Child Care Subsidies & Assistance in Virginia

Virginia's Child Care Subsidy uses locality-based income tiers with a 7% copay cap (raised from 5% July 2025). 12,144 children on the CCSP waitlist as of Dec 1, 2025. Virginia offers a child-care expense deduction (not credit); 20% refundable EITC sunsets Jan 2027.

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 Virginia.

Try the calculator →

Child care subsidy (CCDF) in Virginia

Program name: Virginia Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP) plus Mixed Delivery Program
Administered by: Virginia Department of Education (Office of Early Childhood Education, consolidated 2021), administered by VDSS and local Departments of Social Services
Income ceiling: Locality-based tiers (Group I / II / III) determined by your locality, not a single statewide dollar figure. Group I: 150% FPL; Group II: 160% FPL; Group III: 185% FPL (for families without a child age 5 or younger). Families with a child age 5 or younger not yet in kindergarten qualify up to 85% State Median Income regardless of locality group — $113,904/year for a family of four (effective October 1, 2024). The 85% SMI ceiling is also the exit limit at redetermination for all families.
Family fee / copay: $5 per month copay for households below 100% FPL. For all other eligible households, copay is capped at 7% of annual income (raised from 5% effective July 1, 2025, fully implemented by September 1, 2025). State copay cap: 7% of family income.
Waitlist status: Multi-year waitlist — 12,144 children on the CCSP waitlist as of December 1, 2025 (56% birth-to-five, 44% school-age/6-13), per Virginia's FY25 Annual Report on Early Childhood Care and Education (RD1051). The FY26 budget makes only partial progress: House language repurposes about $3M of unused VPI funds for ~318 new slots; Senate adjustments target 6,900–7,700 slots; neither chamber fully eliminates the waitlist.
Apply: www.childcare.virginia.gov/families/paying-for-child-care

Income limits by family size

Family size	Group I ceiling (annual, 150% FPL)	Group II ceiling (annual, 160% FPL)	Group III ceiling (annual, 185% FPL)	Young-child / exit ceiling (annual, 85% SMI)
1	$22,596	$24,096	$27,864	$59,230
2	$30,660	$32,700	$37,812	$77,455
3	$38,736	$41,316	$47,772	$95,680
4	$46,800	$49,920	$57,720	$113,904
5	$54,876	$58,524	$67,668	$132,129
6	$62,940	$67,140	$77,628	$150,354
7	$71,016	$75,744	$87,576	$153,771
8	$79,080	$84,348	$97,536	$157,188

Group I ceiling (annual, 150% FPL): 150% of the 2024 HHS federal poverty guidelines per Appendix A of the Virginia CCSP Guidance Manual, effective October 1, 2024. Entry/initial eligibility ceiling for families without a child age 5 or younger in Group I (lower-cost) localities. Monthly amounts from Appendix A annualized (×12). Contact your LDSS to determine which group your locality falls into.
Group II ceiling (annual, 160% FPL): 160% of the 2024 HHS federal poverty guidelines per Appendix A. Entry/initial eligibility ceiling for families without a child age 5 or younger in Group II (mid-cost) localities. Monthly amounts annualized (×12).
Group III ceiling (annual, 185% FPL): 185% of the 2024 HHS federal poverty guidelines per Appendix A. Entry/initial eligibility ceiling for families without a child age 5 or younger in Group III (higher-cost metropolitan) localities. Monthly amounts annualized (×12).
Young-child / exit ceiling (annual, 85% SMI): 85% of Virginia State Median Income per Appendix A, effective October 1, 2024 (based on 2024 LIHEAP SMI table). Entry ceiling for families with a child age 5 or younger not yet in kindergarten regardless of locality group. Also the exit/redetermination ceiling for ALL families in CCSP. Annual amounts taken directly from Appendix A.

Virginia CCSP Guidance Manual — Appendix A: State Income Eligibility Scale for Child Care Subsidy, effective October 1, 2024 (Virginia Child Care Subsidy Guidance Manual, revised October 1, 2024). The 2024 HHS federal poverty guidelines (Federal Register January 17, 2024; F4=$31,200/year, per-person increment $5,380) and the 2024 LIHEAP State Median Income table (ACF/OCS, published March 29, 2024) are the sources for the table. Columns 1–3 are the entry/initial income ceilings by locality group for families WITHOUT a child age 5 or younger not yet in kindergarten. Column 4 (85% SMI) is the entry ceiling for families WITH a child age 5 or younger not yet in kindergarten (regardless of locality group), and also the exit/redetermination ceiling for ALL families. Monthly amounts from Appendix A annualized (×12) for columns 1–3; column 4 annual figures taken directly from Appendix A. Contact your local department of social services (LDSS) to determine which locality group applies to your address. Effective October 1, 2024; check the state portal for the latest figures.

State pre-K in Virginia

Program name: Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), VPI Expansion (3-year-olds), and Mixed Delivery
Administered by: Virginia Department of Education in partnership with the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (Mixed Delivery)
Access: Income-targeted
Eligibility: Primary criteria: family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, experiencing homelessness, parent dropout, or IDEA Part B eligibility (the IDEA category is income-blind). VPI Expansion serves at-risk 3-year-olds not served by Head Start. Mixed Delivery extends VPI into community-based licensed centers and family child care.
Coverage: Combined CCSP + Mixed Delivery + VPI state funding is approximately $366.3 million in FY 2025 / $461.7 million in FY 2026 (standalone VPI is a smaller share of this envelope). Applications generally due May 15. Virginia preschool access has been declining despite legislative efforts.
Apply: www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/early-childhood-care-education/virginia-preschool-initiative

State tax credits & extras in Virginia

State CDCC: Virginia does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. Virginia does not offer a state Child and Dependent Care Credit. The state does allow a Child and Dependent Care Expenses Deduction (different from a credit) — see below.

Other state programs and credits

Virginia Child and Dependent Care Expenses Deduction
Deduct the federal CDCC expense base used on your federal return (up to $3,000 for one dependent, $6,000 for two or more) from Virginia taxable income. Reduces the income on which Virginia tax is computed. Codified at § 58.1-322.03.
Virginia Refundable Earned Income Tax Credit — 20% of federal
Refundable Virginia EITC at 20% of federal EITC for tax year 2025 (replacing the prior choice of 15% refundable or 20% non-refundable). Scheduled to sunset January 1, 2027 unless extended.

Where to apply or get help in Virginia

Find a daycare in Virginia

Once you know what you qualify for, Childery's directory helps you pick a provider. Browse Virginia's licensed daycares with independent Process and Structural quality ratings, or search by ZIP code or city.

Browse Virginia 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.