Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Ohio
Ohio's Publicly Funded Child Care entry threshold is 145% FPL — among the lowest in the U.S. — and exits at 300% FPL. A new Child Care Choice program funds 146–200% FPL families at $100M/year. State CDCC is tiered (100% federal under $20K, 25% under $40K), non-refundable.
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 Ohio.
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Ohio
- Program name
- Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) — plus Child Care Choice bridge program
- Administered by
- Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY); local intake via County Departments of Job and Family Services (CDJFS)
- Income ceiling
- PFCC initial enrollment up to 145% of the federal poverty level — one of the three lowest entry thresholds in the country. Exit threshold up to 300% FPL at redetermination. The new Child Care Choice program (HB 96 budget, $100M/year FY26–27) bridges families between 146% and 200% FPL.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale weekly copay based on family size and income. A minimum copay applies at all tiers.
- Waitlist status
- No typical waitlist — No formal waitlist — but the low 145% FPL entry threshold excludes many working families outright rather than queuing them. Families denied PFCC for being over-income are auto-screened into Child Care Choice.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | PFCC initial eligibility (145% FPL, annual) |
|---|---|
| 2 | $30,672 |
| 3 | $38,652 |
| 4 | $46,620 |
- PFCC initial eligibility (145% FPL, annual): Maximum gross household income to enroll new in PFCC.
145% FPL monthly income limits effective September 2025, annualized for display. Effective September 1, 2025; check the state portal for the latest figures.
State pre-K in Ohio
- Program name
- Ohio Early Childhood Education (ECE) grant program
- Administered by
- Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) with Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- 4-year-olds (some 3-year-olds) in families up to 200% of the federal poverty level.
- Coverage
- Approximately 15% of Ohio 4-year-olds and 6% of 3-year-olds enrolled in state-funded preschool (NIEER 2024 Yearbook, covering the 2023-24 school year).
State tax credits & extras in Ohio
- State CDCC
- Non-refundable. Tiered: 100% of federal CDCC for MAGI under $20,000; 25% for MAGI $20,000–$40,000; not available above $40,000 MAGI of the federal CDCC. Non-refundable. Filed on the Ohio Schedule of Credits per ORC 5747.054. Governor DeWine's proposed $1,000-per-child-under-7 refundable state Child Tax Credit was eliminated during HB 96 budget negotiations.
Other state programs and credits
- Child Care Choice ProgramBridge subsidy for families between 146% and 200% FPL — funded at $100 million per year (FY26 and FY27) in HB 96, sustained beyond the ARPA cliff. CDJFS auto-screens families denied PFCC for being over-income.
Where to apply or get help in Ohio
- Find a licensed daycare in OhioChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Ohio child care portaljfs.ohio.gov/child-care/information-for-families/apply-for-assistance/apply-for-assistance
- Eligibility screenerssp.benefits.ohio.gov/apspssp/ssp.portal/amIEligibleChildCareOhio/welcome
- Combined benefits applicationbenefits.ohio.gov/home
- Ohio 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.211.org/
- Ohio Department of Children and Youthchildrenandyouth.ohio.gov/
- Apply for PFCC — Ohio JFSjfs.ohio.gov/child-care/information-for-families/apply-for-assistance/apply-for-assistance
- Federal childcare.gov — Ohio resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/ohio
Find a daycare in Ohio
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Ohio's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Ohio daycaresSources
- Ohio DCY PL_21 child care rules (revised September 2025) (2025)
- HB 96 — Ohio 2026-2027 biennial budget summary (Action for Children) (2025)
- Policy Matters Ohio — PFCC analysis
- ORC 5747.054 — Ohio Child and Dependent Care Credit
- Groundwork Ohio — Budget summary for Ohio's youngest children
- Federal childcare.gov — Ohio 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.