Oregon runs its publicly funded child care subsidy through two related programs: Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) for working families, and TANF JOBS Child Care for families on cash assistance who are participating in approved work or training activities. Both programs are administered by the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC), an agency that was carved out of the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services in 2023 to consolidate Oregon's early-childhood functions under a single Cabinet-level department. ERDC and JOBS Child Care cover DELC-licensed Certified Child Care Centers and Registered or Certified Family Child Care providers, and License-Exempt providers (in-home relatives with background checks).
If your family income is at or below 200 percent of federal poverty level 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 2021 ERDC modernization (House Bill 3073) substantially reformed the program by raising income limits, capping family co-pays at seven percent of income, and shifting administration to the new DELC. The 2023 transition to DELC has improved coordination with Oregon Preschool Promise and Oregon Pre-Kindergarten.
DELC sets statewide ERDC and JOBS Child Care rules: who can be eligible, what counts as a work, school, or training activity, the family co-pay schedule, and how providers are paid. DHS Self-Sufficiency Programs (SSP) district offices and DELC partner agencies handle intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, recertification, and direct provider payment under DELC contract. The Spark tiered rating system runs in parallel under DELC. Oregon's Preschool Promise and Oregon Pre-Kindergarten (Head Start) run separately under DELC for income-eligible four-year-olds in participating school districts and community-based providers.
Oregon's ERDC eligibility rules require a need activity (work, school, or training), Oregon residency, and household income within the program ceiling. TANF JOBS Child Care has no income test at intake; eligibility follows the TANF cash assistance case.
DELC sets initial ERDC eligibility at 200 percent of federal poverty level, with ongoing eligibility maintained at 250 percent of FPL for the certification year (subject to the 85 percent of State Median Income federal CCDF cap). Approximate monthly intake limits for 2025-2026:
Categorical eligibility (no income test at intake) applies to TANF recipients in approved work or training activities, children in foster care or guardianship, children in protective services, families experiencing homelessness, and children in the twelve-month Transition Child Care window after TANF closes. Both parents (or the single parent in a single-parent household) must be working, in school, or in a DELC-approved job-training program. Children must be under age thirteen, or under age eighteen if the child has documented special needs.
Oregon sets a monthly family co-pay on a statewide sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income, capped at no more than seven percent of family income under the 2021 ERDC modernization. Approximate monthly amounts for 2025-2026:
The co-pay is paid directly to the provider each month. ERDC reimbursement covers the difference between the family co-pay and the contracted reimbursement rate, up to the DELC-published county maximum. TANF JOBS Child Care families have lower co-pay obligations during the cash assistance window.
DELC reimburses ERDC providers at a base rate set by county group (Group Area A, B, or C) and child age, with quality enhancement add-ons for providers participating in Spark at One through Five Stars. Four- and Five-Star Spark providers receive the largest add-ons, typically 5 to 25 percent above the base rate. Reimbursement rates were updated in 2024 to align with the federal equal-access requirement. Full-time infant center base reimbursement ranged from roughly $1,000 per month in rural Eastern Oregon counties (Group Area C) to roughly $2,100 per month in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties (Group Area A). Family child care provider rates ran 10 to 20 percent below center rates.
Oregon's Preschool Promise provides free preschool for income-eligible three- and four-year-olds (up to 200 percent FPL) in participating community-based providers and school districts. Oregon Pre-Kindergarten (OPK) is the state-supplemented Head Start program. Many working families use ERDC for younger children and combine Preschool Promise or OPK with ERDC wraparound at age four.
Oregon historically maintained an ERDC waitlist during peak demand windows. The 2021 ERDC modernization (HB 3073) and the 2023 transition to DELC have substantially reduced the statewide waitlist. TANF JOBS Child Care has no waitlist and is guaranteed for cash assistance recipients in approved work or training. General working ERDC families are typically determined within thirty calendar days of completed application; TANF-related cases within five to ten business days.
Use oregon.gov/delc to find your DHS SSP district office or DELC partner agency. Each county has at least one SSP office handling ERDC and TANF intake for residents of its service area. Larger counties include Multnomah County SSP, Washington County SSP, Clackamas County SSP, Marion County SSP, Lane County SSP, Jackson County SSP, and Deschutes County SSP.
DELC and DHS accept ERDC applications online through the ONE eligibility system at one.oregon.gov, in person at any SSP district office, 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 Oregon 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.
TANF-pathway cases are typically determined within five to ten business days. General working ERDC families are determined within thirty calendar days of completed application. If verification documents are incomplete, the SSP district office will request additional items by phone or mail.
ERDC families select any DELC-listed provider: Certified Child Care Centers, Registered Family Child Care, Certified Family Child Care, and License-Exempt providers (with background checks). DELC issues an ERDC authorization with approved hours and reimbursement rate. DELC pays the provider directly, and the family pays the monthly co-pay.
Provider participation in ERDC is voluntary. To accept ERDC, the provider must hold a current DELC Certified Child Care Center license, Registered or Certified Family Child Care license, or License-Exempt provider enrollment, sign an ERDC provider agreement, accept the county group maximum reimbursement rate, and meet attendance reporting requirements. Most ERDC funding flows to Spark Three-, Four-, and Five-Star providers. Some private centers in Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, and Bend decline ERDC because their posted rates exceed the county group maximum reimbursement.
Oregon's ERDC intake ceiling at 200 percent of federal poverty level is in the higher range for the Pacific Northwest and broadly comparable to Washington Working Connections Child Care and California Alternative Payment Program. Ongoing eligibility up to 250 percent of FPL (subject to the 85 percent SMI federal cap) matches the more generous state ceilings. The seven percent co-pay cap, enacted under HB 3073 in 2021, is among the most generous in the country. The 2023 creation of DELC as a standalone agency has improved coordination with Preschool Promise and Oregon Pre-Kindergarten.
Oregon families have the right to appeal a DHS or DELC denial or termination by requesting a hearing through the Office of Administrative Hearings within forty-five calendar days. Most denials at the district 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 Oregon Pre-Kindergarten or Early Head Start, enrolling a three- or four-year-old in Preschool Promise at no cost where available, or asking your employer about a Dependent Care FSA.
Oregon's ERDC and TANF JOBS Child Care substantially reduce daycare costs for low- and moderate-income working families, particularly after the 2021 modernization and the 2023 creation of DELC. The seven percent co-pay cap, the 200 percent FPL intake ceiling, and the 250 percent FPL ongoing-eligibility ceiling are competitive with the best state systems. For most Oregon families within range of the income ceiling, the single best move is to apply through the ONE eligibility system or your SSP district office now, even before you need care, and to plan for Preschool Promise or Oregon Pre-Kindergarten layering at age three or four with ERDC wraparound hours.
Initial eligibility for Oregon Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) is set at 200 percent of federal poverty level at intake, with ongoing eligibility maintained at 250 percent of FPL through the certification year (subject to the 85 percent of State Median Income federal CCDF cap). Approximate monthly intake limits for 2026 are roughly $3,500 per month for a family of two, $4,400 per month for a family of three, $5,400 per month for a family of four, and $6,300 per month for a family of five. TANF JOBS Child Care has no income test at intake; eligibility follows the TANF cash assistance case.
DELC sets a monthly family co-pay on a statewide sliding scale based on family size and gross monthly income. Oregon's 2022 ERDC modernization capped co-pays at no more than seven percent of family income, in line with the federal CCDF benchmark. Co-pays for the 2026 schedule run from $0 per month at the lowest-income tier to roughly $250 to $500 per month at the upper end of eligibility, paid directly to the provider. TANF JOBS families have lower co-pay obligations during the cash assistance window.
The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC), established in 2023 as a standalone agency separating early-childhood functions from the Department of Education and the Department of Human Services, administers ERDC statewide. DELC partner agencies and the Office of Child Care, along with Department of Human Services district offices and Self-Sufficiency Programs, handle day-to-day intake, eligibility, family co-pay calculations, and provider payment.
Oregon Spark is the state's tiered quality rating and improvement system, with One- through Five-Star Spark ratings administered by DELC. ERDC reimbursement rates scale meaningfully with Spark level: Four- and Five-Star Spark providers receive 5 to 25 percent above the base reimbursement rate. Oregon also operates Preschool Promise and Oregon Pre-Kindergarten (OPK, federally funded Head Start) for income-eligible four-year-olds at no cost to families in participating school districts and community-based providers.
Oregon historically maintained an ERDC waitlist during peak demand windows. The 2021 ERDC modernization legislation (HB 3073) and subsequent DELC operational improvements have substantially reduced the statewide waitlist. TANF JOBS Child Care has no waitlist and is guaranteed for cash assistance recipients in approved work or training. General working ERDC families are typically determined within thirty calendar days of completed application.
Oregon permits care by a License-Exempt provider, generally an in-home relative or close friend, after completion of background checks, child abuse and neglect registry clearance, and DELC enrollment as an ERDC provider. Most ERDC funding is paid to DELC-licensed Certified Child Care Centers and Registered or Certified Family Child Care providers participating in Spark.
Yes. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients receive guaranteed JOBS Child Care while participating in approved work, education, or training activities under the JOBS work program, and ERDC during the twelve-month Transition Child Care window after TANF closes. TANF-related cases are processed within five to ten business days.
Photo identification for each adult; birth certificates for each child; proof of Oregon 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 DHS Self-Sufficiency Programs district office or DELC partner agency provides a complete checklist with the application packet.
What a Certified Child Care Center or Family Child Care provider actually costs across Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Bend in 2026.
See Oregon costs → Oregon pre-KPreschool Promise, Oregon Pre-Kindergarten (OPK), and how each layers with ERDC wraparound.
Read the guide → BackgroundCCDBG, Head Start, and how every state's voucher program fits together.
Read the article → Free toolEstimate net out-of-pocket tuition after credits and subsidies for your zip code.
Try the calculator →Get our free daycare starter kit — the 27-question tour checklist, a cost-comparison worksheet, and what to ask about waitlists. One email, no spam.
Or jump in: tour questions · cost calculator · comparison checklist