For the first time in 20+ years, there is no waiting list for child care subsidy at Child Care Resources Inc. (CCRI)!

That’s right, NO WAITING LIST — not just for young children, but also for school-age children through age 12!

Here’s what families need to do to find out whether they are eligible:

> Call 704-348-2181 to speak with a CCRI Child Care Search specialist to receive child care information, referrals, and more information about child care subsidy, and to be pre-screened for eligibility.

To schedule an appointment, parents will need to have current documentation of employment and/or school enrollment and income (as identified below).

> To be determined eligible for child care subsidy, the child’s parent/responsible adult must:

• Be a resident of Mecklenburg County
• Be employed an average of 30+ hours per week AND have current check stubs to document employment and income; OR 
• Be in school 20 hours per week AND have a school schedule that documents this; OR
• Be working and in school a combination of at least 30 hours per week AND have current check stubs to document employment, income, and school schedule; AND
• For families with children ages birth to 5, family income cannot exceed 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• For families with school-age children through age 12, family income cannot exceed 133% of the Federal Poverty Level. 

Click here for income eligibility guidelines.

_____________

The cost of child care for the first five years of a child's life is now $54,000 (average cost of center-based care in Mecklenburg County). That’s more than in-state tuition to a 4-year college or university. Child Care Resources Inc. works with families across the economic spectrum to find child care solutions that work for you and your family.

Under contract to Mecklenburg County, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County, and others, CCRI administers child care financial aid to help income-eligible families better afford the cost of quality child care for children ages birth to 12. What do these funds do?

• Enable families to work and/or attend school to move closer to economic self-sufficiency
• Help teen parents stay in school
• Help ensure that children from low-income families have equal access to quality early learning programs