Child care is an essential service that can be challenging to find and afford. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) understands that we are often the first place agriculture professionals turn to for resources and have compiled several helpful links from the Child Development Division of the Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Are you attempting to locate child care? Try searching the Find Child Care database at DCF.
Are you in need of financial assistance to pay for child care? Please review the Child Care Financial Assistance program from DCF. The Child Care Financial Assistance Program (CCFAP), also known as subsidy, can help your family pay for child care.
Below you will find the most recently updated CCFAP brochure and booklet:
- CCFAP-Brochure.pdf (vermont.gov)
- CCFAP-Family-Booklet.pdf (vermont.gov)
- Your local Community Child Care Support Agency can also help you find child care in your area and answer any questions you have.
- Additionally, we have linked an updated “Accepted Service Needs” document that provides some specific information about accessing CCFAP for those who are self-employed farmers. Find that document here: CCFAP - Accepted Service Needs
- Child Care Financial Assistance July 2024 - (PDF)
- Asistencia financiera para el cuidado infantil Julio de 2024 - (PDF)
We also wanted to share a bit about the upcoming program supports that will continue to be developed to assist in engaging more families with this expansion over the next year. The strategy is broken into three phases: `
Implement
Summer 2024 - Remove the barrier of citizenship status from the CCFAP Eligibility. This phase was complete on June 30th by enacting the following changes.
- Adjust the CCFAP application to eliminate unnecessary citizenship categories and questions and simplify information required about the participating child only.
- Ensure the Child Development Division Information System (CDDIS) is technically capable of supporting payments from a non-federal funding source for newly qualified families.
- Adjust CCFAP policies to support this expansion, including updates to Citizenship and immigration status, Family Support Child Care Program, and the Application Process.
- Provide guidance to the Child Care Community Support Agencies to support families who may be newly qualified.
- Provide simple communication materials in English and Spanish. Attached please find one-page explanation of CCFAP in Spanish and English. (Our CCFAP webpage is also an excellent resource with “Google Translate” embedded in the upper right corner.)
- Provide information directly to nonprofit and government agencies serving newly eligible families
Improve
Winter 2024 – Evaluate the expansion of eligibility pathways and requirements.
- Evaluate and adjust qualified service need requirements
- Evaluate and create guidance / policy for required documents that address barriers to communities that may now be eligible for support.
- Create better language accessibility within our policies, application process, and throughout our support agencies.
- Engage community partners and families in feedback sessions.
- Increase outreach and marketing to new communities who may now be eligible for financial assistance.
Integrate
Summer 2025
- Establish regional community support guidance for expanded eligible populations.
- Increase targeted outreach in multiple languages.
- Design and implement training opportunities within the Child Care Community Support Agencies.
- Evaluate and update the CCFAP Rules.
- Develop more robust language access services, policies, and guidance.