Arkansas Child Care Assistance for Relative Caregivers

Raising a grandchild while working, recovering from a health crisis, or looking after other family members creates a childcare problem that relatives on tight budgets cannot solve by writing a check to a daycare center. Arkansas runs a childcare subsidy through the Child Care and Development Fund that can close that gap — but the rules differ depending on how the child came into your care.

Who Runs the Program

The Office of Early Childhood within the Arkansas Department of Education administers CCDF childcare subsidies. These are vouchers that cover part or all of the cost of licensed childcare. The program is separate from DHS — you will not find it on the Access Arkansas portal used for TEA or SNAP.

The Standard Work Requirement

For most relative caregivers, CCDF eligibility requires working, attending school, or participating in an approved job-training program for roughly 30 hours per week. Your household income must fall within the program's guidelines (set by the OEC, not the same as SNAP or TEA thresholds).

When the Work Requirement Is Waived

If the child was placed with you through DCFS protective services, formal foster care, or an active dependency-neglect case, the work requirement is waived entirely. These children receive priority for voucher distribution.

This matters for kinship foster parents: if you are an approved provisional relative foster home and the child is in DHS custody, the work requirement is waived for the placement. Ask the Office of Early Childhood about the remaining eligibility requirements and voucher availability.

Where You Can Use the Vouchers

CCDF subsidies can only be redeemed at providers participating in Arkansas's Better Beginnings quality rating system:

• Licensed childcare centers with active Better Beginnings certification
• Licensed childcare family homes
• Registered exempt relative childcare providers participating in the tiered system

Unlicensed, unregistered providers cannot accept the vouchers. If you have a preferred provider, check their Better Beginnings status before applying.

Arkansas Better Chance Pre-K

The ABC program offers free or subsidized pre-kindergarten for children ages 3–4 in qualifying families. If the child in your care is in that age range, ABC is a separate avenue worth exploring alongside CCDF vouchers. Some ABC programs provide full-day care that functions as de facto childcare.

How to Apply

Contact the Office of Early Childhood for the current application and intake process. Bring documentation of your income, work or school schedule, the child's identity documents, and proof of your caregiving arrangement.

Our Arkansas Financial Help for Kinship Caregivers guide covers the full application process for childcare subsidies alongside TEA, SNAP, ARKids, and guardianship payments — including how your legal arrangement (informal care vs guardianship vs foster placement) changes what you qualify for and whether the work requirement applies.

See more Arkansas guides →