Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's Child Care Works covers families up to 200% FPL at entry; at redetermination, up to 235% FPL or 85% SMI (lower). The PA Child & Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit is refundable at 100% of the federal CDCC — among the most generous state matches.
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 Pennsylvania.
Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Pennsylvania
- Program name
- Child Care Works (CCW)
- Administered by
- Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL); local intake through 28 regional Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs)
- Income ceiling
- Initial eligibility up to 200% of the federal poverty level. At redetermination, families can remain enrolled if income is at or below 235% FPL (or 85% of state median income, whichever is less). Between redeterminations, families stay eligible as long as income stays under 85% SMI.
- Family fee / copay
- Sliding-scale copay by income and family size, paid directly to the provider. Average eligible-family copay fell from $53/week in 2019 to $42/week in 2024.
- Waitlist status
- Periodic waitlist — Statute allows waitlisting when funding is exhausted, but the statewide waitlist has been small in recent years (~100 children as of November 2024) compared to historical highs. TANF and former-TANF families bypass any waitlist and enroll immediately. Each adult must work at least 20 hours per week, or 10 hours of work plus 10 hours of approved education or training.
Income limits by family size
| Family size | Income ceiling (200% FPL, annual) |
|---|---|
| 2 | $43,280 |
| 3 | $54,640 |
| 4 | $66,000 |
| 5 | $77,360 |
- Income ceiling (200% FPL, annual): Maximum gross household income for new CCW applicants.
200% FPL annual income limits using 2026 federal poverty guidelines. Effective January 1, 2026; check the state portal for the latest figures.
Priority groups (served first)
- Foster children
- Children enrolled in PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start, or Early Head Start
- Newborn siblings of children already enrolled in CCW
- Children of teen parents
- Children experiencing homelessness
State pre-K in Pennsylvania
- Program name
- Pre-K Counts (PKC) and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP)
- Administered by
- PA Department of Education / OCDEL
- Access
- Income-targeted
- Eligibility
- Children ages 3–4 not yet eligible for kindergarten, in families at or below 300% of the federal poverty level.
- Coverage
- Approximately 18–22% of Pennsylvania 4-year-olds enrolled (NIEER 2023-24). Pre-K Counts meets 8 of 10 NIEER quality benchmarks (the two not met are assistant teacher degree and staff professional development). The 2025-26 budget raised the full-time per-child rate to $10,748.
State tax credits & extras in Pennsylvania
- State CDCC
- Refundable. 100% of the federal CDCC. Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit. Expanded from 30% to 100% of the federal CDCC under Governor Shapiro. Max benefit follows the federal CDCC ceiling — $1,050 / $2,100 for TY2025 returns, rising to $1,500 / $3,000 for TY2026 under OBBBA. Must claim and receive the federal CDCC; filed on PA-40 plus Schedule DC. Delivered $136.5M to 218,953 working families in 2024.
Where to apply or get help in Pennsylvania
- Find a licensed daycare in PennsylvaniaChildery directory — quality ratings, ZIP & city search
- Pennsylvania child care portalwww.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/early-learning-child-care/child-care-works
- Eligibility screenerwww.compass.state.pa.us/
- Combined benefits applicationwww.compass.state.pa.us/
- Pennsylvania 211 (dial 2-1-1)www.211.org/
- Apply for Child Care Workswww.pa.gov/services/dhs/apply-for-child-care-works-subsidized-child-care
- PA Child and Dependent Care Credit — PA Department of Revenuewww.pa.gov/agencies/revenue/resources/tax-types-and-information/personal-income-tax/child-and-dependent-care-credit
- Pre-K Countswww.pa.gov/agencies/education/programs-and-services/instruction/early-learning/preschool-programs
- Federal childcare.gov — Pennsylvania resourceschildcare.gov/state-resources/pennsylvania
Find a daycare in Pennsylvania
Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Pennsylvania's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.
Browse Pennsylvania daycaresSources
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.