Child Care Assistance

High-quality child care that is available and affordable is important to children's healthy development and families' self-sufficiency and peace-of-mind. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) helps income-eligible families pay for child care, and helps child care and other early learning programs improve the quality of care they offer.

Families:

Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) is a subsidy program that can help to make quality child care affordable for income-eligible families to be able to work, job search, or attend school.

If you would like to apply, to see if you qualify, for child care assistance please submit an application by:

• Picking up an application at Nicollet County Human Services or call to request one be mailed to you,
• or, visiting MNbenefits to apply online,
• or, printing off the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program Application (DHS-3550) and returning it to Nicollet County Human Services,
• or, filling out the Combined Application Form (DHS-5223) and the Combined Application-Child Care Addendum (PDF) (DHS-5223D) if you need CCAP and health care coverage, cash, and/or food assistance and returning it to Nicollet County Human Services.

For more information about the Child Care Assistance Program, please read the following brochure:

• Do You Need Help Paying for Child Care? (PDF) (DHS-3551)

Providers:

The Child Care Assistance Program needs quality, affordable child care providers. If you are interested in becoming a registered provider with Nicollet County Human Services, to start the registration process, please fill out the appropriate form below and return it:

• Minnesota Child Care Assistance Programs License Exempt Provider Registration (PDF) (DHS-5191)
• Minnesota Child Care Assistance Programs Licensed Center Provider Registration (PDF) (DHS-5190)
• Minnesota Child Care Assistance Programs Licensed Family Child Care Provider Registration (PDF) (DHS-7195)
• Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program Legal Nonlicensed Provider Registration and Acknowledgement (PDF) (DHS-5192)