Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Colorado
Colorado's CCCAP subsidy covers families up to 85% SMI (county-administered, 7% copay cap). Universal Preschool Colorado provides 15 free hours/week for every 4-year-old. CO stacks a refundable state CDCC, Child Tax Credit, and Family Affordability Tax Credit.
Data current as of June 17, 2026
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Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Colorado
- Program name
- Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP)
- Administered by
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC); county departments of human/social services administer eligibility
- Income ceiling
- Up to 85% State Median Income as the state ceiling. Counties may set lower entry thresholds based on available funding but must serve families at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.
- Family fee / copay
- Statewide sliding-scale parent fee based on income and authorized hours of care. Reduced copays for families using QRIS high-quality providers. Colorado's 7% copay cap is set by state law (HB24-1223), with full implementation by July 1, 2026. The federal 7% copay mandate from the 2024 CCDF Final Rule was rescinded by ACF's 'Restoring Flexibility in the CCDF' rule (effective July 13, 2026), so the cap now stands on Colorado state authority alone. State copay cap: 7% of family income.
- Waitlist status
- Varies by district — CCCAP is county-administered; multiple Colorado counties (including Douglas County, effective April 24, 2026) have implemented waitlists or enrollment freezes. The Bell Policy Center recommends families not wait — make alternative plans if your county is frozen.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | State income ceiling (annual, 85% SMI) |
|---|---|
| 2 | $80,203 |
| 3 | $99,075 |
| 4 | $117,946 |
| 5 | $136,817 |
| 6 | $155,689 |
| 7 | $159,227 |
| 8 | $162,765 |
- State income ceiling (annual, 85% SMI): Maximum gross annual income for CCCAP eligibility statewide. Your county may have a lower threshold — check with your county DSS.
Colorado's 85% State Median Income ceiling for CCCAP, as published in county Child Care Assistance Program income guides (Arapahoe County effective Oct. 1, 2025; Boulder County CCAP income chart). CCCAP is county-administered; this is the statewide ceiling — individual counties may set lower entry thresholds based on available funding. County income tables typically start at family size 2. Effective July 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.
Priority groups (served first)
- Families with income at or below 130% of federal poverty guidelines
- Children with additional care needs (physical or mental disability requiring higher-level care; children under court supervision)
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Colorado Works (TANF) recipients
State pre-K in Colorado
- Program name
- Universal Preschool Colorado (UPK)
- Administered by
- Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC)
- Access
- Universal
- Eligibility
- Every child in the year before kindergarten (turns 4 before October 1 of the program year) qualifies for at least 15 free hours per week. Up to 30 hours per week is available for families at or below 270% of the federal poverty guidelines (2025-26; 265% in 2026-27) plus a qualifying factor (homelessness, multilingual learner, IEP, or family in poverty). Some 3-year-olds with qualifying factors are also eligible.
- Coverage
- Free for every Colorado 4-year-old. CDEC estimates approximately $6,300 in average annual family savings per child.
- Apply
- upk.colorado.gov/
State tax credits & extras in Colorado
- State CDCC
- Refundable. 70% (federal AGI ≤ $60,000, tax year 2026 onward; 50% for tax year 2025 and earlier) of the federal CDCC. Beginning tax year 2026, HB24-1134 merges Colorado's two child-care expense credits into one credit at 70% of the federal CDCC for taxpayers with federal AGI at or below $60,000 (adjusted for inflation), and lets you claim it even if you didn't claim the federal credit. For tax year 2025 and earlier returns, the rate was 50%. Refundable, so excess credit comes back as cash even if you owe no Colorado income tax.
Other state programs and credits
- Colorado Low-Income Child Care Expenses Credit (TY2025 and earlier only)For tax year 2025 and earlier returns: refundable state credit equal to 25% of eligible child care expenses, up to $500 (one child) or $1,000 (two or more), for taxpayers with federal AGI of $25,000 or less who cannot claim the federal CDCC. Beginning tax year 2026, HB24-1134 merges this credit into the regular Colorado CDCC at 70% of the federal credit — there is no longer a separate Low-Income credit to claim.
- Colorado Child Tax CreditRefundable per-child credit for children under age 6. AGI limits $77,000 (single) / $87,000 (joint) for tax year 2025. Claimed on the Colorado state return.
- Family Affordability Tax Credit (HB24-1311)Refundable state credit up to $3,200 per child under age 6 and up to $2,400 per child age 6–16 (2025 figures). Phases out at $85,000 single / $95,000 joint AGI. Active for tax years 2024–2025; continuation past 2025 is contingent on a state revenue growth test.
Where to apply or get help in Colorado
- Find a licensed daycare in ColoradoChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Colorado child care portalcdec.colorado.gov/
- Eligibility screenerpeak.my.site.com/peak/s/peak-landing-page
- Combined benefits applicationpeak.my.site.com/peak/s/peak-landing-page
- Colorado 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.211colorado.org/
- Universal Preschool Colorado — applyupk.colorado.gov/
- Colorado Child Tax Credit (Colorado Tax Topics)tax.colorado.gov/colorado-child-tax-credit
- Family Affordability Tax Credit guide (Colorado DOR, Jan 2026)tax.colorado.gov/sites/tax/files/documents/ITT_Family_Affordability_Tax_Credit_Jan_2026.pdf
- Get Ahead Colorado (tax-credit resources)www.getaheadcolorado.org/
- Federal childcare.gov — Colorado resourceswww.childcare.gov/state-resources/colorado/financial-assistance-resources-for-families
Find a daycare in Colorado
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Colorado's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Colorado daycaresSources
- Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) — CDEC
- CCCAP Expanded Income Eligibility (85% SMI / 185% FPL)
- Boulder County Child Care Assistance Program — income chart (85% SMI)
- Arapahoe County DHS — Child Care Assistance income guide (effective Oct. 1, 2025) (2025)
- CCCAP Reduced Copays — CDEC
- HB24-1223 — Improved Access to CCAP (state 7% copay cap, full implementation July 1, 2026) (2024)
- HB24-1134 — Adjustments to Tax Expenditures (CDCC rate raised to 70% beginning TY2026) (2024)
- ACF — Restoring Flexibility in the CCDF Final Rule (rescinds federal 7% copay mandate, May 12, 2026) (2026)
- Bell Policy Center — CCCAP overview
- Universal Preschool Colorado — Family Information
- Universal Preschool — Qualifying Factors for Extended Hours
- Colorado Income Tax Topics — Child and Dependent Care Expenses Credit
- Colorado Income Tax Topics — Low-Income Child Care Expenses Credit
- Family Affordability Tax Credit (HB24-1311) (2024)
- Federal childcare.gov — Colorado resources
- Douglas County Department of Human Services — CCCAP priority categories (waitlist active April 24, 2026) (2026)
- Colorado DR 0104CN — Colorado Child Tax Credit (TY2025) (2025)
Every state layers its own program on top of a federal floor — CCDF (the federal block grant), Head Start, the federal DCFSA (employer pre-tax benefit), and the federal Child and Dependent Care Credit. See the federal overview for what the floor looks like before any state adds.