Child Care Refferals | Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship | Legally Certified Providers

Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship

Child Care Resources administers the state-funded Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship to help families with low income pay for child care. Scholarships are available to working families whose income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, as well as families who receive cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. In order to qualify, the child must attend a licensed child care center, a registered group or family child care home, or be cared for by a legally unregistered child care provider. Each family participates in the cost of their child care by making a co-payment based on a sliding fee scale.

Scholarship Paperwork

Click on any of the links below to download the individual components of the Best Beginnings Scholarship application. If you are completing a new application, you will need to download and complete all of the paperwork.

Best Beginnings Scholarship Application

• Coversheet
• Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Application
• Adult Household Member Information
• Child Household Member Information
• Child Care Service Plan
• Work Verification
• School/Training Verification
• Self Employment Income Verification
• Child Support Compliance Verification
• Good Cause for Refusal to Cooperate with Child Support Compliance
• Scholarship Reporting Requirements
• Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Program Reminders
• Change Report Form

Download a TANF Scholarship Application >>

Basic Eligibility Requirements

You may be eligible for the Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship program if one of the following applies:

• You are a single parent working at least 60 hours per month; or
• You are a single parent attending school full-time (12 credits or more) and working at least 40 hours per month; or
• You are a two parent family, working at least 120 hours per month between both parents.

Other requirements:

• School cannot be covered past a Bachelor’s degree or within five years of receiving a degree or certification.
• Families with absent parents must verify that they either receive child support under a court order, comply with the Child Support Enforcement Division, or verify they have good cause to not pursue child support. Contact Family Services for more information.

What’s Covered

The Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship covers the following hours:

• Work hours, when no parent is available due to work.
• Some school/training hours when the work requirement is met.
• FIA/EP activities for families receiving TANF.
• Teenage parents completing high school or earning their GED – no work hours are required.