Ohio’s publicly funded child care payment chart sets three things: who qualifies, what families owe each week, and what the state pays providers. To qualify for the first time, your household’s gross monthly income must be at or below 145% of the federal poverty level, and you can keep benefits until income passes 300% of the FPL.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-02 – Application and Qualification Process for Receipt of Publicly Funded Child Care Benefits Copayments slide with income and family size, and provider rates vary by county, child age, and provider type.
One agency note before the numbers. Oversight of the Publicly Funded Child Care program moved from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, which now sets rates and program rules.2Department of Children and Youth. Child Care Your county JFS office still takes the application and decides eligibility, so that is where you apply.
2026 Income Limits in Dollars
The income rules live in Ohio Administrative Code 5101:2-16-02. The initial ceiling is 145% of the federal poverty level, or 150% if your child has a verified special need. Once you are enrolled, ongoing eligibility continues up to 300% of the FPL.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-02 – Application and Qualification Process for Receipt of Publicly Funded Child Care Benefits The gap between those two numbers is intentional. It lets parents accept raises without losing child care the next month.
For 2026, 100% of the FPL at common household sizes looks like this:3HealthCare.gov. Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
- Family of 2: $21,640 per year
- Family of 3: $27,320 per year
- Family of 4: $33,000 per year
- Family of 5: $38,680 per year
Multiply by the percentage you need. A household of three at 145% has a yearly ceiling near $39,614, roughly $3,301 a month, to start benefits. The same family can keep benefits up to about $81,960 a year, roughly $6,830 a month. A household of five has an initial limit near $56,086. Larger households get proportionally higher ceilings because the FPL rises with each additional person in the home.
What the County Counts as Income
The county uses gross monthly income, before taxes, retirement contributions, or any other deduction. Every caretaker’s earnings count. Household size matters as much as the dollar amount because the FPL scales with each person in the home, so a borderline application can tip under the limit when a dependent is correctly added to the count.
You Also Need a Qualifying Activity
Income is only half of it. Every caretaker in the home has to be doing something that creates a need for child care. The common qualifying activities are employment, enrollment in school, and job training.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-02 – Application and Qualification Process for Receipt of Publicly Funded Child Care Benefits Authorized hours of care match the hours when no caretaker is available because everyone is at work, in class, or in training.
Short absences do not end your benefits. Maternity leave, FMLA, and short-term disability still count if your employer confirms you will return. Children referred through the child welfare system qualify for protective child care regardless of income or work status.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5104.34 – Determination of Eligibility
What You Will Pay Each Week
Most approved families owe a weekly copayment to their provider under Ohio Administrative Code 5101:2-16-05. Two inputs set the amount: your family size and your gross monthly income. The county annualizes your income and divides it by 100% of the FPL for your household size, and the resulting percentage places you on the copay schedule.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-05 – Copayment for Publicly Funded Child Care Benefits
Families at or below 100% of the FPL owe nothing. Above that line, copayments rise on a sliding scale, so higher earners within the eligible range pay more than families closer to poverty.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-05 – Copayment for Publicly Funded Child Care Benefits
Multiple Children, Partial Weeks, and Switching Providers
Your total weekly copay does not change when you have more than one child in care. If you have more than one authorization, the amount is split equally among the providers, rounded down to the nearest dollar.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-05 – Copayment for Publicly Funded Child Care Benefits A $30 copay with two children in care means $15 to each provider. In a week when your family does not use all authorized hours, you owe the assigned copay or the actual cost of care, whichever is lower. Changing providers does not change the amount as long as your income and household size stay the same.
What the State Pays Your Provider
Provider reimbursement is set by the Weekly Maximum Payment Rates chart under Ohio Administrative Code 5101:2-16-10. Rates come from a statewide market rate survey. A provider is paid the county base rate or the regular rate it charges the public, whichever is lower, so rates vary by county and by provider.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-10 – Payment Rates and Procedures for Providers of Publicly Funded Child Care Services
The chart splits children into five age bands: infant, toddler, preschool, school-age, and school-age summer. Infant rates sit highest because licensing requires more staff per child at that age. Providers are grouped into licensed centers (including day camps and preschool and school-age programs) and home-based providers (Type A homes, Type B homes, and in-home aides). Centers generally receive higher rates than home-based providers for the same age group.
Step Up To Quality Add-Ons
Ohio’s Step Up To Quality program pays a percentage above the base rate when a provider meets higher quality standards. The three tiers are:6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. OAC 5101:2-16-10 – Payment Rates and Procedures for Providers of Publicly Funded Child Care Services
- Bronze: 10% above the base rate
- Silver: 15% above the base rate
- Gold: 25% above the base rate
Choosing a higher-rated provider does not raise your copayment. The state covers the difference.
How to Apply
You can apply on Form JFS 07200, which covers food, cash, medical, and child care assistance together, or on Form JFS 01138, which is child care only. Both are available at your county JFS office and online through the Ohio Benefits Self Service Portal at ssp.benefits.ohio.gov.7Ohio.gov. Self Service Portal Home Page You can mail a paper application or drop one off in person.
Collect these before you file:
- Pay stubs covering the last 30 days for every working caretaker
- Work schedules, class schedules, or training enrollment letters showing the hours child care is needed
- Social Security numbers for household members and birth certificates for the children needing care
- A full list of everyone living in the home, since household size affects both your eligibility and your copay
Report gross income, not net. Underreporting or leaving a household member off the application can lead to denial or later repayment. If a caseworker asks for more documents, you generally have 30 days to respond.
The county must decide within 30 calendar days of receiving a complete application.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5104.34 – Determination of Eligibility You get a written notice. An approval states your authorized hours of care and your weekly copay.
Keeping Benefits After 12 Months
Each eligibility period lasts at least 12 months.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5104.34 – Determination of Eligibility Within that window, seasonal job interruptions, school breaks, and short-term absences from work of up to three months are treated as temporary under federal Child Care and Development Fund rules.8Administration for Children and Families (ACF). CCDF Final Rule: Understanding Subsidy Eligibility They do not end your benefits.
At the 12-month mark the county sends Form JFS 7204 for redetermination. You submit updated income and activity documents. If income has risen past 145% but remains at or below 300% of the FPL, you continue under the ongoing threshold. Federal rules require a graduated phase-out, so a family whose income grew during the year cannot be cut off abruptly as long as it stays below 85% of the state median income.8Administration for Children and Families (ACF). CCDF Final Rule: Understanding Subsidy Eligibility Your copay may rise during that phase, but eligibility continues.
If You Are Denied
A denial notice has to state the reason. You can appeal to the Ohio Department of Children and Youth through a formal state hearing where you present evidence and challenge the county’s findings.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 5104.34 – Determination of Eligibility Common reasons are income above the threshold, missing documents, or an unverified qualifying activity. Call your county caseworker first. Many denials come from paperwork gaps that can be fixed by sending in the missing item without going to hearing.