Nevada runs its publicly funded child care subsidy through the Child Care and Development Program (CCDP), administered by Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS). CCDP covers licensed centers, licensed or registered family child care homes, school-age programs, and approved relative or in-home providers. Eligibility is set against the federal poverty floor: Nevada sets initial intake at 85 percent of state median income (SMI) percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), with ongoing eligibility maintained at 85 percent of state median income (SMI) through the certification year. For most Nevada working families with a child under thirteen, the question is rarely whether CCDP could help on paper. The question is whether you complete the application correctly, choose a participating provider, and recertify on time.
If your family income is at or below 85 percent of state median income (SMI) percent of the FPL 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. Nevada CCDP eligibility and funding capacity vary by year and by Nevada legislative appropriation. Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas) and Washoe County (Reno, Sparks) has historically been the most consistent operational pressure point, but Nevada operates an active CCDP waitlist for non-priority working families when federal CCDF appropriations and state matching are fully expended; the queue moved substantially in late 2024 and early 2025 after a state budget increase, but Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson) and Washoe County (Reno) routinely carry the longest waits for non-priority cases, often three to six months.
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) sets statewide CCDP rules: who is eligible, what counts as a work, school, or training activity, the family co-pay schedule, and how providers are paid. Local DWSS regional offices and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) partners handle intake, eligibility determination, family co-pay calculation, recertification, and provider payment. Nevada Silver State Stars QRIS runs in parallel and shapes both reimbursement rates and parent-facing quality information. Nevada's state-funded public pre-K, Nevada Ready! State Pre-K, runs on a separate eligibility and funding track for four-year-olds (and in some cases three-year-olds) in participating school districts and community partner sites, and many working families combine pre-K for the school day with CCDP wraparound hours for full-day, full-year coverage.
Nevada's CCDP eligibility rules require a need activity (work, school, or approved training), Nevada residency, and household income within the program ceiling.
DWSS sets initial CCDP eligibility at 85 percent of state median income (SMI) percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), with ongoing eligibility maintained at 85 percent of state median income (SMI) for the certification year. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2025 to 2026:
Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) applies to families receiving cash assistance (TANF), foster care, child protective services involvement, families experiencing homelessness, and teen parents in school. Both parents (or the single parent in a single-parent household) must be working, in school, or in an approved job-training program. Children must be under age thirteen, or under age eighteen if the child has a documented disability that prevents self-care.
Nevada sets a monthly family co-pay on a sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, generally 7 to 11 percent of income. Approximate monthly amounts for 2025 to 2026:
The co-pay is paid directly to the provider each month. CCDP reimbursement covers the difference between the family co-pay and the contracted reimbursement rate, up to the DWSS-published market rate ceiling. Cash-assistance families generally have no co-pay during the assistance window. DWSS adjusts the co-pay schedule each year as part of the Nevada CCDF state plan amendment cycle.
DWSS reimburses CCDP providers at a base rate set by region and child age, with quality enhancement add-ons for providers participating in Nevada Silver State Stars QRIS. Top-rated providers receive the largest add-ons, typically 10 to 25 percent above the base rate. Reimbursement rates were updated to align with the federal equal-access requirement after 2024 CCDF rulemaking. Full-time infant center base reimbursement runs from roughly $775 per month in rural counties to roughly $1,725 per month in the largest metro market. Family child care home reimbursement typically runs 15 to 25 percent below center reimbursement.
Nevada Ready! State Pre-K is one of the substantive supports Nevada layers on top of CCDP for four-year-olds. Many working families use CCDP for younger children and combine a Nevada Ready! Pre-K slot with CCDP wraparound hours for full-day, full-year coverage at age four.
Nevada operates an active CCDP waitlist for non-priority working families when federal CCDF appropriations and state matching are fully expended; the queue moved substantially in late 2024 and early 2025 after a state budget increase, but Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson) and Washoe County (Reno) routinely carry the longest waits for non-priority cases, often three to six months. DWSS prioritizes cash-assistance recipients, foster care cases, child protective services referrals, homeless families, and teen parents in school for immediate determination and bypass of any general waitlist.
Use accessnevada.dwss.nv.gov or the DWSS website to find your local DWSS office or CCR&R partner. Each region handles CCDP intake for residents of its service area.
DWSS accepts CCDP applications online through the Nevada benefits portal, in person, or by mail. 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 Nevada residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; the 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.
Priority cases (cash-assistance recipients, foster care, protective services, homeless families, teen parents) are typically determined within fifteen business days. General working families with available funding are determined within twenty to thirty business days; families on the waitlist (where applicable) are notified when funding becomes available.
CCDP families select any DWSS-approved provider: licensed centers, licensed or registered family child care providers, school-age programs, and approved relative or in-home providers. DWSS issues a CCDP authorization with approved hours and reimbursement rate. DWSS pays the provider directly, and the family pays the monthly co-pay.
Provider participation in CCDP is voluntary. To accept CCDP, a provider must hold a current DWSS license or registration, sign a CCDP provider agreement, accept the market rate ceiling, and meet attendance reporting requirements through the Nevada time and attendance system. Most CCDP funding flows to Nevada Silver State Stars QRIS-rated providers. Some private centers in the Nevada metro market decline CCDP because their posted rates exceed the published market rate ceiling, which is a real and recurring source of access friction for subsidized families.
Nevada's CCDP intake ceiling sits at 85 percent of state median income (SMI) percent of the federal poverty level. The federal CCDF maximum is 85 percent SMI, and Nevada uses 85 percent of SMI on the exit side, which keeps families covered through modest income gains. Family co-pays are within the federal benchmark range of seven percent of household income. Nevada Silver State Stars QRIS reimbursement add-ons reward higher-rated providers and create a meaningful incentive for quality investment. Nevada Ready! State Pre-K layered with CCDP wraparound is a meaningful combination for working families at age four.
Nevada families have the right to appeal a DWSS denial or termination by requesting a fair hearing within thirty calendar days of the determination notice. Most denials at the local level are reversed when the family provides missing pay stubs, a corrected work schedule, or updated household composition. Nevada Ready! State Pre-K and Head Start both run free or sliding-scale pre-K for three- and four-year-olds and operate on a separate eligibility track from CCDP. 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 Nevada Ready! State Pre-K at no cost where available, or asking your employer about a Dependent Care FSA.
CCDP substantially reduces daycare costs for low- and moderate-income Nevada working families. Nevada Silver State Stars QRIS quality add-ons reward higher-rated providers. For most Nevada families, the single best move is to apply through accessnevada.dwss.nv.gov or your local DWSS office now, even before you need care, and to apply for Head Start or Early Head Start in parallel if eligible. Combining Nevada Ready! State Pre-K with CCDP wraparound at age four is, for many Nevada working families, the closest thing to free full-day pre-K available without a private payroll.
Initial eligibility for Nevada's Child Care and Development Program (CCDP) is set at 85 percent of state median income (SMI) percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) at intake, with ongoing eligibility maintained at 85 percent of state median income (SMI) through the certification year. Approximate monthly intake limits for 2026 are roughly $4,475 per month for a family of two, roughly $5,525 per month for a family of three, roughly $6,575 per month for a family of four, and roughly $7,625 per month for a family of five. Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) applies to families receiving cash assistance (TANF), foster care, child protective services involvement, families experiencing homelessness, and teen parents in school.
DWSS sets a monthly family co-pay on a sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, generally 7 to 11 percent of income. Co-pays for the 2026 schedule run from $0 per month at the lowest-income tier to roughly $265 to 425 per month at the upper end of eligibility, paid directly to the provider.
Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) administers the Child Care and Development Program (CCDP) statewide. Local intake, eligibility determination, family co-pay calculation, and provider payment are processed through DWSS regional offices and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) partners.
Nevada Silver State Stars QRIS is Nevada's tiered quality rating and improvement system. Subsidy reimbursement rates scale with quality level: top-rated programs typically receive 10 to 25 percent above the base reimbursement rate.
Nevada operates an active CCDP waitlist for non-priority working families when federal CCDF appropriations and state matching are fully expended; the queue moved substantially in late 2024 and early 2025 after a state budget increase, but Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson) and Washoe County (Reno) routinely carry the longest waits for non-priority cases, often three to six months.
Nevada permits care by a relative or in-home provider after completion of background checks, child abuse and neglect registry clearance, and DWSS registration. Most CCDP funding flows to licensed centers and licensed or registered family child care homes participating in Nevada Silver State Stars QRIS.
Nevada funds Nevada Ready! State Pre-K, administered by the Nevada Department of Education, which underwrites local pre-K classrooms for four-year-olds in Clark County School District, Washoe County School District, and a growing list of community-based partners. Eligibility is income-targeted rather than universal, and coverage remains a small share of four-year-olds statewide.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of Nevada residency such as a lease, mortgage statement, or utility bill; the last 30 days of pay stubs or a signed employer letter; school or training program enrollment documentation if applicable; a current work schedule. DWSS provides a complete checklist with the application packet.
What a licensed center or family child care home actually costs across Nevada metros in 2026.
See Nevada costs → Nevada pre-KNevada Ready! State Pre-K and how it layers with CCDP wraparound hours.
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