Kansas child care assistance and free pre-K: Child Care Assistance and Preschool-Aged At-Risk (2026)
Kansas lets families into Child Care Assistance at up to 85% of state median income, the federal maximum: $6,719 a month for a family of three under the chart in effect since May 1, 2026. The Kansas Office of Early Childhood (KOEC) became the program's lead agency on July 1, 2026, but the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) still takes applications, decides eligibility and loads benefits onto a Kansas Benefits Card.
Figures apply to Income and fee chart effective May 1, 2026; 2026-27 school year for pre-K
Contents11 sections
Key takeaways
- Kansas uses one income test for new and renewing families: 85% of state median income, which since May 1, 2026 is $6,719 a month for a family of three and $7,998 for four 15.
- Families at or below 100% of the poverty guideline pay no family share deduction. Above that, new plans from May 2026 pay about 3% of income, rising to 5% of the bottom of the band above 185% of poverty 12.
- Every adult on the case must work at least 20 hours a week at federal minimum wage or more. Students must also work 15 paid hours, and college care is capped at 24 months per adult 46.
- Kansas serves every eligible applicant and has no waiting list under its CCDF plan. Applications must be decided within 30 days 4.
- Free pre-K is targeted, not universal. A child who is 3 or 4 by August 31, 2026 qualifies through one of nine at-risk criteria, including free school meals or a single-parent household 10.
Quick facts
| Subsidy program | Child Care Assistance, KOEC lead agency; DCF handles applications and eligibility 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry income limit | 85% SMI: $5,439 (family of 2), $6,719 (3), $7,998 (4) a month, since May 1, 2026 1 |
| Family share deduction | $0 at or below 100% FPL; $68 to $211 a month for a family of 3 1 |
| Work requirement | 20 hours a week for every adult; students need 15 paid hours 6 |
| Waiting list | None; all eligible applicants are served 4 |
| Free pre-K age cutoff | Age 3 or 4 on or before August 31, 2026 10 |
| How to apply | DCF Self-Service Portal (KEES); pre-K through your school district 59 |
Programs at a glance
| Program | Type | Help available | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Care AssistanceKansas Office of Early Childhood (lead agency) with the Kansas Department for Children and Families (eligibility, enrollment and payments) | Voucher/subsidy | Monthly child care benefit on a Kansas Benefits Card that the parent uses to pay a KOEC-enrolled provider; a family share deduction of $0 to about 5% of income is subtracted first | Open (no waiting list under the current CCDF State Plan) |
| Links to Quality (L2Q)Kansas Office of Early Childhood and Child Care Aware of Kansas | Free service (quality recognition and improvement system for providers) | Coaching, grants and awards for providers that work through four quality Links; programs that earn them get badges in the child care search | Open (voluntary for providers) |
| Preschool-Aged At-Risk programKansas State Department of Education and local school districts | Free service | Tuition-free preschool (at least 465 instructional hours a year) for 3- and 4-year-olds who meet one at-risk criterion | Open in 272 districts approved for 2026-27 |
| Kansas Preschool Pilot (KPP)Kansas State Department of Education, through grants to districts and community partners | Free service | Grant-funded preschool for at-risk children, children with an IEP and children who qualify for reduced-price meals; funded entirely by TANF in 2026-27 | Through local grantees |
Kansas’s child care subsidy is called Child Care Assistance, and in 2026 two agencies share it. HB 2045 (2025) made the new Kansas Office of Early Childhood (KOEC) the federal lead agency from July 1, 2026, in charge of policy, money, provider enrollment and quality. DCF kept enrollment, eligibility and payments, so families still apply through DCF’s Kansas Eligibility Enforcement System (KEES) 7. Free public pre-K is separate: school districts run it under the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), which kept pre-K in the reorganization 79.
Who runs Child Care Assistance after the July 2026 handoff to KOEC
There are no county or regional boards. Eligibility is decided by DCF Economic and Employment Services staff, and Kansas uses a single statewide income limit with no local variation 4. KOEC now enrolls the providers who can accept Child Care Assistance: licensed centers and homes, plus qualified relatives (a grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle or adult sibling) 5.
DCF does not pay your provider directly. It loads your monthly benefit onto a Kansas Benefits Card (EBT), and you pay your KOEC-enrolled provider with the card at the provider’s point-of-sale machine, through ebtEDGE or by phone, using the provider’s 7-digit CC Provider ID 5. A child must be under 13, or 13 through 18 if unable to care for themselves. Family assets must be no more than $1,000,000, and the family must work with Child Support Services if a parent is absent from the home 45.
Kansas’s single income test: 85% of state median income from day one
Kansas does not set a lower entry limit. A family qualifies at application if its gross monthly income is at or below 85% of state median income (SMI), and that same 85% line applies at the 12-month review 4. DCF raised the limits on May 1, 2026, using the 2026 poverty guidelines and updated SMI figures 2:
| Family size | Monthly limit | April 2024 limit |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $5,439 | $4,737 |
| 3 | $6,719 | $5,851 |
| 4 | $7,998 | $6,966 |
| 5 | $9,278 | $8,081 |
| 6 | $10,558 | |
| 7 | $10,798 | |
| 8 | $11,038 |
Sources: DCF F-1 schedule 1; April 2024 figures from the CCDF State Plan 4. The chart continues to $11,758 for 11 people and starts at a family of two, so there is no one-person figure.
A family of three can earn up to $80,628 a year, and a family of four up to $95,976. Kansas counts all earned and unearned income, including child support, and takes no deductions 4. DCF asks for your most recent 30 days of pay stubs and 3 months of child support records 4. The income test can be waived for TANF and SNAP work program families and for “social service” cases such as kinship placements 4.
Family share deductions: the May 2026 chart and the new 5% tier
The Kansas copay is called a family share deduction (FSD). It is a flat dollar amount per family, not per child, and DCF subtracts it from your monthly benefit before loading the card 45. Since May 1, 2026, the FSD is 3% of the lowest income in each band up to 185% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Above 185% FPL it is 5% of the lowest income in that band. Families below 100% FPL pay $0 2.
| Income band | Family of 3: income / FSD | Family of 4: income / FSD |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 100% FPL | $0-$2,277 / $0 | $0-$2,750 / $0 |
| 100-110% FPL | to $2,504 / $68 | to $3,025 / $83 |
| 140-150% FPL | to $3,415 / $96 | to $4,125 / $116 |
| 180-185% FPL | to $4,212 / $123 | to $5,088 / $149 |
| 185% FPL-85% SMI | $4,212.01-$6,719 / $211 | $5,088.01-$7,998 / $254 |
Source: DCF F-1 schedule 1. Income ranges are gross monthly income.
The new top tier applies to plans written on or after May 1, 2026. Under KEESM 7541, an existing family’s FSD cannot rise before its next review 2. There is no FSD for families with someone on TANF cash, families in a DCF work program or in Food Assistance Employment and Training, social-service cases, or families in the Kansas Early Head Start Child Care Partnership 45.
The federal rule that capped copays at 7% of income was repealed in May 2026 14. In Kansas, that repeal does not change what families pay. The highest FSD, $211 for a family of three, is 5% of income at the bottom of its band and about 3.1% at the $6,719 limit 1. The FSD is not the only cost, though. Kansas lets providers charge up to their private-pay rate above the state rate, plus fees for things like late pickup or activities. In a September 2024 sample, 53% of plans had such extra charges, averaging $117 a month 4.
The 20-hour work rule and what counts for students
By law, every adult on a non-TANF case must work at least 20 hours a week 6. The CCDF plan adds that the job must pay at least the federal minimum wage 4. Job search alone does not qualify you at application or at review 4. School or training counts only with paid work. Students need at least 15 hours a week of paid employment, college care is limited to 24 months per adult over a lifetime, and in a two-parent home both parents cannot be students at the same time 64.
The 20-hour rule does not apply to adults with a documented physical or mental condition, former TANF recipients in the two months after earnings closed the case, parents of a teen parent finishing high school or a GED, Food Assistance Employment and Training participants, Early Head Start Child Care Partnership families, and caregivers of a child in DCF custody 6.
Approval brings 12 full months of eligibility, starting the month after benefits are authorized 4. Since June 1, 2026, if every adult on the case loses their job or leaves school, the case stays open at the same hours for three more months (or until the review, if that comes first) 3. If you refuse to cooperate with Child Support Services, you lose eligibility for 3 months the first time, then 6 months, one year and 10 years 6.
No waiting list so far, and the priority order if one opens
Kansas’s CCDF plan says DCF serves every family that applies and meets the rules, so no one is waitlisted 4. If funding ever forced a waiting list, KEESM 2840 sets this order 4:
Work program families
TANF, food assistance and Tribal TANF work program participants 4.
Social service cases
A parent in crisis, kinship placements, Safe Families host homes 4.
Families leaving TANF for work
Their income must be at or below 85% SMI 4.
Teen parents
The parent must be finishing high school or a GED 4.
Families experiencing homelessness
Care must be needed for work or an approved education plan; self-declaration is accepted 4.
Other employed families
Their income must be at or below 85% SMI 4.
KOEC’s FY27 budget holds Child Care Assistance at $105.7 million, current levels with no expansion 7.
Links to Quality and choosing a KOEC-enrolled provider
Kansas’s quality rating and improvement system is Links to Quality (L2Q). It is paid for with CCDF funds and run by KOEC with Child Care Aware of Kansas. Providers work through four “Links”: Program Administration, Family Partnerships, Health & Safety, and Learning & Development. Each provider gets a consultant, and grants and awards are available 8. It is a recognition system, not a star rating. When the CCDF plan was written, no program had completed the four foundational Links, and Kansas pays no higher subsidy rate for L2Q programs; badges appear in search results as programs earn them 4. To find enrolled providers, use the Child Care Aware of Kansas search or call 1-877-678-2548 5.
Free pre-K through Preschool-Aged At-Risk and the Kansas Preschool Pilot
Kansas has no universal pre-K. Its main program, Preschool-Aged At-Risk, is funded through the school finance formula. Each qualifying child counts as half a student, worth $2,891 to the district in 2026-27 10. The State Board approved programs in 272 districts for 2026-27 10. Your child must be 3 or 4 on or before August 31, 2026, and meet at least one criterion 10:
- qualifies for free school meals
- single-parent household
- in DCF custody or referred by DCF
- a parent was 19 or younger at the child’s birth
- a parent lacks a high school diploma or GED
- English learner receiving ESOL services
- developmental delay (at or below the 40th percentile on a scored assessment)
- migrant status
- homelessness
| Household size | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free meals (130% FPL) | $28,132 | $35,516 | $42,900 | $50,284 |
| Reduced-price (185% FPL) | $40,034 | $50,542 | $61,050 | $71,558 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 13. Free meals is an at-risk criterion. Reduced-price eligibility counts only for the Kansas Preschool Pilot 12.
Programs must provide at least 465 instructional hours a year 10. KSDE tells districts not to charge tuition for hours paid for with at-risk or pilot money. A district can charge for the rest of a full day, but not for children with IEPs 11. Child Care Assistance can pay for wraparound care 4. The Kansas Preschool Pilot grant also serves children with an IEP and children who qualify for reduced-price meals. For 2026-27 it is funded entirely by TANF 129.
Applying through the DCF Self-Service Portal
Check the income and hours tests
Compare gross monthly income to the May 2026 chart; every adult needs 20 work hours a week 16.
Find a KOEC-enrolled provider
Use the Child Care Aware of Kansas search; if none fits, a qualified relative can enroll 5.
Apply online in KEES
One DCF Self-Service Portal application can cover Child Care Assistance, TANF and food assistance. No interview is required 45.
Send verification
Send 30 days of pay stubs, child support records, school or training schedules, and proof of your child’s citizenship and birth date. If DCF cannot verify citizenship or birth date, you get three months to provide it 4.
Watch for a decision within 30 days
Kansas Early Head Start Child Care Partnership cases take 7 days. If information is missing, DCF must tell you in writing why it is delayed 4.
Activate your Kansas Benefits Card
The card arrives 5 to 7 business days after benefits are authorized. Pay your provider each month with it, using the provider’s ID 5.
Report only the big changes
Report income above 85% SMI, a move, or a change of provider or care hours 4.
Appeal in writing within 30 days
A fair hearing request is due within 30 days of the notice, plus 3 days if mailed 15. DCF’s number is 1-888-369-4777 5.
Enroll in pre-K separately
Contact your school district, which decides enrollment. Funding is counted on Count Day, September 20, so enrolling before then is best 10.
See also Kansas TANF cash assistance, child care assistance in other states and other help in Kansas.
Verified resources
Where to apply
- DCF Self-Service Portal (KEES): apply for Child Care Assistance cssp.kees.ks.govStatewide online application. The same application can also cover TANF cash and food assistance.
- KEES 'Am I Eligible?' screening tool cssp.kees.ks.govAnonymous check of whether your household may qualify, before you apply.
- Child Care Aware of Kansas child care search ks.childcareaware.orgFind KOEC-enrolled providers that accept Child Care Assistance, or call 1-877-678-2548.
- KSDE Preschool Programming ksde.govLists approved Preschool-Aged At-Risk districts. You enroll in pre-K with your school district, not DCF.
Sources
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- 8 Kansas Office of Early Childhood, Links to Quality Checked Oct 10, 2026 · Back to text ↑
- 9 Kansas State Department of Education, Preschool Programming Checked Oct 20, 2026 · Back to text ↑
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- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
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