Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Child Care Works covers families up to 200% FPL at entry, 300% FPL at recert. PA Child & Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit is refundable at 100% of the federal CDCC — among the most generous matches in the U.S., max $1,050 / $2,100.

Data current as of May 21, 2026

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. Families may remain enrolled up to 300% FPL at redetermination (codified in 2025-26 Human Services Code language).
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. Each adult must work at least 20 hours per week, or 10 hours of work plus 10 hours of approved education or training.
Apply: www.pa.gov/services/dhs/apply-for-child-care-works-subsidized-child-care

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)

Teen parents
Families experiencing homelessness
Foster families
Children in Pre-K Counts, Early Head Start, or Head Start
Employed TANF recipients (eligible from the first day of work)

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 9 of 10 NIEER quality benchmarks. The 2025-26 budget raised the full-time per-child rate to $10,748.
Apply: www.pa.gov/agencies/education/programs-and-services/early-learning/pre-k-counts

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 $1,050 (one dependent) / $2,100 (two or more). 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 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 daycares

Sources

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.