Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Idaho
Idaho's ICCP serves families up to 130% FPL at entry (~$34,600 for a family of 3, tightened January 2025). No state pre-K. Idaho offers a child care expense deduction up to $12,000 on the state return, but no state Child and Dependent Care Credit.
Data current as of June 17, 2026
See what you'd actually pay
Enter your income and household size to get an instant estimate of your copay, tax credits, and total savings in Idaho.
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Idaho
- Program name
- Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP)
- Administered by
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW)
- Income ceiling
- Family income up to 130% of the federal poverty level at initial application; up to 175% FPL for continued eligibility. The entry threshold was tightened from 175% FPL to 130% FPL when the program reopened in January 2025 after a mid-2024 budget-related pause.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale copay based on family size, income, hours in a qualifying activity, and number of children in care. Copay is paid directly to the provider.
- Waitlist status
- Recently re-opened — DHW paused new applications in mid-2024 over budget concerns and reopened them in January 2025 with the tightened 130% FPL entry threshold. Existing recipients were grandfathered until their annual recertification.
- Apply
- idalink.idaho.gov/
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Initial eligibility ceiling (annual) | Continuing eligibility ceiling (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $20,345 | $27,388 |
| 2 | $27,495 | $37,013 |
| 3 | $34,645 | $46,638 |
| 4 | $41,795 | $56,263 |
| 5 | $48,945 | $65,888 |
| 6 | $56,095 | $75,513 |
- Initial eligibility ceiling (annual): 130% of the 2025 federal poverty guidelines. Maximum gross income to first qualify for ICCP.
- Continuing eligibility ceiling (annual): 175% of the 2025 federal poverty guidelines. Maximum gross income to remain on ICCP at annual recertification.
Calculated from 130% (initial) and 175% (continuing) of the 2025 HHS federal poverty guidelines. Idaho's entry threshold took effect when ICCP reopened in January 2025; the dollar figures shown match DHW's published 'Maximum monthly income limits' chart, effective October 2025. Idaho DHW publishes the official per-family-size dollar table via a document management portal (publicdocuments.dhw.idaho.gov) that requires session cookies and was not directly accessible. Figures will increase each year as HHS publishes updated poverty guidelines — HHS released the 2026 poverty guidelines in January 2026, so Idaho's next refresh will likely raise these ceilings. The 175% FPL figures use round-up rounding ($x.50 → $x+1) from the exact decimal result. Effective October 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.
Priority groups (served first)
- Families receiving Temporary Assistance for Families in Idaho (TAFI / TANF)
- Foster families
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Families caring for a child with a disability
- Parents age 19 or younger
State pre-K in Idaho
Idaho does not currently operate a state-funded pre-K program. Eligible families may still qualify for Head Start or Early Head Start.
State tax credits & extras in Idaho
- State CDCC
- Idaho does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Idaho does not have a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Instead, Idaho allows a state child-care expense deduction (see Other state programs below) — and Idaho families may still claim the federal CDCC on Form 2441.
Other state programs and credits
- Idaho Child Care Expense Deduction (up to $12,000/year)Per HB 288 (enacted April 2023, retroactive to January 1, 2023): Idaho residents can deduct up to $12,000 in qualifying child care expenses from their Idaho taxable income. Different from a credit — it reduces the income on which Idaho tax is computed. Claimed on the Idaho individual income tax return.
Where to apply or get help in Idaho
- Find a licensed daycare in IdahoChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Idaho child care portalhealthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families-older-adults/idaho-child-care-program
- Eligibility screeneridalink.idaho.gov/
- Combined benefits applicationidalink.idaho.gov/
- Idaho 211 (dial 2-1-1)healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/211
- IdahoSTARS — ICCP family explaineridahostars.org/Families/Financial-Assistance-ICCP
- Federal childcare.gov — Idaho resourceswww.childcare.gov/state-resources/idaho/financial-assistance-resources-for-families
Find a daycare in Idaho
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Idaho's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Idaho daycaresSources
- Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP) — Idaho DHW
- DHW Will Resume Applications for ICCP in January (2024 announcement) (2024)
- Idaho Capital Sun — ICCP reopening with 130% FPL threshold (Nov 2024) (2024)
- NIEER 2023 Idaho profile (confirms no state pre-K) (2023)
- Federal childcare.gov — Idaho resources
- Idaho DHW — Apply for Child Care Assistance (Maximum monthly income limits chart, Effective October 2025) (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.