Child Care & Development Fund (CCDF) Program

Child Care & Development Fund (CCDF) Program

The Office of Child Care is dedicated to enhancing the quality, affordability, and availability of child care for all families. The Office of Child Care administers federal funds to states, territories, and tribes to assist low-income families in accessing quality child care for children when the parents work or participate in educational or training programs.  It is this mission that CCDF is built upon.

The Child Care and Development Fund program, or as it is referred to, CCDF, is distributed on a yearly basis to all federally recognized tribal grantees and Tribal Lead Agencies, such as California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc.  This program is federally funded, subjected to federal regulations governing this program.  By this virtue, Tribal families are able to receive child care subsidies directly from CRIHB, instead of having to apply for state funding.

CCDF’s main goal is to assist low income families with child care costs in the form of subsidies.  CCDF covers costs for children birth to 13 years of age, along with providing technical support for parents and child care providers.  Parents are afforded the opportunity to seek the type of child care that is best suited for their child, inclusive of Licensed Child Care; Private-For-Profit Child Care; Preschools; Afterschool Programs; Summer Programs and Relative-Family Child Care.

Child Care Services Funded by CCDF: Subsidized child care services are available to eligible families through certificates or agreements with parents.  Child care providers serving children funded by CCDF must meet basic health and safety requirements set by states and tribes. These requirements must address prevention and control of infectious diseases, including  immunizations; building and physical premises safety; and minimum health and safety training.