Important Income Tax Information
The Office of Children and Family Services staff are happy to share valuable information on the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Grant Program. We especially want to share this information with local Child Care Centers and Family Child Care Homes, as they are in contact with potential eligible families.
The Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC or EIC, is a benefit for working families with low to moderate income. To qualify, you must meet certain requirements and file a tax return, even if you do not owe any tax or are not required to file.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Grant Program is an IRS initiative designed to promote and support free tax preparation service for the underserved, in both urban and non-urban locations. Service is targeted to low-to-moderate income individuals, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking.
If you need general information about the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Grant Program, your OCFS Division of Child Care Services Regional Office can help you.
What Is The Application Process
The Child Care Assistance Program is based on the availability of funds. If funds are available at the time your application is received, you will be contacted by the local Program Eligibility Specialist. They will verify your eligibility for child care assistance.
If funds are not available at the time your application was received, the local Program Eligibility Specialist will send a notification to you which explains you have been placed on a waiting list for the county of your residence. Your application will only be effective for twelve months as stated on your application. If you still require assistance at the end of the twelve months, then you must submit a new application to remain on the waiting list.
Getting Started With Child Care Assistance
Eligibility for CCA is based on residence, earnings, activity hours and the childs eligibility. The amount of subsidy provided is based on household income and the number of children in care.
Please be sure to select the correct program that serves you from the options below. Submitting your application to the incorrect program may delay your application.
Dallas
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If You Live In England Or Scotland
You can only get Tax-Free Childcare to help pay for childcare provided by a relative if theyre a registered childminder and care for your child outside your home.
You cannot claim for 30 hours free childcare for childcare provided by a relative .
You cannot get help for childcare provided by your partner. This is not accepted as approved childcare.
If you live in England and get 30 hours free childcare, you can pay the childcare provider using Universal Credit, tax credits, childcare vouchers or Tax-Free Childcare.
Gathering Other Required Documents
Since each grant will have different requirements, it is important to pay close attention to what the specific requirements are for the grants you plan on applying for. You want to gather all your required documents before you submit your information.
If you are missing any requirements when you submit your information, you can jeopardize being approved for your grants. For some government grants, you wont be able to make any changes or resubmit your application once youve submitted it once. Therefore, its important to ensure youve gathered all the documents you need first.
Examples of other documents you may be required to submit are your business license, certifications of certain trainings, and details on the business owner. It is always better to be safe and be extra prepared with any information you may need.
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Get Help Paying For Child Care
According to Child Care Aware of Americas 2017 report, Parents and the High Cost of Child Care, child care is one of the biggest items in families monthly budgets. It is often higher than the cost of housing, college tuition, transportation, or food. Families across the country know that it can be hard to find quality child care that is affordable.
High-quality child care programs may cost more than other options. But when children are in a quality child care program they are able to develop, explore, and grow. A safe and nurturing early learning environment allows children to get ready for school, and allows their parents to focus on work or school knowing that their child is in a healthy, caring environment.
It is important to make sure your child care provider meets health and safety requirements. You should always ask to see a copy of the providers license. It is also a good idea to review the providers inspection reports. Visit our state resources page to learn how to access these reports in your state.
If youre not sure whether you can afford quality child care, keep reading. Well start with a list of some resources that may be able to help you pay for child care. At the end of this page, we cover some suggestions that may help you find lower-cost options.
Childcare You Can Get Help Paying For
You can get help paying for childcare if its provided by a:
- registered childminder, nanny, playscheme, nursery or club
- childminder or nanny with a registered childminder agency or childcare agency
- registered school
- home care worker working for a registered home care agency
This is known as approved childcare.
The rules about how childcare providers become approved are different depending on where you live.
You can check if a childcare provider is approved or search for one in:
- Wales through Care Inspectorate Wales
- Scotland through the Scottish Care Inspectorate
- Northern Ireland through the local early years team register
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How Is Child Care Provided For My Children
Once a family is determined eligible for the Child Care Assistance Program, they must select a child care provider that is licensed or registered by the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. The provider must be an active participant in the Child Care Assistance Program.
Families may contact the Program Eligibility Specialist to request a list of child care providers that participate in the Child Care Assistance Program or call 1-800-322-8176. Families may also use the Search for Child Care.
Our Plan: Childcare Bc
B.C. is taking important steps to deliver quality and affordable child care to more families. Learn more about what we’re doing to reduce child care fees for parents, build more licensed spaces, and increase supports for those working in the sector.
Economic recovery funding to support child care providers.
COVID-19popular topicsDon’t include personal details
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Affordable Child Care Benefit
The Affordable Child Care Benefit is a monthly payment to help eligible families with the cost of child care. Factors like income, family size, and type of care determine how much support families can get. Families need to renew their application every year.
The Affordable Child Care Benefit replaces the Child Care Subsidy as per the Child Care Subsidy Regulation.
Government Assistance Helped This Professional Single Mom Get On Her Feet
I often struggle with this platform, where I speak primarily to women like me: Educated, professional single moms. The number of unmarried mothers is increasingly affluent and educated, as women gain power in business and earning. But the reality remains that about half of kids raised primarily by a single mom live in poverty .
I don’t pretend that what I write about here speaks to every single one of the 10 million U.S. single moms, or financial challenges that I face as an educated white woman are the same as someone who grew up with the challenges of generational poverty. However, I often hear from women facing single motherhood and find themselves in financial straights very real, scary financial straights despite having had every perceived advantage, a fact that only adds to the shame and fear around their situation.
A couple years ago I had this Facebook instant message conversation with Jennifer L.W. Fink, a single mom to four boys in Wisconsin. She separated five years ago and has been divorced for two. When she separated, Fink worked part-time as a freelance writer and homeschooled her children. She turned to public assistance.
Today Fink makes a living as a full-time freelance writer. She blogs at Building Boys.
But I also try to appreciate that I am a white, educated middle-class woman who had a career before I had kids and got divorced. No ignoring that.
EJ: I agree 100 percent. But that isn’t our story now. So what do you suggest?
EJ: Thats fantastic.
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Who Is Eligible For Child Care Assistance Based On Income
Families must be income eligible and meet one of the following reasons for care:
- Working a minimum of 10 hours per week at minimum wage or above
- Participating in an approved educational/vocational training
- Looking for work
- Attending services in response to domestic violence
- Attending a 4-year college and working 17 1/2 hours per week
Can Your Business Claim Covid Grants
Businesses large and small across Australia are facing a rocky and uncertain start to 2022, with the Omicron outbreak forcing thousands to shut down, this time with little assistance available from government. As business and welfare leaders call for the reinstatement of different forms of government assistance, we look at the small amount of financial support there is for businesses to claim in the different states of Australia.
- Shelley Dempsey
As consumer spending slumps to lockdown levels, businesses are facing a perfect storm of problems which are shutting down operations indefinitely in thousands of workplaces nationally. Critical supply chain problems and product shortages generated by workers isolating, plus consumers staying at home to avoid crowds and not spending is forcing many enterprises to the brink. Where is the government support?
Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter this week called for targeted government support for firms that are highly impacted.
According to a survey carried out by Business NSW, 40 per cent of 2,000 businesses surveyed said they did not have enough cash flow for the next three months.
Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive Wes Lambert told the Australian Financial Review recently: As hospitality spending has plummeted in recent weeks, its critical on both the state and federal level to turn back on government stimulus including JobSaver, business grants, hospitality grants, waivers of payroll tax and retail lease changes.
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Child Growth And Development
From birth to age 5 is an incredibly exciting time of growth and development. It is during these early years when children develop the foundations for social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive growth. During these years, you may also have many questions about your childs development.
How do I know if my child is developing typically?
Children develop in similar patterns at similar times, and typically go through a sequence of accomplishments However, each child is unique and will therefore learn, grow and reach milestones according to their own timeline. Knowing when to be concerned and when not to be is important for parents and family members. Your childs pediatrician is your partner in determining whether or not your child is developing typically. The Center for Disease Control has a wealth of information about child development and developmental milestones. To learn more, or to see how your child is progressing, .
Kid Tours 2 – Growth and Development
Virginias Early Learning and Development Standards
The ELDS are a reference to help caregivers and educators understand what most children are able to know and to do, across different areas of development, by a given age.The document describes development across five overlapping age bands.
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Approaches to Play and Learning
- Social Emotional Learning
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Communication, Language, and Literacy Development
- Health and Physical Development
- Cognitive Development
Learn the Signs. Act Early.
Early Intervention in Virginia
Texas Workforce Commission Meetings
Stakeholders can learn about upcoming policy and funding decisions by virtually attending TWCs three-member Commission meetings, which also offer the public an opportunity to provide input during any of its posted public meetings. To view meetings, agendas and materials, visit TWC Commission.
Additionally, the Commission works with staff to provide opportunities for:
- child care and early learning stakeholders to offer input on the Child Care Services program
- TEA, school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, relevant businesses, and the public to offer input on coordination between TWC’s Child Care Services program and pre-K
- child care programs to offer input on existing health and safety regulations that could be more efficient or less costly without reducing health and safety outcomes and
- child care programs to offer input on burdens relating to complying with existing Child Care Services program regulations that could be mitigated, reduced, or eliminated while maintaining the intent, objective, or purpose of the underlying regulation.
TWC notifies stakeholders of opportunities to attend regional meetings and of other child care updates. Stakeholders interested in receiving updates should by entering your email address and selecting the child care topic areas of their interest.
Stakeholders may also provide input to TWCs Child Care and Early Learning Division at any time at:
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How To Start A Childcare Business With Government Grants
One of the most important factors in starting a childcare business is having the finances that are required to start a new business. Expenses can add up quickly when you are starting a daycare, so it is common for new business owners to first investigate where they will find the funding. If you dont have the finances yourself to start a business, applying for government grants is an option you may want to consider. We have all the details you need to know about starting a childcare business with government grants.
You can start a daycare business with government grants by finding the best grants for your specific business through grants.gov. The process of applying for government grants includes determining your startup costs, putting together a list of the grants you want to apply for, putting together your business plan, gathering other required documents, submitting your information and then tracking the status of your grants.
Child Care And Early Learning Options
High quality early childhood care and education can have the greatest effect on the lives of children and their families. Brain research has shown the importance of cognitive and social development in the early years of life as well as how it connects to future academic success. Did you know that kids in quality early childhood care and education programs have a higher high school completion rate? High quality experiences for children from birth to five should include enriching activities in developmentally appropriate environments, while also providing families with necessary resources and support. Some early care and education program options include Early Head Start, Head Start, Virginia Preschool Initiative, child day centers, and family day homes.
A child day care program in Virginia refers to a regularly operating service arrangement for children where, during the absence of a parent or guardian, a person or organization has agreed to assume responsibility for the supervision, protection and well-being of a child under the age of 13 for less than a 24-hour period.
There are two types of child day programs in Virginia: child day centers and family day homes .
Categories of care include:
- Approved
- Unlicensed and Unregistered
Educating yourself on available care options, and knowing what to look for when selecting a program, are essential to your childs well-being. Search for child day care.
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Licensed |
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Waiting To Hear Results
Applying and receiving government grants can be a lengthy process. Once you have submitted all of your information, you will also need to wait to hear back on the results for each grant you apply for. This can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months.
One great benefit of grants.gov is you have the ability to track the status of the grants you apply for easily on the website. You dont need to call a government office and wait on hold to check the status of your grants. As long as you know your login credentials, you can easily check the status online, even from your smartphone.
Since it can take a while to hear back about grants, this option is best for those who have time available to wait to receive the funds. If you need funds right away for your childcare business, you may want to consider other finance options .
When it comes to starting your daycare business with government grants, it can be a time-consuming process, but it can be an incredible tool for financing your business. The grants.gov website makes the process easy to follow and simple, even for those who may not be the most tech-savvy.
Before jumping to business loans automatically when starting your business, we do recommend at least seeing what grants may be available for your business. If you dont look into business grants, you may be missing out on free money.
What Dates Matter For The Child Care Stabilization Grant
The Child Care Stabilization Grant is part of the American Rescue Plan Act that President Biden signed on March 11, 2021 and funding applications are now open. The application process and distribution structure varies from state to state, so check your local government website to confirm application deadlines and important dates.
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Putting Together Your Business Plan
Depending on the specific government grant, you may be required to provide your business plan, along with the other documents they require. A business plan helps the person reviewing your information see an overview of your business while looking through your application. Itll give them a clear idea if your business is a great fit for the grant or not.
Putting together your business plan is not a step you want to take lightly. This is a business tool that you will likely use frequently throughout the life of your new childcare business. Your business plan should include details regarding your business budget, marketing plan, ideal target market and research explaining the competitive market.
Your business plan is not only needed for applying for grants, but it also acts as an incredible business tool. It gives your business a sense of direction and gives you a place to refer back to. It acts as the vision for your business.
We recommend keeping your business plan in a place that you can easily refer back to, since there is a high chance that you will need it again in the future. It is also a great idea to have an electronic copy of the business plan backed up on a storage device .
