Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Kentucky
Kentucky CCAP covers families up to 85% State Median Income — a single threshold since July 2022 — with no waitlist. Child care workers (20+ hrs/week) are categorically eligible regardless of income, made permanent by HB 6 (2026). State CDCC is 20% of federal, non-refundable.
Data current as of June 21, 2026
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Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Kentucky
- Program name
- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
- Administered by
- Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), Division of Child Care
- Income ceiling
- Family income up to 85% of State Median Income at initial application, case changes, and recertification (single threshold since July 1, 2022 per 922 KAR 2:160 §8).
- Family fee / copay
- Per 922 KAR 2:160 §11, copay is set on a fixed daily dollar table ($0–$25/day) keyed to income bracket and household size, not as a percentage of income. Transitional Child Care families pay $0.
- Waitlist status
- No typical waitlist — No statewide waitlist. Child care employees working at least 20 hours per week in a regulated setting are eligible for CCAP for their own children regardless of household income — made permanent in 2026 by HB 6.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI) |
|---|---|
| 2 | $55,668 |
| 3 | $68,772 |
| 4 | $81,864 |
| 5 | $94,968 |
| 6 | $108,060 |
- Eligibility ceiling (annual, 85% SMI): 85% of Kentucky State Median Income per Child Care Aware of Kentucky's 2025 CCAP Update. Single threshold — applies at both initial application and recertification.
Kentucky CCAP 2025 income limits per Child Care Aware of Kentucky (CCAP Update, 2025 State Median Income at 85% SMI). Figures are gross monthly income converted to annual (× 12). Kentucky uses a single 85% SMI ceiling for both initial and continuing eligibility; no separate entry vs. renewal threshold. No family-of-1 row is published. Family sizes 2–6 are taken directly from the 2025 published figures; families of 7+ are not in the verified source — check kynect.ky.gov or call your local CCAP office for larger household amounts. CHFS updates SMI figures annually when LIHEAP information memoranda publish new state median income estimates — verify current amounts at kynect.ky.gov before applying. Effective January 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.
Priority groups (served first)
- Families transitioning off CCAP (Transitional Child Care)
- Child care workforce (working 20+ hours/week in a regulated setting)
State pre-K in Kentucky
- Program name
- Kentucky Preschool Program
- Administered by
- Kentucky Department of Education; delivered through local school districts
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- Four-year-olds in families at or below 160% of the federal poverty level. Three- and four-year-olds with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) qualify regardless of income.
- Coverage
- Approximately 26% of Kentucky 4-year-olds enrolled (NIEER State of Preschool 2025 yearbook, 2024-2025 school year — 18,837 children enrolled). FY 2026 state appropriation is $84.5 million (flat from prior year). A 'Pre-K for all' expansion failed in the 2026 General Assembly.
State tax credits & extras in Kentucky
- State CDCC
- Non-refundable. 20% of the federal CDCC. Non-refundable, so it only offsets Kentucky income tax owed. Computed on Form 2441-K and claimed on Form 740 or 740-NP.
Where to apply or get help in Kentucky
- Find a licensed daycare in KentuckyChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Kentucky child care portalwww.chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dcbs/dcc/pages/ccap.aspx
- Eligibility screenerkynect.ky.gov/benefits/
- Combined benefits applicationkynect.ky.gov/benefits/
- Kentucky 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.uwky.org/211
- kynect benefits — apply for CCAPkynect.ky.gov/benefits/s/child-care-program
- Kentucky Preschool Program — KDEwww.education.ky.gov/specialed/earlylearning/Pages/default.aspx
- Kentucky DOR — Tax Creditsrevenue.ky.gov/Business/pages/tax-credits.aspx
- Federal childcare.gov — Kentucky resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/kentucky
Find a daycare in Kentucky
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Kentucky's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Kentucky daycaresSources
- Kentucky Child Care Assistance Program — CHFS
- Kentucky CCAP Fact Sheet DCC-113 (effective October 1, 2023) — CHFS (2023)
- CCAP Update — 2025 income limits — Child Care Aware of Kentucky (2025)
- 922 KAR 2:160 — CCAP regulations
- HB 6 (2026) — Comprehensive child care reform — Kentucky Youth Advocates (2026)
- Kentucky Preschool Program — Kentucky ECAC
- Kentucky DOR — Tax Credits
- Federal childcare.gov — Kentucky 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.