How to Fill Out and Submit Illinois Child Care Redetermination Form IL444-3455E

To keep your Child Care Assistance Program benefits active in Illinois, complete the Illinois child care redetermination Form IL444-3455E and return it, with every required attachment, to your local Child Care Resource and Referral agency within 10 business days of receiving the packet in the mail. The Illinois Department of Human Services sends the packet the month before your current eligibility period ends, and missing the 10-day window causes an automatic cancellation of benefits.¹

The 10-Business-Day Deadline

The packet arrives the month before your approval expires. If your current eligibility runs through April, expect it in March.² From the day you receive it, you have 10 business days to send back the completed form and every supporting document. If it isn’t there by then, benefits are canceled.¹

Ten business days is tight once you factor in gathering pay stubs, report cards, and signatures from another adult in the household. If your eligibility period is winding down and no packet has arrived, contact your local CCR&R rather than waiting. You can find the agency that serves your county through the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies locator.³

Documents to Gather First

The most common reason a packet gets returned is a missing attachment, and a returned packet eats into your 10-day window. Pull everything together before you start writing.¹

Proof of Employment

If you have an employer, attach your last two paycheck stubs. Every adult 19 or older in your family size who is working must provide their own stubs, not just you. If you haven’t been on the job long enough to have two stubs, submit a letter from your employer showing your start date, pay rate, weekly schedule and hours, and the employer’s address, phone number, and signature.¹

If you are self-employed, you can send your most recent federal tax return (IRS Form 1040) with all schedules, a copy of your quarterly estimated taxes, or a written listing of business income and expenses for the last 30 days.¹

Proof of School or Training

If your qualifying activity is school, you need two documents, not one. Send a copy of your official class schedule and a copy of your most recent report card showing your cumulative GPA. Leaving out the report card is a frequent reason packets bounce back.¹

Household and Income Details

List every person living in your home. CCAP defines family size specifically: you, your biological or adopted children under 21, the biological, step, or adoptive parent of any of your children if that person lives with you, and any blood or legal relative for whom you provide more than half of their financial support (if you choose to include them and can verify their income). Social Security numbers are required for everyone listed; write “n/a” for anyone who does not have one. Section 3 also asks for immigration status for your children.¹

Report any child support received, Social Security benefits, or other income any household member gets. Both parents’ or adults’ job and income information goes on pages 3 through 6, so coordinate with the other adult before you sit down.

Child Care Provider Information

You’ll need your provider’s name, address, and Provider ID number. If you’ve switched providers or added a child to care since your last approval, note those changes in the appropriate sections of the form.⁴

Filling Out Form IL444-3455E

Use blue or black ink. The form runs 12 pages, and every question needs an answer. If a section doesn’t apply to you, write “n/a” rather than leaving the box blank. A blank box reads as an oversight, and the office will send the whole packet back for completion.¹

Pages 3 through 6 cover employment and income for both adults in the household. Section 3 on page 7 is where you list every household member with Social Security numbers and your children’s immigration status. Enter a current phone number and residential address so the office can reach you if something is unclear.

Both you and the other parent or adult in the household must sign on page 12. By signing, you agree to report any future change in child care arrangements, employment, or family size within 10 days. Missing a required change report can create an overpayment you’ll owe back.¹

Before you seal the envelope, copy the signed form and every attachment. The form’s own checklist asks you to do this, and it’s your protection if anything goes missing during processing.

Where to Send the Packet

Return the completed packet to the local CCR&R agency that manages your county, or to a contracted child care center or home provider if they hold a direct contract with IDHS to handle assistance paperwork. The mailing address is printed on the form.¹

Standard mail works. Certified mail gives you a tracking number and a delivery receipt, which is useful if the deadline is close. Fax is another option; keep the confirmation page as proof of the date and time. Some CCR&R agencies also take electronic submissions. Illinois Action for Children, which covers Cook County, runs an online portal where parents can upload the completed form and attachments any time of day.⁵ Ask your local CCR&R whether it offers something similar.

After You Submit

Your CCR&R reviews the packet and mails a formal Notice of Decision. An approval lists your new eligibility dates and the monthly co-payment you’ll owe your provider. If something is missing, the office sends a Request for Additional Information with its own deadline; not responding results in a denial. Your co-payment stays fixed for the 12-month eligibility period once set.⁶

If You Miss the 10-Day Deadline

Benefits are canceled as of the last day of your eligibility period. You then have a 30-day grace window. If the office receives the completed redetermination within 30 days of the cancellation date, you can be restored to continuous benefits without starting over. After that 30-day window closes, you have to submit a brand-new CCAP application, which is a longer process and can result in a different co-payment.⁷

If you realize you’ve already missed the 10-day deadline, send whatever you have immediately rather than waiting to assemble a perfect packet. The line between “30 days late” and “31 days late” can mean weeks without subsidized care.

If You Lose Your Job During the Eligibility Period

Losing a job mid-year does not automatically end your CCAP. Under the federal Child Care and Development Fund rules that govern Illinois’s program, temporary changes in work or school status — including short-term job loss, illness, seasonal work gaps, or school breaks — do not end eligibility during the 12-month period as long as your income remains below 85 percent of the State Median Income. “Temporary” covers any interruption of three months or less, and even a permanent job loss triggers at least three months of continued assistance while you look for new qualifying work or enroll in school.⁶

You still have to report the job loss to your CCR&R within 60 days. Reporting the change and losing your benefits are two different things.⁸

Appealing a Denial or Wrong Co-Payment

If your redetermination is denied, or the co-payment on your Notice of Decision looks wrong, you can appeal. The deadline is 60 days from the date on the unfavorable notice. The count starts the day after the notice is signed and mailed, and if the last day lands on a weekend or holiday, you have until the end of the next business day. Missing 60 days waives your right to a hearing.⁹

Appealable issues include denial or cancellation of benefits, the co-payment amount, the payment amount or nonpayment of a subsidy, and any other unfavorable decision by CCR&R staff or a contracted provider. You can file:

Online through the appeals portal at abe.illinois.gov
By email to DHS.BAH@Illinois.gov
By fax to 312-793-3387
By mail to Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Hearings, 69 W. Washington, 4th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60602
By phone at 1-800-435-0774 (voice) or 1-877-734-7429 (TTY), Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
In person at your local IDHS office, where staff can help fill out the form

1
Illinois Department of Human Services. Child Care Redetermination IL444-3455E
2
Illinois Department of Human Services. 4611 – Child Care Assistance Program: Parent’s Guide
3
Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Find Your Local CCR&R
4
Illinois Department of Human Services. Parent Co-Payment Rates
5
Illinois Action for Children. CCAP Express
6
Administration for Children & Families. CCDF Final Rule Understanding Subsidy Eligibility
7
Illinois Department of Human Services. 02.07.01 – Cancellation Reasons
8
Child Care Resource Service. A Parent’s Guide to CCAP
9
Illinois Department of Human Services. 04.04.01 – Appeals