Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Hawaii
Hawaii's Child Care Connection (CCCH) covers families up to 85% SMI on a sliding copay. Preschool Open Doors (POD) now serves families up to 500% FPL and expanded to 2-year-olds in Jan 2026. State CDCC is refundable, 15–25% of expenses by AGI.
Data current as of May 28, 2026
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Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Hawaii
- Program name
- Child Care Connection Hawaii (CCCH)
- Administered by
- Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS), Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division (BESSD)
- Income ceiling
- Family gross income up to 85% State Median Income at both entry and continuing eligibility — $6,985/month ($83,820/year) for a family of four, per the August 2024 DHS information sheet. Limits adjusted annually with SMI updates.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding fee scale by family size and income tier: 0% copay at or below 100% federal poverty guidelines, rising to about 9% of income at the 231% FPG / 85% SMI cap.
- Waitlist status
- Varies by district — No formal statewide CCCH waitlist documented, but provider scarcity is the binding constraint — especially on neighbor islands. The companion Preschool Open Doors (POD) program maintains a waitlist when funding caps are reached.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI) |
|---|---|
| 2 | $56,988 |
| 3 | $70,404 |
| 4 | $83,820 |
| 5 | $97,224 |
| 6 | $110,640 |
| 7 | $113,148 |
| 8 | $115,668 |
- Eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI): 85% of Hawaii State Median Income per the DHS BESSD Child Care Information Sheet (08/2024), annualized (×12). Used for both initial application and continuing eligibility. F4 = $83,820/year ($6,985/month). Subject to annual SMI update; check the DHS portal for the current figure.
Hawaii DHS BESSD — Child Care Information Sheet (08/2024), published August 2024 (humanservices.hawaii.gov). The information sheet includes a 'GROSS INCOME ELIGIBILITY LIMITS (Subject to change)' table showing monthly limits by family size. The official income table PDF (hosted at childcaresubsidyapplication.dhs.hawaii.gov) is a scanned Xerox image from August 2021 with no machine-readable text; values here are taken from the August 2024 information sheet which appears to reflect current limits at time of publication. Hawaii uses 85% SMI as both the entry and continuing eligibility ceiling — there is no separate lower initial threshold. Cross-check: F2–F8 ratios vs. F4 match LIHEAP household-size adjustment ratios exactly (68/84/100/116/132/135/138%), confirming these are 85% of the Hawaii State Median Income schedule. Family size 1 is not published in the DHS chart. Values are subject to annual SMI updates; consult childcaresubsidyapplication.dhs.hawaii.gov for the current chart. Effective August 1, 2024; check the state portal for the latest figures.
State pre-K in Hawaii
- Program name
- EOEL Public Pre-K and Charter School Pre-K (under the Ready Keiki initiative)
- Administered by
- Hawaii Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL)
- Access
- Limited / pilot
- Eligibility
- Children ages 3 and 4. No income requirement, but priority for at-risk and low-income families (≤300% FPL). No tuition. SY 2026-27 applications opened March 2, 2026.
- Coverage
- Approximately 1,637 children enrolled in SY 2024-25 (EOEL 1,361 + Charter 276); SY 2025-26 capacity expanded to 117 classrooms / 2,275 seats per NIEER. Ready Keiki targets 50% of unserved 3–4-year-olds by 2027 and universal access by 2032.
State tax credits & extras in Hawaii
- State CDCC
- Refundable. 25% of qualifying expenses at AGI ≤ $25,000, phasing down to 15% at AGI above $50,000 of the federal CDCC. Computed on Schedule X (filed with Form N-11 or N-15). Expense base: $2,400 for one qualifying individual, $4,800 for two or more. Refundable, so excess credit is paid back as cash even if you owe no Hawaii income tax.
Other state programs and credits
- Preschool Open Doors (POD)State-funded preschool tuition subsidy administered by PATCH. Eligibility for SY 2025-26: 3- and 4-year-olds born between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2022 with family income up to 500% of the federal poverty level (approximately $184,896 for a family of four). Act 203 (2025) expanded eligibility to 2-year-olds effective January 1, 2026. Applications are now rolling year-round.
Where to apply or get help in Hawaii
- Find a licensed daycare in HawaiiChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Hawaii child care portalhumanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/ccch-subsidies/
- Eligibility screenerchildcaresubsidyapplication.dhs.hawaii.gov/
- Hawaii 211 (dial 2-1-1)auw211.org/
- Preschool Open Doors (PATCH)www.patchhawaii.org/preschool-open-doors/
- Hawaii Early Learning portalearlylearning.hawaii.gov/
- EOEL Pre-K applicationearlylearning.ehawaii.gov/wf/index.html
- Federal childcare.gov — Hawaii resourceswww.childcare.gov/state-resources/hawaii/financial-assistance-resources-for-families
Find a daycare in Hawaii
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Hawaii's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Hawaii daycaresSources
- Child Care Connection Hawaii (CCCH) — DHS BESSD
- Hawaii DHS Child Care Information Sheet (08/2024) — income limits table (2024)
- Hawaii Child Care Gross Income Eligibility & Sliding Fee Scale (DHS, 2021 — scanned image)
- Preschool Open Doors — PATCH
- Hawaii Public Radio — State preschool expansion (June 2025) (2025)
- Hawaii Schedule X (2025) — Child and Dependent Care Credit (2025)
- NIEER 2025 Hawaii State Profile (2025)
- Federal childcare.gov — Hawaii resources
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.