Child Care Services

Child Care Services: Subsidized childcare is available for certain eligible parents or caretakers to enable him/her/ them to work.

FIND OUT IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE FOR CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE BY TAKING THIS SHORT QUESTIONNAIRE.
Income Requirements
- Here are the maximum amounts a family can make and still qualify. While this information can be a helpful tool, families should submit an application to their LDSS to find out if they qualify. Income is only one factor to qualify for child care assistance in New York State. Other families may also qualify, based on their specific needs.

After you receive your application packet you will need to complete the forms included with it. The application for Child Care is a shortened application and should be fairly easy to complete. You may also need to provide ID; birth certificates; Social Security cards; divorce, separation, or custody papers; and verification of all income.

Once we get your returned application packet we will review it for completeness. If we need more information we will send you a letter telling you what we still need. After all the necessary paperwork is received we will make an eligibility decision within 30 days from your application date.

Most individuals pay a portion of the child care expense to the child care provider. This payment is called the Parent Fee or Family Share, and will vary according to the family’s income.

There is a resource limit of $1 Million Dollars for child care assistance.

Family Share (also called Family Copay or Family Fee)

If you qualify, you may need to pay a portion of the cost of care depending on your situation. If you qualify for CCAP, you will receive a notice of approval that includes whether you have a family share, how much it is, and how to pay it. The following chart provides examples of family share based on different income levels and family sizes.

	New York State Income Standard (SIS)		Income $40,000	Income $60,000	Income $80,000	Income $100,000	85% State Median Income (highest eligibility level for CCAP)
Family Size	Income	Weekly Family Share	Weekly Family Share	Weekly Family Share	Weekly Family Share	Weekly Family Share	Income	Weekly Family Share
2	$21,640.00	N/A	$3.50	$7.00	N/A	N/A	$79,214.00	$11.00
3	$27,320.00	N/A	$2.00	$6.00	$10.00	N/A	$97,853.00	$13.50
4	$33,000.00	N/A	$1.00	$5.00	$9.00	$13.00	$116,492.00	$16.00
5	$38,680.00	N/A	$1.00	$4.00	$8.00	$12.00	$135,131.00	$18.50
6	$44,360.00	N/A	N/A	$3.00	$7.00	$10.50	$153,770.00	$21.00
7	$50,040.00	N/A	N/A	$2.00	$6.00	$9.50	$157,264.00	$20.50
8	$55,720.00	N/A	N/A	$1.00	$4.50	$8.50	$160,759.00	$20.00

Examples of family share at different annual gross income levels, effective 6/1/2026 through 5/31/2027.

Waitlist Updates and Memos

Your completed and eligible application will be placed on a waiting list and held until additional funding is available.
You will be contacted by DSS-ES staff if/when you can reapply. Applications dated over 30 days will need to be resubmitted and updated documents may be required.
DSS-ES continues to monitor funding monthly, and updates will be provided here.

Families currently receiving child care assistance will not be affected unless their case is due for recertification, and they do not meet the waiver criteria.
Foster and protective child care cases will continue without interruption and are not subject to the waitlist.
Temporary Assistance cases will continue without interruption and guaranteed coverage for 12 months after their case is closed.

Effective June 1, 2025

Due to limited funding, the Onondaga County Department of Social Services – Economic Security (DSS-ES) has established a waitlist for new child care assistance applications and recertifications.

We are still accepting applications, but please be aware:

Complete and Eligible applications and recertifications will be placed on a waitlist until additional funding becomes available. Please note that only eligible applications and recertifications will be added to the waitlist. It is imperative for families to apply and complete the eligibility process to be placed on the waitlist.
Once funding resumes, cases on the waitlist will be prioritized according to Federal and State guidelines. Families on the waitlist will be notified if/when they may reapply.

Onondaga County received a waiver from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. This allows up to 95% of current child care assistance cases to remain open at recertification—even during the waitlist period—if the family falls into one of the following federally recognized categories:

Families experiencing homelessness
Families with very low income (under 300% of the Federal Poverty Level — e.g., up to $96,450 for a family of four)
Families with children who have special needs

This waiver means that most families who are up for recertification can continue receiving benefits without disruption. Please note that only complete and eligible recertifications may remain open if one of the three above categories is met.

In fact, of the 63 families originally placed on the waitlist in June, 60 have now been approved to continue their assistance due to this waiver.

If you have questions or believe your household meets one of the above criteria, please contact our Child Care Assistance team at (315) 435-5683.

Additional Information

Questions? Our Child Care 101 Sheet can provide you answers!

If you are eligible for subsidized daycare services, please visit Child Care Solutions CNY to learn about childcare providers and available childcare openings.