ACF Launches New Tool for States To Make Child Care Assistance Easier for Families to Access

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the United States Digital Service (USDS), announced the release of the Guide to Creating a Family Friendly Child Care Assistance Application . This digital resource provides states with guidance on how to simplify the child care assistance application process for families and shorten the waiting period for families to receive services. ACF and USDS’s collaboration on this resource for states aligns with the one-year anniversary of the Biden-Harris Administration Executive Order on Improving Customer Experience and Service Delivery for the American People .

"We have heard families say child care assistance applications are difficult, and at the same time, states have asked us for help in updating their applications. This is a win-win for states and families.” said ACF Assistant Secretary January Contreras. "This guide will help states streamline their processes and better support families in need of child care assistance, with ACF support."

“To develop the guide, the U.S. Digital Service and Administration for Children and Families worked directly with families and state-led agency staff to understand what barriers prevent people from accessing assistance. Using those learnings, this guide for states outlines clear steps to decrease or remove those barriers, simplifying and shortening the child care assistance application process and improving access to this critical support for the families who need it most,” said Mina Hsiang, USDS Administrator.

One of ACF’s priorities is to remove obstacles for families in need. Accessing child care assistance so that parents can feel confident and supported in returning to work or education is a critical element of meeting that priority. Through these efforts, ACF is providing a road map for states to take their processes online and increase accessibility to families. This guide will help states and territories administering CCDF identify and adopt best practices for applications and eligibility processing, including the elimination of non-essential enrollment requirements.

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Learn more by visiting: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ

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The U.S. Digital Service works across government addressing complex technology and implementation challenges. To learn more about our organization, projects, impact, and opportunities visit usds.gov .