Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Nevada
Nevada's Child Care and Development Program has one of the country's strictest income ceilings — 41% SMI for new applicants and 49% SMI at renewal — with a multi-year waitlist reinstated in April 2024. No state income tax means no state Child & Dependent Care Credit.
Data current as of May 28, 2026
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Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Nevada
- Program name
- Nevada Child Care and Development Program (CCDP)
- Administered by
- Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS), within DHHS
- Income ceiling
- New applicants: family income up to 41% State Median Income (~$39,371 annual for a family of four). Renewals: up to 49% SMI (~$47,053 for a family of four). Pre-pandemic levels restored October 1, 2024 after ARPA stabilization funds expired — among the strictest entry thresholds in the country.
- Family fee / copay
- Flat-rate monthly family copayment of $0, $90, or $150 depending on household size and income (replaced the earlier sliding fee schedule). Senate Bill 388 (2025) would have capped copays at 5% of gross income but did not pass.
- Waitlist status
- Multi-year waitlist — Waitlist reinstated April 1, 2024 for all new applicants and reviewed monthly. Approved families are guaranteed 12 months of coverage once admitted, but there is no set time limit on the wait itself.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 41% SMI) | Renewal eligibility ceiling (annual, 49% SMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $20,473 | $24,468 |
| 2 | $26,772 | $31,996 |
| 3 | $33,072 | $39,525 |
| 4 | $39,371 | $47,053 |
| 5 | $45,670 | $54,581 |
| 6 | $51,970 | $62,110 |
| 7 | $53,151 | $63,522 |
| 8 | $54,332 | $64,933 |
- Initial eligibility ceiling (annual, 41% SMI): 41% of Nevada State Median Income. Maximum income for new applicants (restored October 1, 2024). Family-of-4 anchor ($39,371) from DHHS press release; other household sizes derived via LIHEAP ratios confirmed in the CCDP manual.
- Renewal eligibility ceiling (annual, 49% SMI): 49% of Nevada State Median Income. Maximum income at annual redetermination (restored October 1, 2024). Family-of-4 anchor ($47,053) from DHHS press release; other household sizes derived via LIHEAP ratios confirmed in the CCDP manual.
Nevada DWSS Child Care and Development Program. No published income table available — thresholds are derived from the family-of-4 anchors ($39,371 at 41% SMI for new applicants; $47,053 at 49% SMI for renewals) published in the October 2024 DHHS press release restoring pre-pandemic eligibility. Amounts for other household sizes are estimated using the LIHEAP household-size adjustment ratios (45 CFR §96.85(b)) — 52/68/84/100/116/132% for household sizes 1–6, 135% for size 7, 138% for size 8 — which Nevada's CCDP manual (effective October 1, 2023) uses as the basis for its own SMI schedule. Dollar amounts rounded to the nearest dollar. Nevada DWSS should be contacted to verify figures for household sizes other than four. Effective October 1, 2024; check the state portal for the latest figures.
State pre-K in Nevada
- Program name
- Nevada Ready! State Pre-K (NRPK)
- Administered by
- Nevada Department of Education, Office of Early Learning and Development (OELD)
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- Ages 3–4. Historically family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (raised to 250% FPL under the ECILP grant) with priority for highest-need (homeless, English learners, IEP). Senate Bill 460 (Educate Act, 2025) removes income eligibility requirements and adds funding; implementation is underway.
- Coverage
- Available in 13 of Nevada's 17 counties. Serves a minority of Nevada 4-year-olds. Nevada Ready! meets 7 of 10 NIEER quality benchmarks.
State tax credits & extras in Nevada
- State CDCC
- Nevada does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Nevada has no state personal income tax. The federal CDCC (claimed on IRS Form 2441) is the only income-tax-based child care credit Nevada families can use.
Where to apply or get help in Nevada
- Find a licensed daycare in NevadaChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Nevada child care portaldwss.nv.gov/care/childcare/
- Eligibility screenerdwss.nv.gov/care/childcare/
- Nevada 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.nevada211.org/
- Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral — nevadachildcare.orgwww.nevadachildcare.org/
- The Children's Cabinet (northern Nevada intake)www.childrenscabinet.org/
- Nevada Ready! State Pre-Kdoe.nv.gov/offices/oeld/families/nevada-ready-state-pre-k
- Federal childcare.gov — Nevada resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/nevada
Find a daycare in Nevada
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Nevada's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Nevada daycaresSources
- Nevada Child Care for Parents — DWSS
- DHHS Press Release — State Child Care Program returns to pre-pandemic eligibility (Oct 2024) (2024)
- Nevada CCDP Policy Manual (effective October 1, 2023) — confirms LIHEAP household-size ratios in SMI schedule (2023)
- First Five Nevada — 2025 Legislative Session summary (SB460, SB388, SB461, AB185) (2025)
- Nevada Ready! State Pre-K — Nevada Department of Education
- Federal childcare.gov — Nevada 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.