Average child care costs are on the rise nationally. Many families looking for child care services are often challenged when considering work options against day care costs for their children. Parents in moderate income communities juggling multiple jobs and struggling to provide for their children face even more daunting choices.
Brightside Academy’s purpose is to provide all families access to an excellent early educational experience that prepares their children to be lifelong learners. For this reason we are proud to accept a variety of child care subsidy programs throughout our locations in New York, Philadelphia (PA), Pittsburgh (PA) and Ohio.
Subsidized child care programs offer help paying for daycare, and pay for all or part of the cost for your child to attend an accredited child care program in your community.
There are a variety of child care subsidy programs available to families depending on the child’s age and the parent’s work or study status while the child attends an approved provider. Others take into consideration the parent’s income. This determines the copay for which the parent is responsible.
Families who choose to apply for child care subsidy programs are often confused and don’t know where to start. We have compiled a list of choices to help you sort through available subsidy programs. Here is what you need to know about obtaining help paying for child care in Pennsylvania, Ohio or New York:
PENNSYLVANIA CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS
Child Care Works through CCIS
Child Care Works provides help to parents looking for day care. Pennsylvania’s Child Care Information Services (CCIS) offices gather information about your family and look at available quality child care options that may work for you. Then they make referrals to providers based on your family’s needs. All of our Pittsburgh and Philadelphia locations accept payments through the Child Care Works program. Find a CCIS agency location near you or reach out to the Child Care Works Helpline at 1-877-4-PA-KIDS for additional information and options.
PA Pre-K Counts (free for eligible families)
The PA Department of Education created PA PreK Counts to prepare children for kindergarten and help close the achievement gap. It seeks a great experience for families with teachers partnering along parents to achieve better outcomes in the child’s development. Additional information about the Pre-K Counts program is available on the PA Keys website. To enroll you must first select a provider. The provider then guides you on the process to register your child for the program.
Review the list of Brightside Academy locations offering the Pre-K Counts program.
OHIO CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS)
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) assists families in finding affordable child care. They refer families to safe, qualified child care providers for their children to attend while they work or study. Some families are required to pay for part of the cost of child care. The amount you pay depends on your income, family size and how many children need care in your household. Brightside Academy Ohio locations in Akron, Cleveland and Columbus accept ODJFS child care vouchers. Review the JFS County Agency Directory which includes listings of local child and family support agencies and their contact numbers. Click on the county name for information specific to where you live. The Ohio child care benefits program application is also available online.
Find Ohio Brightside Academy locations
NEW YORK CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS
EarlyLearn NYC and HRA
New York’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) helps guide parents in finding affordable child care programs.
EarlyLearn NYC and HRA (Privately-run) are the two subsidized day care programs available to families. EarlyLearn NYC is contracted by the city. It helps families locate child care programs for children 6-weeks to 4-years-old.
HRA programs help paying for child care for children 6-weeks to 12-years old.
Eligibility for both programs is based on why care is required and the family’s income and size. The children’s ages are also taken into account. The ACS Child Care Options web page provides all of the information you need about the program and how to apply. Use the ACS Eligibility Wizard to find out if you are eligible for either the EarlyLearn NYC or the HRA program.
Find Bronx and Brooklyn New York Brightside Academy locations
ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS
Head Start Program Information (free for eligible families)
The Head Start program was created over 50 years ago. It is geared toward children ages three to five from low-income families. Its goal is to provide quality early education and promote school readiness to children from at-risk communities. The program supports the children’s families as well with guidance and resources regarding health, nutrition and other social services available in their neighborhoods.
Early Head Start (free for eligible families)
Years after its creation, Head Start was revised to include infants and toddlers under Early Head Start. The program focuses on providing quality early development experiences to children 0- to 3-years-old. When the program is completed, kids can transition to the Head Start program or any alternate preschool setting that meets the needs of the child’s family.
Over 35 Brightside Academy locations offer the Head Start programs including three in Toledo, Ohio which are Head Start-only academies.
Applying for Head Start
The first step to applying for the program is finding an approved provider in your community. You will typically need to provide documents like income verification, a child’s birth certificate and current health record with vaccinations to see if your family qualifies for services. Once you are accepted, you are able to register for the program. To obtain specific details on the Head Start registration process, visit one of our Head Start academies.
A CLEARER PICTURE OF SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE OPTIONS
At Brightside Academy early education and child care locations, parents have options to pay for care privately (cash, check or credit card), through employer programs or subsidies. There are multiple options available to families considering subsidized child care programs in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. In this post we discussed PA’s Child Care Works (CCIS) and Pre-K Counts options, Ohio’s OJFDS child care program, New York’s HRA and EarlyLearn NYC options, and the national Head Start program. We hope this information helps you get a clearer picture of what is available to help paying for child care. In future posts we will feature families who applied for the programs and the process to obtain affordable child care for their children.
Questions or comments about this post? Email us at communications@brightsideacademy.com.
