Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Montana
Montana's Best Beginnings Scholarship covers families up to 185% FPL with copays capped at 9% of income (HB 648, 2023). Montana has no state Child & Dependent Care Credit (repealed 2021) and no state pre-K. A proposed refundable Child Tax Credit died in the 2025 legislature.
Data current as of June 17, 2026
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Enter your income and household size to get an instant estimate of your copay, tax credits, and total savings in Montana.
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Montana
- Program name
- Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship (BBS)
- Administered by
- Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), Early Childhood and Family Support Division
- Income ceiling
- Family income up to 185% of the federal poverty level (~$45,000 for a family of three). HB 648 (2023) raised the ceiling from 150% FPL and capped family copay at 9% of household income (down from up to ~20%) effective July 1, 2023. Payments are now based on enrollment rather than attendance.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale family copay set by income and family size, capped at 9% of household income. State copay cap: 9% of family income.
- Waitlist status
- No typical waitlist — No statewide waitlist reported. Activity requirement: 60 hours per month for a single parent or 120 combined hours for a two-parent household; education and training count. Several tribal nations operate separate Tribal Best Beginnings programs.
- Apply
- okta.loginmt.com/
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 185% FPL) | Graduated continuing eligibility ceiling (annual, 200% FPL) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $39,132 | $42,300 |
| 3 | $49,308 | $53,304 |
| 4 | $59,472 | $64,296 |
| 5 | $69,648 | $75,300 |
| 6 | $79,824 | $86,304 |
| 7 | $90,000 | $97,296 |
| 8 | $100,176 | $108,300 |
- Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 185% FPL): 185% of the 2025 federal poverty level per Montana DPHHS sliding fee scale effective July 1, 2025. Maximum income for new Standard Eligibility applicants. Montana has no statewide waitlist.
- Graduated continuing eligibility ceiling (annual, 200% FPL): 200% of the 2025 federal poverty level per Montana DPHHS sliding fee scale effective July 1, 2025. Outer maximum for existing Non-TANF families eligible for Graduated Eligibility at annual redetermination. Capped by 85% SMI.
Montana DPHHS Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship Child Care Sliding Fee Scale (effective July 1, 2025), using the 2025 federal poverty guidelines (Federal Register Vol. 90, No. 11, January 17, 2025). The chart publishes monthly gross income (GMI) figures by family size; all values here are annualized (×12) to the nearest dollar. Column 1 (185% FPL initial ceiling) is the '185% FPG GMI' row — maximum income for new Standard Eligibility applicants. Column 2 (200% FPL graduated ceiling) is the '200% FPG GMI' row — the outer maximum for existing families on Graduated Eligibility (available at annual redetermination for Non-TANF families whose income exceeded the Standard limit). Both columns are subject to an 85% SMI cap; for larger household sizes the 85% SMI limit falls below 185% FPL and families are ineligible at that point. No family-of-1 row is published (the program requires a child). Effective July 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.
Priority groups (served first)
- Families receiving TANF and in Family Investment Agreements
- Teen parents enrolled in high school or equivalency
- Tribal families (dually eligible)
- Full-time students
State pre-K in Montana
Montana 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 Montana
- State CDCC
- Montana does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Montana does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit (the two prior child-care credits were repealed in 2021). Montana does allow a Child and Dependent Care Expense Deduction via Form 2441-M — different from a credit, it reduces Montana taxable income rather than the tax bill directly. Two refundable Child Tax Credit bills (HB 942 and SB 321) were filed in 2025 but both died.
Other state programs and credits
- Montana Child Tax Credit — proposed in 2025, did not passTwo refundable Child Tax Credit bills were filed in Montana's 2025 session and both died before enactment. HB 942 would have phased down by $100 per $1,000 of federal AGI above $35,000 (single/HOH) or $65,000 (married filing jointly). SB 321 used a wider $40,000/$80,000 threshold with a $50-per-$1,000 phase-out. Neither passed, so there is no Montana Child Tax Credit to claim today.
Where to apply or get help in Montana
- Find a licensed daycare in MontanaChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Montana child care portaldphhs.mt.gov/ecfsd/childcare/BestBeginningsScholarships
- Eligibility screenerokta.loginmt.com/
- Montana 211 (dial 2-1-1)montana211.org/
- Best Beginnings Scholarship Parent Portal (State Okta login)okta.loginmt.com/
- Montana DOR — Form 2441-M (Child and Dependent Care Expense Deduction)revenue.mt.gov/publications/child-and-dependent-care-expense-deduction-form-2441-m
- HB 648 (2023) — Best Beginnings Scholarship reformarchive.legmt.gov/bills/2023/billhtml/HB0648.htm
- Federal childcare.gov — Montana resourceswww.childcare.gov/state-resources/montana
Find a daycare in Montana
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Montana's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Montana daycaresSources
- Best Beginnings Child Care Scholarship — Montana DPHHS
- Montana BBS Child Care Sliding Fee Scale (effective July 1, 2025) (2025)
- Montana Budget & Policy Center analysis of HB 648 (2023) (2023)
- HB 648 (2023) bill text — Montana Legislature (2023)
- Montana Free Press 2025 Capitol Tracker — SB 321 (Died in Process May 23, 2025) (2025)
- Montana 69th Legislature 2025 — HB 942 Introduced (Authorized Print Version) (2025)
- NIEER 2024 Yearbook — Montana has no state pre-K (2024)
- Federal childcare.gov — Montana 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.