Idaho child care assistance.
Low-income, working poor families in Idaho may be able to receive help from the Idaho Child Care Program, or ICCP. Government grants and subsidies may be available to help parents pay for some, or in limited cases, all of their child care bills. The program is always in high demand, often has a waiting list, and only some qualified residents may be able to enroll.
Subsidies are in place for parents who work more than a certain number of hours per week, that attend school, or participate in approved training or educational activities. Support is also available in an effort to prevent children from being placed into foster care homes.
The ICCP program will pay for a defined portion of the child or day care costs for eligible lower income households. The families that are enrolled will also need to pay for some of the costs involved. Idaho considers this as a co-payment. The parent’s total share of the payment they need to make will be based on the number of people in their household (so the size) and the amount of their income, including all sources. The Department of Social Services also is involved in licensing and regulating the child care providers that operate in the state. This means, among other things, that the organization is partnering with various community partners on a professional development and quality control system to improve child care services in Idaho.
Be aware that children under age 13 from eligible low income families may be enrolled in the program. The age limit of 13 can be raised to up to 19 years of age for children with special needs. This includes children from working poor and families who are not capable of self-care or who may be under court supervision.
In order to receive subsidized and assistance to pay for your child care, certain eligibility requirements must be met in areas such as work/training activities, residency, household income, and other areas based on your individual household's circumstances.
If you are approved, the exact amount of subsidies and child care assistance provided to you will be based on a number of things. This includes, but is not limited to, your household income, the number of hours you spend working, the cost of child care, whether you are in school or not, and if you are involved in any other participating or state approved activities. The amount of your subsidy provided also varies by town and county in the State as well as by the type of provider your prefer for your children.
As noted above, Idaho will only pay a part of the cost of your child care. Most parents who are successfully enrolled will also need to pay for a portion of the costs as well. This is considered a co-pay. It is based on your income as well as other factors. For example, it will consider the number of hours that the parents are working, attending school, or participating in approved job training activities.
The enrolled family will also more than likely need to pay any amounts that are billed by the child care provider that exceeds the program reimbursement limits in place. This is considered an established market rate, which will vary according to age of child, type of care, and the Idaho town or county that the child and family resides in.
To apply or learn more, your county Health and Welfare office is the best point of contact. You can pick up an application there and also get more information on the services provided. At the office people have the ability to talk with someone in person about your needs and household situation so that you can make an informed choice. They will answer questions on the assistance programs and help consumers make an informed decision about any services that they want to receive. Or you can dial 1-877-456-1233 for more information or locations to apply at.
When you stop by an office to apply, make sure you are prepared with all of the documentation that Idaho uses to verify your income, assets, expenses, and other resources, etc. Taking these documents with you to the office will speed up the time it takes Idaho to process your application, and hopefully approve it, for assistance.
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