Making Ends Meet

Child care/ early learning can be expensive, sometimes even as much as a rent or mortgage payment! When you have young children, every penny counts, and the more pennies you can save, the more you can spend on quality early learning for your children.

Here are some resources that can help you make ends meet. If you know of others that we can share, please email us!

• Child Care Works
• Pre-kindergarten programs at no cost to families
• Pre-K EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) scholarships

Child Care Works 

Child Care Works provides financial assistance to eligible families for child care.

• Find out if you are eligible

Families may enroll their child in any child care program that accepts Child Care Works or choose a relative/neighbor provider. Families pay a co-pay to the program based on their income, and Child Care Works subsidizes the child care program. Programs may still charge additional fees that aren't covered by Child Care Works, so be sure to ask the program when you visit or call about availability.

You can sign up online or visit your local Child Care Information Services (CCIS) agency. Your CCIS agency will also help you pick the right child care program for your family.

Pre-kindergarten programs at no cost to families

Pennsylvania offers two pre-kindergarten programs at no cost to families.

Head Start provides comprehensive early learning and family support services to provides comprehensive early learning services to children and families who are most at risk of academic failure. Families earning 100% of the federal poverty level or less are eligible to apply. Families contact their local Head Start agency to apply.

Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts provides high quality pre-kindergarten in schools, Head Start, child care centers and nursery schools in the 2010-2011 school year. Programs offer both half-day and full-day classes. Families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level are eligible. Contact the local programs in your community directly to enroll.

Pre-K EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) scholarships

The Pre-K EITC program allows corporations to donate money for pre-kindergarten scholarships in return for a tax credit. Eligibility for scholarships and programs to which a family can enroll vary depending on the scholarship organization. Families should contact the scholarship organizations in their community directly for more information.