Will I still have to pay for child care?

Yes, most families who are eligible for the child care subsidy program in Mecklenburg County are required to pay for a portion of their child care costs. To determine your monthly co-payment:

• If your family size is 1-3 children: 10% of gross monthly income
• If your family size is 4-5 children: 9% of gross monthly income
• If your family size is 6-12 children: 8% of gross monthly income

The following examples illustrate how to determine family co-payments for child care services:

Example A
A single parent is employed full-time and has two children in need of full-time child care services. She earns $840 per month in wages and receives $350 per month in child support. The total amount of countable income for this family is $1,190 per month (wages and child support).

$1,190 x .10 = $119 monthly co-payment

Example B
A family of four needs child care. The father is employed full-time earning $910 per month in wages. The mother, who is enrolled in a degree program at the local community college, receives $300 per month from a work-study program. In addition, one child receives SSI benefits of $236 per month. The family's eligibility for child care subsidy is based only on the father's income of $910 month. The work-study income and SSI benefits are not counted.

$910 x .09 = $82 monthly co-payment