Paying for Child Care
Financial help with child care expenses may be available to eligible parents. Child care subsidies may be available through the "alternative payment" or "Stage 1" programs.
These programs require parents to document their need for child care services, and usually require that the parents be within a certain income range. If enrolled in either of these programs, care can be provided in the parent’s choice or choices of setting(s):
- Licensed centers
- Licensed family child care providers
- Afterschool programs
- Friend, family, and neighbor caregivers
- Recreation programs
After enrollment, Changing Tides Family Services will pay the provider for part or all of the child care which Changing Tides Family Services authorizes for eligible families. Please see the CalWORKs Stage 1 Child Care Program Handbook and the Parent and Provider Handbook for Subsidized Services for information about Changing Tides Family Services' child care subsidy programs.
In some instances, programs operated by a religious institution are allowed.
For more information, call 445-9291 or 1-800-795-3554. You can apply for free or low-cost child care through the Centralized Eligibility List (CEL).