Rhode Island CCAP Childcare Assistance for Kinship Caregivers

You are raising your grandchild and working part-time, or trying to get back to work, and daycare costs more than you can cover on your own. Rhode Island's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) pays all or part of the childcare bill for eligible families — and kinship caregivers qualify under the same rules as parents.

Who Is Eligible

CCAP covers children at least 6 weeks old through age 12 (or through age 18 if the child has a documented physical or mental disability that makes them incapable of self-care). The caregiver must be engaged in an approved activity — employment, job training, or post-secondary education — generally at least 20 hours per week.

Children served through DCYF as foster or kinship children are also included in Rhode Island's CCAP protective-services group.

2026 Income Limits

For 2026, working families and families in approved training programs can qualify with incomes up to 285% of the Federal Poverty Level. At the 2026 poverty guidelines, that means:

• Family of 2: $61,674 per year
• Family of 3: $77,862 per year
• Family of 4: $94,050 per year

The income limit increased to 261% FPL in January 2025 and to 285% FPL on July 1, 2026. For families qualifying only through enrollment in a Rhode Island public college degree program, the limit remains 261% FPL through December 31, 2026, and increases to 285% on January 1, 2027.

The Co-Resident Provider Rule

There is one important restriction for kinship families: under 218-RICR-20-00-4, sections 4.5.2 and 4.6.3, CCAP will not pay a provider who lives in the same home as the child. A grandmother caring for the child in her own home cannot also be the paid childcare provider for that child through CCAP.

The child must attend a licensed childcare center, a licensed family childcare home, or an approved license-exempt provider who lives at a separate address. Providers must be listed in the DHS Central Provider Directory.

How to Apply

Apply through healthyrhoderi.gov or at a regional DHS office using the DHS-2 application. You will need:

• Proof of your work or training schedule (pay stubs, employer letter, school enrollment)
• Household income documentation
• The child's birth certificate and Social Security number
• The childcare provider's name and license number

DHS determines the co-pay amount based on household size and income. Lower-income households may have zero co-pay.

CCAP and Other Benefits

CCAP, RI Works, and SNAP are separate programs with separate income rules. Receiving one does not disqualify you from the others. Many kinship households receive all three. The Rhode Island financial help guide explains how these programs layer together and includes the income thresholds for each.

See more Rhode Island guides →