The CalWORKs Child Care Program pays for child care for California families who get CalWORKs cash aid, or who left cash aid within the last 24 months, so parents can work, go to school, or complete other approved welfare-to-work activities. You stay eligible as long as your household income is at or below 85 percent of the State Median Income for your family size.1California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care For 2025–26, that ceiling runs from $6,860 a month for a family of two to $9,020 a month for a family of four, with higher limits above that.
Who Qualifies
You qualify if you currently receive CalWORKs cash aid, or if you received it within the last 24 months and are working or doing an approved welfare-to-work activity.1California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care Families who took a CalWORKs lump-sum diversion payment instead of ongoing cash aid also qualify and can enter Stage 2 or Stage 3 directly, depending on funding.
Approved activities are broad: ESL classes, community college, job skills training, employment or work study, community service, and services that address barriers like mental health counseling, substance use treatment, or domestic violence support.2California Department of Social Services. Welfare to Work
Income Limits
Your family’s adjusted monthly income has to sit at or below 85 percent of the State Median Income for your family size.3California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care – Program Eligibility CDSS updates the numbers each fiscal year. For 2025–26:
- Family of 2: $6,860 per month ($82,326 per year)
- Family of 3: $7,785 per month ($93,418 per year)
- Family of 4: $9,020 per month ($108,237 per year)
- Family of 5: $10,463 per month ($125,555 per year)
If your income crosses the ceiling, you lose eligibility no matter which stage you’re in.
Which Children Are Covered
The program covers children through age 12. Children with exceptional needs or severe disabilities can stay eligible up to age 21.4Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. Child Care
The Three Stages
CalWORKs child care runs in three stages, each handled by a different agency. Transitions between stages happen automatically as your situation changes, so you don’t start a new application each time.
Stage 1
Stage 1 begins as soon as you start receiving cash aid and need child care to work or participate in welfare-to-work activities. Your county welfare department runs it. If you need child care, you’re entitled to it before the county can require you to attend an orientation, assessment, or any welfare-to-work activity.1California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care
Stage 1 gives you continuous child care authorization for 12 months. Even if you’re sanctioned or temporarily stop your assigned activity, child care stays in place until the 12-month period ends or you move to Stage 2.5California Department of Social Services. Subsidized Programs
Stage 2
When the county decides your work or training is stable, your case transfers to Stage 2, administered by Alternative Payment Program agencies that contract with the state rather than by the county itself.5California Department of Social Services. Subsidized Programs After you leave cash aid, you can stay in Stage 1 or Stage 2 for a combined total of 24 months.6Justia Law. California Education Code 8350-8359.1 – Child Care for Recipients of the CalWORKs Program The handoff is administrative. The same providers and arrangements remain available.
Stage 3
Families who use up their 24 months after leaving cash aid move to Stage 3, as long as income is still below 85 percent of the State Median Income and a funded space is available.1California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care Families who received a diversion payment can enter Stage 3 directly.6Justia Law. California Education Code 8350-8359.1 – Child Care for Recipients of the CalWORKs Program There’s no built-in time limit on Stage 3, but funding depends on the state budget, and in lean years waitlists form. Lowest-income families get priority.
Choosing a Provider
You pick the provider. CalWORKs families have the right to choose any legal child care arrangement, licensed or exempt from licensing.5California Department of Social Services. Subsidized Programs Three options exist:
- Licensed child care centers, with set hours, structured programs, and state oversight.
- Licensed family child care homes, run by a provider in their own home under a state license, usually with a smaller group than a center.
- License-exempt providers, meaning a relative, friend, or neighbor caring for your child without a state license.
That last option matters if you work evenings, nights, or weekends and need someone who can handle a schedule outside a daycare’s typical hours.
TrustLine Registration for License-Exempt Providers
A license-exempt provider has to register with TrustLine before the state will pay them. TrustLine checks three databases that aren’t open to the public: fingerprint records from the California Department of Justice, FBI criminal history records, and the California Child Abuse Central Index.7California Department of Social Services. TrustLine Anyone with a disqualifying conviction or a substantiated child abuse report won’t be registered.
Registration runs about $143 as a one-time fee: $43 to CDSS, $64 to the Department of Justice for fingerprint processing, and a variable Live Scan vendor fee.8TrustLine. California Nanny Agency Resources and Support Info There’s no renewal fee after that. Ask your caseworker whether your county covers the cost; policies vary.
What You’ll Pay
If you currently receive CalWORKs cash aid, you pay no family fee. The same applies to safety net families and sanctioned families.3California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care – Program Eligibility Once you leave cash aid and move into Stage 2 or Stage 3, a fee kicks in based on your income and family size. Each family pays one fee no matter how many children are in care, and the fee is capped at roughly 10 percent of your income.
CDSS has an online Family Fee Rate Calculator where you enter your fiscal year, family size, and income to see your exact fee.
How to Apply
CalWORKs child care is run at the county level, so you start with your county welfare department. If you already get cash aid, your caseworker should bring up child care as part of your welfare-to-work plan.9California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care You don’t need to wait for them to raise it. If you need care to participate in any required activity, ask.
What to Bring
- Proof of income: recent pay stubs, an employer’s statement, or, for self-employment, business records and tax returns.
- Proof of activity: a certified school schedule, welfare-to-work plan, or employment verification.
- Children’s identification: birth certificates or hospital records to establish age and relationship.
- Provider information: name, contact details, and proof of licensing or TrustLine registration.
Your caseworker will go over the CalWORKs Child Care Request Form (CCP 7), which lays out the available child care options and reimbursement rules.10California Department of Social Services. CalWORKs Child Care Request Form and Reimbursement Rules The form also lists your local Resource and Referral agency, which can help you find a provider.
Processing and Backdating
The agency has to evaluate and process child care requests right away. Payments can be made retroactively for services going back up to 30 calendar days before you submitted the request, so don’t put off asking because you’ve already started paying for care.
Report your income and circumstances honestly, and tell your caseworker when things change. Knowingly giving false information to get child care benefits is a misdemeanor under California law, punishable by up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.11California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 10980 – Penalties
If You Get a Notice of Action
Any time the agency approves, changes, or denies your child care benefits, you’ll get a written Notice of Action. It has to describe the action, the effective date, the specific facts behind the decision, and how to appeal.12Cornell Law Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 5 Section 17783 – Notice of Action, Recipient of Services It should come in your primary language and arrive the way you asked for it, by mail or email.
If you disagree, you have 90 days from the date the notice was mailed or handed to you to request a hearing. File online through the CDSS Appeals Case Management System or call the toll-free hearing line at 1-800-743-8525.13California Department of Social Services. Public Appeal Request – ACMS If you file before the action takes effect, your services may stay in place while you wait for a decision, but if the hearing goes against you, you’ll have to repay the extra benefits. You can also review your case file and get a copy of the county’s written position at least two days before the hearing.