsey County Community Human Services, Dakota County Community Services, Anoka County Community Services, Washington County Community Services, Stearns County Human Services, Olmsted County Health, Housing, and Human Services, and St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services.
The county or tribal agency accepts CCAP applications through MNbenefits.mn.gov, in person, or by mail using DCYF-9484 (Application for Child Care Assistance Program). The application asks for family composition, household income, the need activity (work, school, or training), work or school hours, and a preferred provider if you have one selected.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of Minnesota residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; a current work schedule from your employer.
MFIP and DWP-pathway cases are typically determined within five business days. Basic Sliding Fee cases are determined within thirty calendar days of completed application. If verification documents are incomplete, the county or tribal agency will request additional items by phone or mail.
CCAP families select any DCYF-licensed provider: licensed child care centers, licensed family child care providers, and legal nonlicensed (LNL) providers with background checks. The county issues a CCAP authorization with approved hours and reimbursement rate. The county pays the provider directly, and the family pays the monthly co-pay.
Provider participation in CCAP is voluntary. To accept CCAP, the provider must hold a current DCYF center license, family child care license, or LNL registration, sign a CCAP provider agreement, accept the county maximum reimbursement rate, and meet attendance reporting requirements through MEC2 (Minnesota Electronic Child Care System). Most CCAP funding flows to Parent Aware Two-, Three-, and Four-Star providers. Some private centers in Hennepin, Ramsey, and the suburban metro counties decline CCAP because their posted rates exceed the county maximum reimbursement.
Minnesota's CCAP intake ceiling at 47 percent of State Median Income is in the middle of the Upper Midwest, broadly comparable to Wisconsin Shares and slightly below Illinois CCAP. Ongoing eligibility at 67 percent of SMI is somewhat below the federal maximum of 85 percent SMI used in California and Washington. Parent Aware reimbursement add-ons at Three and Four Stars are competitive. The 2023 elimination of the Basic Sliding Fee waitlist and the 2024 creation of DCYF as a standalone agency have improved the operational performance of the system.
Minnesota families have the right to appeal a county or tribal denial or termination by requesting a state Appeals Office fair hearing within thirty calendar days. Most denials at the county level are reversed when the family provides missing pay stubs, a corrected work schedule, or updated household composition. If the appeal does not succeed, options include reapplying when income or hours change, pursuing Head Start or Early Head Start, enrolling a four-year-old in VPK or SRP at no cost where available, or asking your employer about a Dependent Care FSA.
Minnesota's CCAP substantially reduces daycare costs for low- and moderate-income working families, particularly after the 2023 elimination of the Basic Sliding Fee waitlist and the 2024 creation of DCYF. Parent Aware reimbursement add-ons reward higher-rated providers, MFIP-pathway eligibility is fast, and Basic Sliding Fee intake is now open statewide. For most Minnesota families within range of the income ceiling, the single best move is to apply through MNbenefits.mn.gov or your county or tribal social services agency now, even before you need care, and to plan for VPK or SRP layering at age four with CCAP wraparound hours.
Initial eligibility for the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Basic Sliding Fee (BSF) program is 47 percent of State Median Income at intake and 67 percent of SMI for ongoing eligibility. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2026 are roughly $3,900 per month for a family of two, $4,800 per month for a family of three, $5,800 per month for a family of four, and $6,800 per month for a family of five. The MFIP and Diversionary Work Program (DWP) child care pathway has no income test at intake; eligibility follows the MFIP cash assistance case.
Minnesota DCYF sets a monthly family co-pay on a statewide sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income. Co-pays for the 2026 schedule run from $0 per month at the lowest-income tier to roughly $400 to $600 per month at the upper end of Basic Sliding Fee eligibility, paid directly to the provider. MFIP families have lower co-pay obligations during the cash assistance window.
The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), established in 2024 as a standalone agency separating early-childhood, child welfare, and economic assistance for children from the Department of Human Services, administers CCAP statewide. The 87 county and tribal social services agencies handle day-to-day intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, and provider payment under DCYF contract.
Parent Aware is Minnesota's tiered quality rating and improvement system, with One-Star through Four-Star ratings administered by DCYF. CCAP reimbursement rates scale with Parent Aware level: Three-Star and Four-Star programs receive 15 to 30 percent above the base reimbursement rate. Minnesota also operates Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) and School Readiness Plus (SRP) programs for four-year-olds in participating school districts at no cost to families.
Minnesota maintained a statewide Basic Sliding Fee waitlist of several thousand families through the 2010s. The 2023 Children, Youth, and Families budget eliminated the BSF waitlist by July 2024, and most counties have processed waitlist families through to active CCAP. MFIP and DWP child care has no waitlist and is guaranteed for cash assistance recipients in approved work or training. Working families are typically determined within thirty calendar days of completed application.
Minnesota permits care by a legal nonlicensed (LNL) provider, generally an in-home relative or close friend, after completion of background checks, child abuse and neglect registry clearance, and county registration. Most CCAP funding is paid to DCYF-licensed centers and family child care providers participating in Parent Aware.
Yes. MFIP and Diversionary Work Program recipients receive guaranteed CCAP while participating in approved work, education, or training activities under the MFIP Employment Services Plan, and during the twelve-month Transition Year after MFIP closes. MFIP-related child care cases are processed within five business days.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of Minnesota residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; current work schedule. Your county or tribal social services agency provides a complete checklist with the application packet.
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See Minnesota costs → Minnesota pre-KVoluntary Pre-K (VPK) and School Readiness Plus (SRP), district eligibility, and how each layers with CCAP wraparound.
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