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Index: Education / Subcategory: Early Childhood

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

Date posted: 08/03/2006

Chart Directory:

The Larimer County Department of Human Services Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) subsidizes childcare for families who meet income limits and program criteria. CCAP funds are federal Child Development Fund dollars that come to the states and are allocated to the counties to assist families in maintaining or working toward self-sufficiency.

What this chart shows: Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Cases, Children Enrolled, & Cost per Case, Larimer County, 2001 - 2005

Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Cases, Children Enrolled, & Cost per Case, Larimer County, 2001 - 2005

Data Source: Larimer County Department of Human Services, Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

See data table

What these data tell us:

From 2004 to 2005, the average monthly number of Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) cases decreased slightly (5%), while the average monthly payment to child care providers (cost per case) increased 6%. Provider payments gradually increased 22% during the five years from 2001 to 2005. Licensed child care home providers received payment increases in February 2002 ranging from 4% to 9%. Rates paid by CCAP to child care center providers increased in July 2006 by 4.5% to 8.8%, which should influence 2006 data.

From 2001 to 2002, the average monthly number of cases (households in the program) and the average number of children enrolled increased by 11%.

However, in October 2002, the Larimer County Department of Human Services was forced to reduce the income eligibility criteria for CCAP due to essentially flat federal funding over the previous five years and an increasing caseload. Family income criteria dropped from < (less than or equal to) 185%, to < 140% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, leaving approximately 456 participating children no longer eligible for the program. The effects of the new guidelines were evident in 2003, when the monthly average number of children in the program decreased by 23% (426 children). (See CCAP Income Eligibility Report Brief)

Additional Information:

Eligibility categories of the Child Care Assistance Programs include:

  1. Low income one or two parent families who are participating in at least one eligible activity:
    • Employment
    • Job search (30 day annual limit)
    • Food Stamp Program participants in the Employment First Program
    • Teen Parent Program (parents under 19 years old, or under 22 if attending middle school, junior high, high school or a GED program, whose children were born prior to the parents' 20th birthday)
  2. Families involved in the TANF/Larimer County Works Program
  3. Families eligible for Special Circumstances Child Care as determined by a Child Protection caseworker

On Compass -

Outside Compass -

Standards or Target: N/A

Data Table:

Average Monthly CCAP Statistics, Larimer County

Average Number of Cases

Average Number of Children

Average Cost per Household

2001

887

1,656

$472

2002

988

1,823

$533

2003

733

1,397

$540

2004

777

1,480

$542

2005

739

1,418

$577

See chart