Child Care and Development Fund

CCDF Timeline

CCDF Program and Plan

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the primary source of federal funding for child care subsidies for low-income working families and funds to improve child care quality.

DCYF is required to submit a CCDF Plan every three years. The CCDF Plan functions as the application for the CCDF grant, so it describes all DCYF's activities funded by the grant and how they comply with federal CCDF law and rules, such as:

Working Connections Child Care program
Early Achievers
Child care licensing

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 reauthorized the child care program for the first time since 1996 and represented an historic re-envisioning of the CCDF program. Learn more about the law.

2021 Plan Renewal

DCYF is required to submit an initial plan for federal review by June 30, 2021 and to hold a public hearing and coordinate with stakeholders and federally recognized tribes before submitting. DCYF is currently developing its plan in consultation with an Executive Steering Committee and through a process of public engagement. After the submitted Plan is reviewed, it will take effect October 1, 2021.

Executive Steering Committee

The CCDF Plan ESC is composed of representatives of various sectors impacted by CCDF-funded early learning programs, the Early Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC) that advises DCYF on statewide policy, and the Indian Policy Early Learning (IPEL) committee that discusses implications of policy on the Tribes.

Public Engagement

DCYF will hold public meetings by webinar to gather input from the public on the CCDF Plan and how we can improve policy and DCYF program operations it describes. DCYF will make the draft Plan available on this page, along with a link to a section of this site where the public can submit comments on the draft.