To receive childcare financial assistance, you need a reason you can't be with your child during the day. This is called a service need. You must be participating in an approved activity for at least 25 hours per week (20 for part-time). All sections that require 25 weekly hours carry this 20-hour part time designation as well.

If there are two parents in the household, both must have a documented service need.

Why does this requirement exist? The childcare subsidy is designed for families who need care because they can't be with their child — because they're working, in school, or in a situation that prevents them from providing care. If a parent has no qualifying activity, the system's assumption is that the parent is available to care for the child. Understanding this logic helps you understand why the system asks for what it does.

Approved Activities

Employment

Paid employment — Working for an employer for at least 25 hours per week at no less than minimum wage.

Self-employment — Working for yourself for at least 25 hours per week. Includes ride-sharing and gig work. Note - self-employment hours are calculated differently. Contact your CCR&R early as these vouchers can take longer than usual to issue.

Military — If you are active in the U.S. military (including National Guard) and deployed or activated to a combat zone, hazardous duty zone, or preparation venue for deployment, this qualifies as a full-time service need. In a two-parent household, the second parent does not need to have their own service need while the military parent is deployed. Documentation: military orders confirming deployment status.

Retirement — If the head of household is a parent, 65 or older, and retired, this counts as a service need.

Education and Training

High school — Full-time high school enrollment is automatically considered a full-time service need, regardless of the school's schedule.

GED / High school equivalency — An approved GED program qualifies.

ESOL — An approved English for Speakers of Other Languages program qualifies.

College — Enrolled at an accredited college or university pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree.

• 10+ credit hours = full-time service need (10 credits x 2.5 = 25 hours)
• Less than 10 credits: multiply your credit hours by 2.5 to get your service need hours

Vocational training — An approved program that teaches a specific skill leading to employment.

Graduate school — Qualifies at reauthorization only, if you were already in an approved education service need. You cannot start your childcare assistance with a graduate program as your sole activity.

Between semesters? Your service need continues through semester breaks if you're registered for the next semester.

Work-study, internships, student teaching, clinical hours — These count as hours of employment.

Protective Services

DTA referral — Families receiving TAFDC or SNAP with a DTA referral.

DCF referral — Families with an active DCF case.

Homelessness — Families experiencing homelessness qualify for full-time care regardless of any other activity.

Domestic violence — Families experiencing domestic violence qualify for full-time care. Requires a signed self-declaration plus one supporting document (court, medical, police, DCF, or social service records; protection order; evidence of seeking a shelter; or a letter from a DV counseling program). See Domestic Violence (1.16).

Substance use disorder treatment or rehabilitation — If you are participating in a substance use disorder treatment or rehabilitation program, you qualify for full-time care. Requires a self-attestation of your treatment plan plus a written statement on professional letterhead from a certified medical authority or treatment program, including the program name and type, start and expected end dates, and hours per week.

Disability of Parent

If you have a documented physical or mental disability that prevents you from caring for your child, you may qualify for full-time or part-time care. These authorizations:

• Must be approved in writing by EEC
• Can last up to 3 years
• Can be reauthorized if the condition persists or is permanent

Parental Leave

If you are on a temporary leave from employment, education, or training for reasons connected to the birth of a child, the placement of a child in your family, or the care of a child, you are eligible for a 12-month authorization for full-time care. This service need can be used at initial authorization or reauthorization, for one parent in a household.

Documentation required (one of the following): a letter from your employer or educational/training program, a letter from your doctor or adoption agency, a document showing Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML), or a signed self-attestation that you are on parental leave.

If you report parental leave during an active authorization, your service need can be updated and will remain until your next reauthorization. You may continue to be eligible at reauthorization based on your documentation.

You should still report any return to work, or change of employment during this time period, to your CCR&R within 30 days.

Pathway to Full-Time Employment

If you are working (or working in combination with education and/or training) for at least 15 hours but less than 25 hours per week, and you have no other qualifying service need, your CCR&R may add Pathway to Full-Time Employment to your service need. This provides a 12-month authorization for full-time care, acknowledging that you may be working toward increasing your hours, finding more stable employment, or pursuing job training alongside work.

• Travel time should be offered and included if applicable
• Families must provide documentation that reasonably establishes their hours and wages
• This service need can only be used once per authorization cycle — it cannot be used again at your next reauthorization

Combining Activities

You can combine work, education/training, and disability to meet the service need requirement. For example:

• Working 10 hours/week + enrolled in a 12-hour training program = full-time service need
• Working 15 hours/week + 5 hours of travel time = 20 hours (part-time service need met)

Full-Time vs. Part-Time

Service need level	Hours per week	Childcare authorized
Full-time	25 or more hours	Up to 50 hours/week of care
Part-time	20 to less than 25 hours	Up to 25 hours/week of care

Travel Time

Travel time to and from your childcare provider and your work or school can be added to your weekly service need hours. You must first establish at least 20 hours in an approved activity before travel time can be added.

Don't Have an Approved Activity Yet?

If you don't have a job, school enrollment, or other approved activity at the time you apply (or at reauthorization), you may qualify for a 12-week provisional authorization (Seeking Approved Activity). This gives you time to find and certify an approved activity.

• You must first be given 30 days to provide all eligibility documentation. The provisional is only issued if you still cannot verify a service need after that period.
• If you certify an activity before the 12 weeks are up: you get a full 12-month authorization
• You may get one additional 12-week extension only if you can verify that an activity will start before the end of that second period
• If you don't certify by the end: your placement will end. You have 30 days from the placement end date to provide documentation and reopen your case.
• Seeking Approved Activity may only be combined with other service need activities when those activities total less than 15 hours per week. When combined this way, only a single 12-week provisional period is allowed — the second 12-week extension is not available.
• Parent fees are not waived on provisional authorizations. If your household has countable income, a parent fee will be assessed.

When a Provisional Cannot Be Used

A provisional authorization is not allowed in any of the following situations:

• You already have employment of 15 hours per week or more (use Pathway to Full-Time Employment instead)
• You are on parental leave (use the Parental Leave service need instead)
• Your activity or job is verified to start within the next 30 days
• You are trying to expedite approval as early education and care staff
• You have already received the allotted provisional vouchers for your given authorization period

See How to Apply (1.5) for the full provisional authorization rules.

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Next Steps

• See what documents you'll need to prove your activity: See What Documents Do I Need? (1.4)
• Lost your job? See Reporting Changes (1.10) — you have a 12-week grace period
• Check your income eligibility: See Income Eligibility (1.2)
• Ready to apply? See How to Apply (1.5)