The Office of Early Childhood (OEC) is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2025, the maximum amount of all family fees will be at or below 7% of a family’s income. In January 2025, Care 4 Kids will mail families and providers updated certificates listing the new family fee and payment amount. On average, it is estimated that this change may save families up to $200.00 per month. For more information about family fees, please click here.

Care 4 Kids will now provide a second income eligibility threshold of at or below 85% of state median income (SMI) to families whose redetermination date is 10/01/2024 and beyond.  This means that a family can remain on the program if they meet all program eligibility requirements, and their new income remains at or below 85% SMI at redetermination. Please click here for the current income guidelines.

An on-demand training is now available for child care centers and license exempt programs. Please click here to access the training.

By setting up access to their child care case in the Parent Portal, parents can now report changes to Care 4 Kids, renew their Care 4 Kids benefits, and view correspondence from Care 4 Kids right from the portal. To learn more, please click Care 4 Kids Parent Portal User Guide. Para español, haga clic aquí: Guía del usuario del portal de padres de Care 4 Kids

Effective December 1, 2023, The Office of Early Childhood, the Care 4 Kids program and the Department of Children and Families have partnered to streamline the application for all DCF children’s child care payments. Please click here (Haga clic aquí para Español) for more information. Protective Services – DCF FAQs Servicios de Protección – DCF Preguntas Frecuentes (Español)

Effective December 1, 2023, families who are experiencing homelessness will be given the highest priority for C4K and will not be placed on the waitlist. Please click here (Haga clic aquí para Español) for more information, including the definition of homelessness and the updated eligibility criteria for homeless families. Please click here for housing resources.

Care 4 Kids Contact Center may be experiencing higher than normal call volume, resulting in a longer wait time. If you are a licensed provider, please contact your Provider Liaison directly through secure messaging for faster assistance.

Click on the button below to view details of the Care 4 Kids enrollment management waitlist status. Enrollment management waitlist status

Beginning April 2023, the Office of Early Childhood will begin an Annual Health and Safety Professional Development Audit. The audit will monitor all family child care providers on an annual basis to ensure all health and safety training requirements have been met. The audit will be completed by Office of Early Childhood monitoring staff.  For more information regarding the Annual Health and Safety requirements, please click here: https://www.ctcare4kids.com/provider-information/providertrainingrequirements/

Click here to view the Health and Safety Provider Requirement flowchart- English Haga clic aquí para ver el Requisitos de Cumplimento de Salud y Seguridad diagrama de flujo- Español

Have you been waiting to get your GED or high school equivalency, go back to school for undergraduate studies, or train for a job because of child care costs? The time has never been better to pursue your goals! For a limited amount of time, Connecticut families can get financial assistance through Care 4 Kids to help pay for child care costs while attending school or work training. Click here for more information (Español) Click here for Frequently Asked Questions

Effective February 24, 2020, there are new standards regarding public charge laws to identify people who may depend on government benefits. For more information, please click below on the Fact Sheet.

All Care 4 Kids providers are required to complete mandatory provider orientation and annual training as required by federal law. Click here for the Provider Requirements