North Dakota Child Care Assistance for Kinship Caregivers

Two Separate Childcare Funds

North Dakota kinship caregivers have access to two different childcare assistance programs, and mixing them up is common. They have different rules, different agencies, and different application processes.

CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program) is the state's general childcare subsidy. It covers a portion of licensed childcare costs on an income-scaled basis. Any qualifying low-to-moderate-income household can apply — not just kinship families.

Kinship-ND childcare reimbursement is part of the $800 lifetime expense fund administered by the Children and Family Services Division. Licensed childcare costs count as an eligible expense under this fund, but the $800 cap covers all reimbursable expenses combined (clothing, bedding, childcare, and more), not childcare alone.

CCAP: The General Program

CCAP helps families pay for licensed childcare while a parent or caregiver works, attends training, or goes to school. Eligibility is based on household income — and unlike TANF child-only, CCAP counts the caregiver's income as part of the household calculation.

Since December 1, 2025, otherwise eligible new CCAP applicants who are not exempt are placed on a waitlist before receiving assistance. Families receiving TANF and Crossroads participants are exempt, and currently enrolled families are not placed on the list. HHS gives priority to households experiencing homelessness and families with income at or below 30% of State Median Income; payments are not backdated for time on the waitlist.

Apply through the HHS Self-Service Portal or by paper application to the Customer Support Center. Your Human Service Zone processes eligibility.

Kinship-ND Childcare Reimbursement

If you're enrolled in Kinship-ND navigation services (via SFN 408), licensed childcare fees you've already paid can be reimbursed from the $800 lifetime pool. This is receipt-based — you pay the provider, keep the receipt, and submit it through your Kinship Navigator.

The advantage: no income test for the caregiver, no waitlist, and no work requirement. The limitation: the $800 covers all eligible expenses for the child, not just childcare, and once it's spent, it's gone.

The Daily Rate Fund (Child Welfare Cases Only)

A third option exists but only for caregivers with an active in-home child welfare safety case in the FRAME system. Under this pathway, Kinship-ND provides up to $600 per month ($20/day) in licensed childcare assistance for up to six months. This is initiated by a caseworker through forms SFN 401 and SFN 399 — you cannot self-apply.

If a child was placed with you through a Human Service Zone child protection intervention and you have an active case, ask your caseworker whether you qualify for this daily rate.

Stacking Both Programs

There's no rule preventing you from receiving CCAP and using the Kinship-ND $800 reimbursement for childcare costs that CCAP doesn't cover (such as a copay portion). The key is that you're not double-claiming the exact same expense. Keep separate records of what CCAP covers and what you're submitting to Kinship-ND.

For the full breakdown of how childcare assistance fits alongside TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and every other program available to North Dakota kinship families, the North Dakota Kinship Financial Help guide maps out each funding stream with document checklists.

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