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CCAMPIS supports low-income student parents in postsecondary education by funding campus-based child care subsidies and services at participating colleges and universities. Institutions use CCAMPIS grants to reduce out-of-pocket child care costs for Pell Grant-eligible students, helping them remain enrolled and complete their degrees. Available services vary by institution and may include subsidized on-campus child care, partnerships with community providers, or child care resource and referral support.

The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) is a federal tax credit for working taxpayers who pay for the care of a child under 13 or a disabled dependent so they can work or look for work. The credit equals 20–35% of qualifying care expenses up to $3,000 for one qualifying person or $6,000 for two or more, with the percentage decreasing as adjusted gross income rises. Qualifying expenses include payments to day care centers, after-school programs, babysitters, and summer day camps.

CCDF provides childcare subsidies to low-income working families to help cover the cost of quality care for children up to age 13, or up to age 19 for children with special needs. Families typically pay an income-based copayment while the subsidy covers the balance. Parents must be working, in school, or in job training.

The DoD Child Care Fee Assistance program subsidizes off-installation child care costs for active duty service members when space at on-base child development centers is unavailable. Subsidies reduce the cost of licensed civilian child care for dependent children from birth through age 12, with the level of assistance based on total family income. The program is administered by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) under contract with DoD.

Early Head Start provides comprehensive child development services — including health, nutrition, and social-emotional development — for low-income pregnant women, infants, and toddlers under age 3. Like Head Start, it is delivered by local grantee organizations including community action agencies, nonprofits, and school districts through both center-based and home visiting models. The program serves approximately 150,000 children and families annually and supports continuous care into Head Start at age 3.

Even Start Family Literacy was a federally-funded program that integrated early childhood education, adult literacy, parenting skills, and interactive parent-child learning activities for low-income families with young children. Federal funding ended in 2011, but many states and localities continue similar integrated family literacy programs using state funds, TANF, Title I, and Adult Education dollars. Families seeking these combined services today should contact their local school district, community action agency, or Head Start program for available family literacy support.

Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health screening, nutrition, and family engagement services to children from birth to age five from low-income families at no cost. The program builds the social, emotional, and cognitive foundations children need to succeed in school and life. Enrollment prioritizes families with incomes at or below the federal poverty level.

States use a portion of their Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds to provide child care assistance to current TANF recipients and to low-income families transitioning off TANF, helping parents maintain employment. Unlike the Child Care and Development Fund, TANF child care assistance is not subject to federal child care regulations and eligibility criteria, so benefits, funding levels, and rules vary considerably by state. Some states transfer TANF funds to their CCDF program; others operate separate TANF-funded child care programs.

TANF provides time-limited cash assistance and supportive services to low-income families with children through state-administered programs funded by federal block grants. States have flexibility to design their programs within federal guidelines, creating variation in benefit levels across states. Benefits are limited to a 60-month lifetime maximum and typically require participation in work activities.