Care 4 Kids Program
Care 4 Kids is a government subsidy program that helps low to moderate income families in Connecticut pay for child care costs. The goal of the Care 4 Kids program is to make child care affordable and is a partnership between the State of Connecticut, the families in the program, and the providers who take care of the children. See below for program participation steps as well as a link to the website for more details.
Check Eligibility
Care 4 Kids has different income guidelines for new applicants and current program participants. Click here to determine if you are eligible for subsidized child care.
Submit Application
Families apply to Care 4 Kids by filling out and returning an Application Form and a Parent-Provider Agreement Form (called a PPA). The PPA is an agreement between the family and the child care provider which describes the child care arrangements.
Application Review
Care 4 Kids reviews the Application and requests verification if needed. When Care 4 Kids takes action on the Application, a letter will be sent to the family and to the child care provider.
Certificate Issue
When the Application is granted (if you meet all the requirements) Care 4 Kids sends the parent and the child care provider a Child Care Certificate. This certificate authorizes payment for child care services for a specific period of time up to twelve months. Once a month, Care 4 Kids sends the provider an Invoice to review and complete. After the Invoice is returned and processed, the program issues an electronic payment and a Remittance Advice Notice. The family is responsible for paying the Family Fee to the provider and any additional charges not covered by Care 4 Kids.
Annual Redetermination
Every twelve months, each family’s eligibility for Care 4 Kids is reviewed. This is called a Redetermination. The family is sent a form to complete and return. After review and approval, the parent and provider are sent a new Child Care Certificate.