New York · Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
Child care help in New York: the income line, the co-pay, and the wait
New York's program is Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), run by New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), county districts. Here is its entry line, its exit line, its co-pay machine, its rule on the second bill, and whether it is funding new families right now.
Run the free check for New York
The lines, for a family of 4
85% of state median income (family of 4 up to $113,568/yr, Jun 2025 – May 2026 limits).
85% of state median income.
Who skips the income test
These lanes waive or shortcut parts of the income test in New York — if one is you, say so on page one of the application:
- Families receiving TANF cash assistance
- Children in foster care or with an open protective-services case
- Families experiencing homelessness
The co-pay
New York's family share is calculated on income above the poverty level; PN3 reports family shares of up to about 1% of income. The dollar family-share chart is set through OCFS and your county — confirm locally.
Fee scale: 2025 (PN3 Roadmap 2025; state chart not opened).
The gap: not confirmed for New York
New York's rule on charging above the county rate was not confirmed in the sources checked in October 2026.
Nationally, 40 states allow providers to bill families the difference above the state rate and 11 prohibit it (PN3, December 2025) — but the per-state list was not published in a form we could verify for New York, so this page does not guess. Ask the agency before you sign.
County-group market rates; no single statewide maximum was opened in the October 2026 check.
The funding reality
Waitlists are county-level: OCFS publishes county waitlist data, and at least some counties froze intake in 2025. Your county's list — not a state list — decides your wait.
How to apply
Apply through your county department of social services.
Limits checked October 2026 · Fee scale checked 2025 (PN3 Roadmap 2025; state chart not opened) · Ceiling checked Not published · Waitlist checked October 2026
Sources: source · cross-checked against the state's CCDF plan. If a figure here disagrees with the agency's current chart, the agency's chart wins — tell us at help@doogex.com.
The Daycare Help Kit — $29, one-time
The check gives you the answer. The kit walks the whole road after it: the application packet in the agency's own order, the denial translator, the real-bill worksheet, the redetermination calendar, and the tour-and-judge checklists — for all 50 states and DC.
See what's inside the kit $29 · one-time payment