Child Care Assistance Program

Links to information for Child Care Subsidy

• Child Care Services Home Page*
• Child Care Subsidy Program*
• Child Care Plan* is specific to Montgomery County.

How to apply:

To request an application, you can call 518-853-8326 or 518-853-8279. You can also access the application in English or Spanish here:
English Child Care Application (PDF)*
English Child Care Application (Word)*

How to Complete the Application for Child Care Assistance (PDF)*
How to Complete the Application for Child Care Assistance (Word)*

Spanish Child Care Application (PDF)*

Licensed Child Care Provider Packet

Unlicensed Child Care Packet-English*
Unlicensed Child Care Information and Instruction Guide-English*

Unlicensed Child Care Packet-Spanish*
Unlicensed Child Care Information and Instruction Guide-Spanish*

How to submit your application:

E-mail: dfa2a27.sm.childcare@dfa.state.ny.us
Fax: (518) 853-8327 Attn: Childcare
Mail: Montgomery County DSS, Attn: Child Care, PO Box 745, Fonda, NY 12068
Drop off: Yellow Mailbox located at 64 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068 or Amsterdam Office located at 1 Vener Rd., Amsterdam, NY 12010

FAQ*

What to Expect

After you receive your completed application, we will review what documentation is needed to open your case. You may be asked to provide birth certificates, Social Security cards, verification of residency, verification of income, verification of school schedules, verification of medical need, or any other verification that may apply to your situation. We will request necessary documentation by mailing you a Document Requirement notice. Once all necessary paperwork is received, we have up to 30 days to make an eligibility decision. Once your case is open, it will be approved for 12 months from date of application.

Family Share

Once a child is deemed eligible, family share will only be recalculated by the district when:

• during the 12-month eligibility period if there is a change in household circumstances that will decrease the amount of family share,
• at any time when an overpayment has occurred and the recovery of the overpayment will be made through an additional payment by the family, and
• at redetermination at the end of the 12-month eligibility period.

Family share cannot be increased during the 12-month eligibility period. This limitation applies to families that are initially determined exempt from paying a family share who experience a change in the circumstances that made them exempt (e.g., families receiving Temporary Assistance (TA) when they transition to receiving low-income child care assistance – during the 12-month child care eligibility period – and families experiencing homelessness who are no longer homeless). In such instances, families who were exempt from paying a family share for their child care assistance will continue to be exempt from paying a family share through the remainder of their 12-month eligibility period for child care. This also applies to families whose child care assistance case type changes during the eligibility period. For example, for families in receipt of child care in lieu of TA who transition to receiving low-income child care assistance during the 12-month eligibility period, the family share cannot be increased for the remainder of the 12-month eligibility period.

**Please note that at time of Application/Redetermination you must make less than 85% SMI for NY. If during your 12 month eligibility your income increases above the State Median Income (SMI) for New York, you must notify the agency immediately.**

Income Levels effective June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025:

Family Size	85% SMI for New York
1	56,488.48
2	$73,869.56
3	$91,250.63
4	108,631.70
5	126,012.77
6	143,393.84
7	146,652.80
8	149,911.75
9	153,170.70
10	156,429.65

12-Month Eligibility

Pursuant to the federal CCDBG Act of 2014, regulatory changes were made to facilitate the implementation of 12-month eligibility for child care assistance regardless of a temporary change in the ongoing status of the child’s parent as working or attending a job training or educational program, or a change in family income as long as that family’s income does not exceed State Median Income (SMI) for New York for a family of the same size.

Districts may only redetermine a recipient’s continued eligibility when case factors indicate that a redetermination could be beneficial to the family by reducing the family share or increasing subsidy, a change has occurred which might bring the family over the eligibility threshold of State Median Income (SMI) for New York, or at redetermination. Any income-based family share can only be decreased or remain stable during the 12-month eligibility period.

The 12-month eligibility period begins with the subsidy start date, which, once approved, can be backdated as far as the date the application was received, including when the family is using an enrolled legally exempt provider. Once the case is approved, there cannot be a change in the eligibility period unless the case meets one of the case-closing criteria listed in 18 NYCRR 415.2(d)(4). If there is a change or lapse in activity other than a non-temporary cessation in work or attendance at a training or education program, the family must still receive child care as authorized for the remainder of the 12-month eligibility period.

When a child, who is currently authorized for child care services, turns 13 years old; or turns 18 years old and is a child with special needs or is under court supervision; or turns 19 and is a child with special needs or is under court supervision who is a full-time student in a secondary school, or in an equivalent level of vocational or technical training, the child remains eligible through the end of the 12-month eligibility period.

The 12-month eligibility period applies to all cases funded under the NYSCCBG, including temporary assistance (TA) cases, Child Care in Lieu of TA cases, transitional child care cases, and protective cases. Such cases are still required to provide 12 months of child care services, even when the family’s eligibility for other benefits or services ends and the associated case is closed.

Case Closure

18 NYCRR Part 415.2(d)(4), regarding non-voluntary case closings, is amended to specify when districts must close cases. For child care services funded under the NYSCCBG, a district must provide services to recipients for the duration of the 12-month eligibility period with the following exceptions:

• the family’s income exceeds 85% of SMI,
• the family has experienced a non-temporary cessation in work or attendance at a training or education program,
• the recipient failed to agree to a reasonable plan for repayment or recovery of an overpayment or failed to comply with an agreed upon plan for repayment or recovery of an overpayment,
  • the recipient has been convicted of or voluntarily admitted to fraudulently receiving child care assistance, or
  • the recipient certified and attested to false information on the application for child care assistance and/or enrollment form or any attachment thereto.

Temporary Absence from Activity

OCFS’s stand regarding a temporary cessation is as required by federal rule, which includes, but is not limited to, any cessation of work or attendance at a training or education program that does not exceed three months; any interruption in work for a seasonal worker who is not working between regular industry work seasons; any student holiday or break for a parent participating in training or education; any reduction in work, training or education hours, as long as the parent is still working or attending training or education. Any cessation in work or attendance at a training or education program that exceeds these time frames is considered to be a non-temporary cessation. When a parent’s or caretaker’s average weekly hours falls below the required hours to be considered “engaged in work”, but the parent or caretaker is still working, this is considered to be temporary cessation and the case must remain open and assistance must be continued unchanged. If the parent or caretaker fails to meet the definition of “engaged in work” consistently for three consecutive months, the parent or caretaker is considered to be experiencing a non-temporary cessation of work as they do not meet programmatic eligibility criteria and the case must be closed in accordance with 415.2(d)(4).

Reporting Requirements

Districts must not impose unnecessary documentation requirements on families. Regulatory amendments to 18 NYCRR Part 415.4 clarify that families are only required to report changes in financial circumstances that put the family’s income over the State Median Income (SMI) for New York. Families continue to be required to notify the district of any change in living arrangements, employment, household composition, child care provider or other circumstances that affect the family's need or eligibility for child care services.

Absences

80 Absence days per child per provider per year, regardless of the reason for the absence. The provider must be duly licensed, registered, or enrolled. If a child is provided care by multiple providers in one year, each provider is entitled to up to 80 absences, as needed. Districts may not stipulate payment for less than 80 absences in their contracts with providers unless the district has an approved waiver. The per year limit for absences will be applied based on the state fiscal year of April 1 to March 31.

Closures

Twenty (20) closure days are allowed per state fiscal year (April 1-March 31) for the following modalities: Day Care Center, School-Age Child Care, Group Family Day Care, Family Day Care, and Legally-Exempt Group Child Care. Closure must be due to a state, federal, religious or cultural holiday, or due to extenuating circumstances beyond the provider’s control, including but not limited to: Natural Disaster, Severe Weather, or other emergency closings that are due to a circumstance other than a substantiated regulatory violation.

Resource Limit

Family resources cannot exceed $1,000,000. Resources include, but are not limited to: cash, bank accounts, real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRA’s, 401(k) accounts, life insurance, trust accounts, annuities, burial funds/spaces.

We use CCTA (Child Care Time and Attendance) to determine eligibility for Child Care. Providers are offered the opportunity to record their time and submit electronically to our Accounting Unit. Information for this program can be found here*

For Providers, here’s a Quick Reference Card for CCTA (PDF)*

Billing/Payment Process

1. All child care providers are expected to submit electronic or paper timesheets for services after the last business day of each month for each child in their care.
2. We have 21 calendar days to make payment to you. If we exceed that time period, we will send the parent and/or provider a notice explaining why payment cannot be made within that time period.
3. All requests for payment must be received within 6 months of the date of care in order to receive subsidy payment.


We work with Bright Side Up to assist families in finding child care. They can be reached at (518)426-7181 or you can visit their website*.