Childcare Vouchers for Kinship Caregivers in Massachusetts

How Childcare Vouchers Work for Kinship Families

The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) administers childcare financial assistance in Massachusetts. Relative caregivers who work, attend school, or participate in a training program can receive a voucher that covers most or all of the cost of licensed childcare — and kinship families who receive TAFDC have a direct path to these vouchers.

The voucher pays the childcare provider directly. For a DTA referral, the referral tells the CCR&R that you are eligible for a voucher with no parent fee while the referral is active. A parent fee may apply after the referral expires.

The DTA Referral Path

The most common way kinship caregivers access EEC vouchers is through a DTA referral. When you apply for a TAFDC child-only grant and are approved, DTA can issue a referral to your local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agency for childcare assistance.

The process:

1. You apply for TAFDC through DTA (online, in person, or by phone).
2. DTA approves the child-only case.
3. You tell DTA you need childcare for work, education or job training, or because of a documented disability.
4. DTA issues a formal childcare referral to your regional CCR&R agency.
5. The CCR&R agency contacts you to complete intake and childcare authorization.

The referral is an explicit step — it does not always happen automatically. If your DTA caseworker doesn't mention childcare during the intake interview, ask. Caseworkers are supposed to offer the referral, but in practice the conversation sometimes focuses on cash and food benefits and skips over childcare.

The Voucher Stays Even if TAFDC Ends

One detail worth knowing: once the EEC voucher is issued, it remains valid until its official expiration date even if the underlying TAFDC case closes. If the child ages out of TAFDC eligibility or you stop receiving cash assistance for another reason, the voucher continues through its current authorization period.

When the voucher expires, continued eligibility depends on EEC income and activity requirements.

Who Qualifies

To receive a childcare voucher through the DTA referral pathway, you generally need to:

• Be receiving TAFDC (a child-only grant counts)
• Have a service need such as work, education or job training, or a documented disability; DTA or DCF referrals may waive this requirement
• Need childcare for the child during those hours, when a service need applies

Kinship caregivers receive priority access on the statewide childcare waitlist with an active DCF referral, a DTA TAFDC referral, or gross household income at or below 50% of State Median Income (SMI). Childcare eligibility uses its own rules; the CCR&R agency handles this determination.

Choosing a Provider

The voucher can be used with a licensed or approved childcare provider that accepts it. You choose the provider — the voucher follows the child, not the program.

You can use EEC's licensed childcare search tool. Your CCR&R agency can also help you find options in your area that accept vouchers and have openings.

Applying Without TAFDC

If you are not receiving TAFDC — for example, if the child's income puts them above the TAFDC threshold but you still need childcare help — you can apply for EEC childcare assistance directly through your local CCR&R. Income eligibility for the non-DTA pathway is based on household income and size, using state income guidelines.

EEC uses a statewide waitlist when funding is limited. An active DTA TAFDC referral qualifies kinship caregivers for priority access on that waitlist.

The Massachusetts kinship financial help guide covers the childcare voucher process as part of a coordinated benefits sequence — applying for TAFDC, triggering the MassHealth enrollment, and requesting the EEC childcare referral in the same set of steps.

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