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 Montana has no state Child & Dependent Care Credit (repealed 2021) and no state pre-K. A proposed refundable Child Tax Credit died in the 2025 legislature.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 May 21, 2026
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. The federal 2024 Final Rule caps the family fee at 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
- app.mt.gov/ccubs/
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 Montana does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit (the two prior child-care credits were repealed in 2021).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. See the new Montana Child Tax Credit below for refundable cash.
Other state programs and credits
- Montana Child Tax Credit — refundable $1,200 per child under age 5Refundable state credit of $1,200 per qualifying child under age 5, first claimable on the 2026 tax year return (filed in early 2027). Federal AGI cap of $50,000, with a phase-out of $90 in credit per $1,000 of AGI above that threshold. Requires earned income and a Social Security Number for each child.
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 screenerapp.mt.gov/ccubs/
- Montana 211 (dial 2-1-1)montana211.org/
- Best Beginnings Scholarship online applicationapp.mt.gov/ccubs/
- 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 Budget & Policy Center analysis of HB 648 (2023) (2023)
- HB 648 (2023) bill text — Montana Legislature (2023)
- ITEP — State Child Tax Credits and EITCs 2025 (confirms MT 2026 CTC) (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.