How to Get Free or Discounted Childcare in Your Area

Head Start and Early Head Start: free care for young children

Head Start provides free learning and development services to children from birth to age 5 in families with low income. Head Start Preschool mainly serves 3- and 4-year-olds. Early Head Start serves infants and toddlers, and many programs also serve pregnant women. Local organizations and school districts run the programs, in centers, family child care homes or through home visits.

Children also get meals and snacks, medical, dental, hearing and vision screenings, and help with disabilities. Parents can get connected to other services in the community.

Who qualifies for Head Start

Your child can qualify if your family income is at or below the federal poverty guidelines. These are the 2026 guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C.:

People in your household	2026 poverty guideline
2	$21,640
3	$27,320
4	$33,000
5	$38,680
6	$44,360

Alaska and Hawaii have higher figures. You can see them on the HHS poverty guidelines page.

Your child qualifies no matter what your income is if:

• your family gets TANF, SNAP or SSI
• your child is in foster care
• your child is experiencing homelessness

USAGov also says a family may still be eligible if it spends more than 30% of its gross yearly income on housing. Ask the local program how it counts this.

How to apply for Head Start

1. Use the Head Start Locator on headstart.gov to find programs near you. If you need help, call the Office of Head Start's toll-free line at 866-763-6481, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.
2. Contact the program directly. Staff will explain the requirements, give you the forms, and tell you what documents to bring.
3. If the program is full, ask to be put on the waitlist. ACF says there are not enough spaces for every eligible child, so it can help to contact more than one program.

State child care assistance: help paying a daycare bill

Every state runs a child care assistance program paid for by the federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). Your state may call it a child care subsidy, voucher or certificate program, or something else. It helps families with low income pay for care so parents can work or attend school or job training.

In most cases the state gives you a voucher or certificate and pays part of the cost to the provider you choose. You pay the rest as a co-payment, set on a sliding scale based on your income and family size.

Federal rules every state follows

Under federal rules (45 CFR 98.20), a child can be eligible if:

• the child is under 13, or under 19 with a disability or under court supervision if your state chooses to cover them
• your family income is no more than 85% of your state's median income for your family size
• your family's assets are not more than $1,000,000
• the parent or parents are working or attending a job training or educational program, or the child needs protective services

States can set lower income limits and add their own eligibility and priority rules. Only your state agency can tell you whether you qualify and what your co-payment will be.

Once you are approved, the state must keep you eligible for at least 12 months before it rechecks, as long as your income stays at or under 85% of state median income. A short break from work or school, such as an illness or a seasonal layoff, does not end your eligibility during that time.

Co-payment rules changed in 2026

A federal rule that took effect July 13, 2026 removed the requirement that states cap family co-payments at 7% of family income. States must still use a sliding fee scale and show that co-payments are not a barrier to getting care. As of March 2026, 37 state, territory and tribal programs limited co-payments to 7% of income or less, and they can keep doing so. Ask your state agency what its current co-payment scale is.

Which providers can take a voucher

Parents choose the provider. Depending on your state, that can include a licensed center, a family child care home, a faith-based program, or a relative such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle who meets the state's requirements. Some states also pay license-exempt providers. Ask your state which types of care it pays for before you pick one.

How to apply for child care assistance

1. Find your state's program through the Childcare.gov state resources page, which USAGov points to for state child care financial assistance.
2. Apply through the state or county agency listed for your area.
3. Ask the agency which documents it needs. Expect to show your household income and your work, school or training schedule, since those decide whether you qualify.
4. If your state has a waitlist, get on it as soon as you can and keep your contact information current.

If you get TANF, ask your caseworker about child care help too. TANF can help families pay for child care, and each state runs its program differently. Our guide to TANF eligibility explains how to apply.

Tax breaks if you pay for childcare yourself

These do not make care free, but they can lower your cost after the fact or before you pay.

Child and Dependent Care Credit

If you pay for care so you can work, you may be able to claim this federal credit. The child must be your dependent and under age 13. The credit is a percentage of up to $3,000 in care costs for one child or $6,000 for two or more. Your countable costs cannot be more than your earned income (or, if you are married, the lower-earning spouse's earned income).

A 2025 federal law (Public Law 119-21, often called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) raised the credit starting with tax year 2026, the return most people file in early 2027:

Your adjusted gross income (2026)	Credit rate
$15,000 or less	50%
$15,001 to $43,000	49% down to 36% (1 point lower for each $2,000)
$43,001 to $75,000 (or to $150,000 if married filing jointly)	35%
Above $75,000 (or $150,000 jointly)	1 point lower for each $2,000 ($4,000 jointly), down to 20%

For example, a parent with adjusted gross income of $50,000 who paid $3,000 for one child's care would have a 35% rate, for a credit of $1,050. The credit is nonrefundable, so it can lower the tax you owe to zero but will not add to your refund beyond that. Families who owe little or no federal income tax may get little from it. You claim the credit with Form 2441 when you file.

For tax year 2025 (returns filed in 2026), the older rate of 20% to 35% applied.

Dependent care FSA through your job

Some employers offer a dependent care flexible spending account or other dependent care assistance. You set aside money from your paycheck before taxes and use it to pay for care. Starting in tax year 2026, the most you can exclude from income rose from $5,000 to $7,500 ($3,750 if married filing separately). Ask your HR department whether your job offers one and when you can sign up.

You cannot use the same dollars twice. Money you exclude through the employer account reduces the $3,000 or $6,000 limit you can use for the credit.

If you missed filing in an earlier year, see our guide on what to do if you didn't file a tax return. For questions about your own return, contact the IRS.

Other places to look

• Your local school district. School districts run some Head Start programs, and some offer their own pre-K. Call the district office and ask what it has for your child's age.
• Military child care. Military families may qualify for military-operated child care and assistance programs. Start with the Childcare.gov page on military child care financial assistance, which USAGov links to, or ask your installation's family support office.
• Local centers, including faith-based programs. Ask whether they offer reduced fees and whether they accept your state's child care voucher. Faith-based providers can take vouchers if they meet your state's CCDF requirements.

Common problems

• Waiting to apply. Both Head Start and state assistance can have waitlists. Apply as soon as you know you need care.
• Choosing a provider first. Your voucher only pays providers your state allows, so check before you sign a contract.
• Missing a renewal. Your state will recheck eligibility at least every 12 months. Watch your mail and send paperwork back on time.
• Forgetting the tax credit. The credit is based on care costs you paid yourself, so families paying a co-payment may still have costs to claim. Check the IRS rules for your situation.

While you sort out childcare, also check WIC and CHIP, which cover food and health insurance for young children.

Frequently asked questions

Is Head Start really free?

Yes. ACF describes Head Start as free for eligible children and families. There aren't enough spaces for every eligible child, so you may be placed on a waitlist.

What income do I need to get state child care assistance?

It depends on your state. Federal law caps eligibility at 85% of your state's median income, and states can set a lower limit. Your state agency will tell you its current limit.

Can a grandparent be paid with a child care voucher?

It depends on your state. Federal rules let states pay relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles and adult siblings who live in a separate home, if the relative is 18 or older and meets the state's requirements. Ask your state whether it allows this.

Do I have to be working to get help?

For state child care assistance, a parent usually has to be working or in school or job training, though a child who needs protective services can qualify. Head Start eligibility is based on income or the situations listed above, such as getting SNAP or being in foster care.

Can I get both a subsidy and the tax credit?

The credit counts care costs you paid, such as your co-payment. Amounts the state paid to the provider are not your costs. Check the IRS rules or ask the IRS about your situation.

My child is 13. Can I still get help?

Most programs stop at 13. Your state may cover children up to 19 if they have a disability or are under court supervision. The tax credit can also apply to an older dependent who can't care for themselves and lives with you for more than half the year.

Sources

• Get help with child care costs and learn about Head Start, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• Welfare benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), USAGov, accessed October 2026
• Apply for Services (Head Start), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, accessed October 2026
• Head Start Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, accessed October 2026
• Child Care and Development Fund, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care, accessed October 2026
• Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Flexibilities, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Care, accessed October 2026
• Restoring Flexibility in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), final rule, 91 FR 25796, HHS via Federal Register on govinfo.gov, accessed October 2026
• 45 CFR 98.20, A child's eligibility for child care services, Code of Federal Regulations on govinfo.gov, accessed October 2026
• 45 CFR 98.21, Eligibility determination processes, Code of Federal Regulations on govinfo.gov, accessed October 2026
• Poverty Guidelines, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, accessed October 2026
• Public Law 119-21, secs. 70404 and 70405, U.S. Government Publishing Office, accessed October 2026
• 26 U.S.C. 21, Expenses for household and dependent care services, U.S. Code on govinfo.gov, accessed October 2026