Alabama child care assistance and First Class Pre-K: DHR subsidy limits, fees and wait list (2026)

Who runs what: DHR, nine CMA regions and ADECE

CMAs decide eligibility, give referrals, issue child care certificates, register providers and check billing ⁠⁴. DHR’s September 2025 list shows four agencies covering nine regions ⁠⁵:

DHR pays the provider directly, and you pay only the weekly parent fee. You can use a licensed center or home, or a center legally exempt from licensing under the Child Care Safety Act of 2018 ⁠⁸.

The June 2026 income chart: 150% of poverty to get in, 170% to stay

DHR publishes its limits as monthly gross income bands tied to the federal poverty level (FPL). Wages, SSI and Social Security all count, before taxes, with no deductions allowed. Weekly pay is multiplied by 4.333 to get a monthly figure ⁠¹. The chart dated June 1, 2026 sets three thresholds:

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Source: DHR Child Care Fact Sheet, June 1, 2026 ⁠¹. The dollar bands match the 2025 federal poverty guidelines (for example, $2,221 a month at 100% FPL for three), not the 2026 guidelines.

Every new applicant must qualify under the entry column. At recertification, a family stays eligible up to the 170% FPL column. During the 12-month eligibility period, care ends early only if income goes above the 85% of state median income (SMI) cutoff ⁠¹⁠³. DHR does not print an SMI percentage. Working back from its 85% SMI cutoff, the entry limit equals roughly 47% to 49% of SMI (our calculation; for three, $3,331 against an implied 100% SMI of about $6,909).

These limits are lower than before. DHR’s January 1, 2024 chart let families enter at up to 180% FPL ($3,729 a month for three) and recertify at up to 200% FPL ⁠⁷. The FFY 2025-2027 CCDF Plan also describes the 180% entry limit ⁠³.

Weekly fees per child, not a percent of income

Alabama charges a flat weekly fee for each child in care, based on where your income falls on the chart ⁠¹:

Monthly amounts are our conversion using DHR’s 4.333 weeks-per-month factor ⁠¹.

The fee is waived for families at or below 100% FPL. It can also be waived for children authorized under the Protective Service, Foster Care, Early Head Start, TANF-Other Relative and Special Needs categories ⁠¹⁠³.

Because the fee is per child, two children double it. A family of three with $3,000 a month and two children in care is in the 131-140% band and pays $54 a week, about $234 a month, or 7.8% of income. In its CCDF Plan, DHR said it set a 7% maximum but acknowledged that per-child fees can push a family above 7%, and it requested a federal waiver ⁠³. That federal requirement is gone: the May 12, 2026 final rule rescinded the 7% co-payment limit, effective July 13, 2026 ⁠¹⁵. Federal rules now require only affordable co-payments that are not a barrier ⁠¹⁴. Alabama’s fee chart has no percent-of-income cap.

The wait list that began May 8, 2026

DHR announced on May 15, 2026 that, because of demand and limited funding, all new applications received on or after May 8, 2026 go on a wait list until further notice. Slots are filled first-come, first-served ⁠². As of October 20, 2026, DHR had not posted a notice lifting it. New applications are still accepted without waiting for families in these categories ⁠²:

• Protective Services
• Foster Care
• DHR Early Head Start
• TANF-Other Relative (child-only TANF cases)
• Transitional families, within 30 days of their TANF benefits ending
• JOBS (TANF parents in the Job Opportunity and Basic Skills program)

The CCDF Plan lists eight priority categories. Besides those above, it includes families experiencing homelessness, at-risk minor parents (under 18, or under 19 and still in high school) and children with a qualifying special-needs diagnosis ⁠³. DHR’s notice says “including,” so if you fit one of those groups, ask your CMA whether you can skip the wait list. Current families who stop their activity, exceed the income limit, misuse the attendance app or commit fraud can be moved to the wait list ⁠².

The 15-hour activity rule and what does not count

Parents must work, attend job training, or attend school for an average of at least 15 hours a week. A combination of those activities also counts. Allowed education includes GED classes, non-academic vocational training, and online or in-person undergraduate study. A student enrolled full time under the school’s own definition meets the rule ⁠³. Looking for work does not count, either when you first apply or at redetermination ⁠³. Eligibility lasts at least 12 months, and the CMA has 30 days to approve or deny an application ⁠³.

Alabama Quality STARS: what a STAR level means for you

Alabama Quality STARS is the state’s voluntary quality rating and improvement system, run by ADECE under an interagency agreement with DHR ⁠⁹. Programs are rated from STAR 1 to STAR 5. Licensed programs opt in at licensing or renewal for STAR 1. STAR 2 and higher require an application and formal assessments using a Best Practice Rubric and CLASS observation scores ⁠⁹. The CCDF Plan sets subsidy payment rates for rated providers at 2% above base for the first rating level, rising 2% per level to a maximum of 10% ⁠³. Since July 1, 2026, providers must have a minimum number of subsidy children enrolled in ARISE to receive STAR incentive awards: 10% of capacity for centers, 2 children for family homes and 5 for group homes ⁠⁹. The rating does not change your fee. DHR’s day care directory shows each provider’s license and inspection history ⁠⁸.

First Class Pre-K: free, 6.5 hours a day, chosen by lottery

ADECE’s First Class Pre-K serves more than 24,000 children in classrooms in every county. NIEER has given it its highest quality rating for 20 consecutive years ⁠¹¹. ADECE added 64 classrooms for 2026-27 ⁠¹³.

• Eligibility. Your child must live in Alabama and be 4 years old on or before September 1. For 2026-27, that means a birth date from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022. Children eligible for kindergarten cannot enroll ⁠¹¹⁠¹². There is no income test, and income may not be used to decide who is enrolled ⁠¹².
• Cost. There is no registration fee ⁠¹¹. Classrooms where state funds are the main funding source may not charge tuition, parent fees or required donations. Programs that use pre-K money as supplemental funding cannot turn away a child whose family does not pay. Meals are the only fee allowed ⁠¹².
• Schedule. Pre-K runs at least 6.5 instructional hours a day, starting no earlier than 7:30 a.m., five days a week. ADECE recommends 180 days a year. Classes have no more than 20 children (18 recommended) and a 1:9 adult-to-child ratio ⁠¹². ADECE does not fund before- or after-care. Sites that offer it may charge for it ⁠¹². DHR says it coordinates subsidy with pre-K to build care around parents’ work schedules ⁠³.
• Selection. Each site holds a public random drawing in March. Children not drawn are numbered on that site’s waitlist, and you can be on several waitlists at once ⁠¹²⁠¹¹. Children experiencing homelessness get a seat without going through the drawing ⁠¹². School systems may limit their classrooms to residents of their district ⁠¹².

Applying through ARISE and your regional CMA

1. Find your CMA

   Use the county list above or DHR’s CMA page. It handles your whole case ⁠⁴⁠⁵.

2. Check the entry column

   Total your household’s gross monthly income, multiplying weekly pay by 4.333, and compare it with the 150% FPL column of the June 2026 chart ⁠¹.

3. Gather documents

   The ARISE application asks for proof of residency, proof of your legal relationship to the child, a photo ID, proof of the child’s citizenship, proof of employment and school enrollment, and proof of any other income. It also asks for each adult’s weekly work or class schedule ⁠⁶.

4. Apply on the ARISE Family Portal

   Register, then complete the sections on household, dependents (children under 13, or under 19 with special needs), education and employment, and income. Upload your documents, confirm that your liquid assets are not over $1,000,000, and sign ⁠⁶. Your CMA also has a paper Application for Subsidized Child Care ⁠⁸.

5. Expect a decision or a wait-list placement

   The CMA has 30 days to approve or deny ⁠³. If you are not in a priority category, your application goes on the wait list in date order ⁠².

6. Pick a provider and record attendance

   Once you are approved, choose a participating provider and check in and out with the ARISE attendance mobile app. Misusing the app can cost you your slot ⁠²⁠⁶.

7. Appeal if you disagree

   The CMA gives you a Notice of Client’s Rights. You can ask for a fair hearing or an administrative review of any CMA action ⁠⁸.

8. Register for pre-K separately

   Register on AlaCEED from January 15. Drawings are held March 1-31, and families are emailed results April 16-18 ⁠¹¹⁠¹².

Compare child care assistance in other states or see other help in Alabama.