What’s in the Budget AND When is it Happening: Child Care Assistance Program

By Marie Huey, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator

In the summary of what passed this legislative session, one of the important items was changes and funding for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).

CCAP helps families pay for child care costs while parents go to work or school. It is a complex program that receives federal and state funding. Minnesota counties administer the program with state and federal oversight.

We reached out to Deb Fitzpatrick, Policy and Research Director at the Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, and Clare Sanford, Vice President of Government and Community Relations at New Horizon and the Government Relations Chair for the Minnesota Child Care Association, to help explain these changes and give more context.

Click the links below to check out their explanations on the changes from the 2023 session:

• Reimbursement rates to 75^th Percentile
• Waitlist and Eligibility
  • Basic Sliding Fee waitlist reprioritization
  • Change in definition of “family” for CCAP eligibility
  • Investment in Basic Sliding Fee
• Additional changes and Future Aspirations
  • Program Integrity
  • Additional support for mental health
  • State provider registration
  • What’s Left to Accomplish