Pennsylvania child care assistance: Child Care Works, Keystone STARS and Pre-K Counts (2026)

Nineteen ELRCs, one statewide rulebook

You must apply to the ELRC that covers the ZIP code where you live ⁠². Some regions cover a single county: Region 5 is Allegheny County and Region 18 is Philadelphia. Others cover several counties. Region 6, for example, takes in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties ⁠⁵. Income limits, the copay chart and the work-hour rule are the same in every region. What differs between regions is how much funding is available, and so whether there is a wait ⁠².

Child Care Works is a subsidy paid to the provider on your behalf. The ELRC pays all or part of the provider’s rate, and you pay the family copay directly to the provider ⁠¹. Your child must be under 13, or 13 to 18 and unable to care for themselves, and must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident ⁠². You can choose a licensed center, a group or family child care home, or a relative. Relatives must be at least 18, live in a separate home and complete state and federal background clearances; the federal clearance costs $24.95 ⁠¹.

Entry at 200% of poverty, staying on up to 300%

Pennsylvania sets its limits as a percentage of the federal poverty income guidelines (FPIG), not of state median income (SMI). DHS updates them each spring. The current figures took effect May 4, 2026 ⁠³⁠². To show how they compare with the federal 85% SMI ceiling, the table below uses ACF’s FFY 2026 SMI estimate for Pennsylvania, which is $125,674 for a family of four ⁠⁷⁠⁸.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Our calculation: SMI by size = ACF’s 60% SMI figure divided by 0.6 ⁠⁷. DHS publishes FPIG-based limits only and does not list SMI percentages ⁠¹⁠³.

Once you are enrolled, your income can rise during the year. You stay eligible as long as it does not go above 85% of SMI ⁠². At the annual redetermination, Chapter 3042 still says income may not exceed 235% of FPIG. However, the May 2026 copay chart, published under section 408.3 of the Human Services Code, continues up to 300% of FPIG, which is $81,960 for a family of three ⁠²⁠³. Ask your ELRC which ceiling it will apply before you turn down a raise. Assets above $1 million make a family ineligible ⁠².

How Pennsylvania’s weekly copay chart works

Pennsylvania does not set copays as a percentage of income or charge per child. Instead, Appendix B of Chapter 3042 lists one weekly dollar amount for each income band and family size. That amount covers every child in the family who gets care ⁠². The ELRC sets your copay at eligibility and cannot raise it during the eligibility period ⁠².

Source: 56 Pa.B. 3922, also codified as 55 Pa. Code Chapter 3042, Appendix B ⁠³⁠².

The rule text caps the annual copay at 7% of income, and at 5% for families at or below 100% of poverty ⁠². Up to 235% of FPIG the chart stays within those limits. For a family of three, the copay is about 4.9% of income at $27,320 and 6.8% at $64,202. Above 235%, the chart climbs to about 11.9% of income at 300% FPIG ⁠³. The federal rule that required states to cap copays at 7% was repealed in May 2026 ⁠⁹. That repeal did not change Pennsylvania’s chart, which was already in effect when it happened. DHS issued the chart under section 408.3 of the state Human Services Code ⁠³. A family facing domestic violence or homelessness can have its copay waived for up to 92 days ⁠².

The 20-hour rule and its exceptions

Each parent or caretaker in the household must work at least 20 hours a week. If your hours vary, the ELRC averages them ⁠². Training counts if you also work at least 10 hours, so 10 hours of work plus 10 of training qualifies. A parent under 22 without a high school diploma qualifies by attending school full time ⁠²⁠¹. A job offer counts if the job starts within 30 days of the date you sign the application. Care begins when the job does, and you pay no copay until your first paycheck ⁠².

Once your child is enrolled, care continues through a job loss or a break in school for the rest of the 12-month period ⁠². A parent experiencing homelessness can get up to 92 days of presumptive eligibility and can use a job search to meet the work rule during that time ⁠². Two-parent families qualify if one parent works 20 hours and the other has a verified disability that prevents them from providing care ⁠².

When the ELRC has no money: priority and the waiting list

If funding runs short, the ELRC places eligible children on a waiting list in priority order, then first come, first served. The rule allows priority for foster children, children in PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start or Early Head Start, newborn siblings, children of teen parents and children experiencing homelessness ⁠². Former TANF families are not placed on the waiting list during the 183 days after their TANF cash assistance ends ⁠². Neither DHS nor ELRC Region 5 publishes a current waitlist count, so call your ELRC to ask about its status ⁠¹⁠⁶.

When your child’s slot is funded, you have 30 days to enroll with a provider. If you miss that deadline, your child loses eligibility unless the delay was outside your control ⁠². After more than 40 absence days in a state fiscal year, you pay the provider’s full daily rate for each additional absence ⁠².

Keystone STARS ratings and Pre-K Counts eligibility

Keystone STARS is OCDEL’s quality rating system. Programs are rated from STAR 1 to STAR 4, and you can search ratings by county or ZIP code ⁠¹⁰. Providers can earn higher Child Care Works payments as their STAR level rises ⁠¹⁰. For 2026-27, OCDEL is also paying Continuous Quality Improvement awards to rated programs. They range from $750 for a STAR 2 family child care home to $7,500 for a STAR 4 center licensed for 251 or more children ⁠¹¹. A STAR rating also determines whether a center can run PA Pre-K Counts. Child care centers and group homes need STAR 3 or higher to qualify ⁠¹³.

Free pre-K: PA Pre-K Counts and HSSAP

PA Pre-K Counts serves children from age 3 until kindergarten entry age who are at risk of school failure. Families qualify with income up to 300% of poverty ⁠¹². The Department of Education’s page still shows the 2025 figure ($96,450 for four). Under the 2026 guidelines, 300% of poverty is $99,000 for a family of four ⁠¹²⁠⁸. Children learning English and children with disabilities may also qualify, and a provider may not refuse a child because of a disability ⁠¹²⁠¹³. The program is free. Providers may not ask families to pay, but they can charge for wraparound child care outside pre-K hours ⁠¹³⁠¹². Classes have at most 20 children with a teacher and an aide, run at least 180 days, and are offered half-day or full-day ⁠¹³⁠¹². Kindergarten entry age is set by your school district, so ask the provider which birthday cutoff it uses.

Providers include school districts, Head Start programs, licensed nursery schools, and STAR 3 or STAR 4 centers ⁠¹³. A child can attend Pre-K Counts and use Child Care Works for the hours around it. Pre-K Counts enrollment also gives the child priority on the CCW waiting list ⁠². Head Start grantees can also offer state-funded slots through the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP), including full-day, full-year options ⁠¹².

Applying for Child Care Works, step by step

1. Find your ELRC

   Use the DHS county list or call 1-877-4-PA-KIDS. You must apply in the region that covers your ZIP code ⁠⁵⁠².

2. Check income and hours

   Compare your yearly gross income with the 200% FPIG limit and confirm each parent meets the 20-hour rule ⁠¹⁠².

3. Gather documents

   You need photo ID for each adult and proof of income and work or training hours. A CY 925 employment verification form works for proof of hours. If you are starting a new job, bring the offer letter ⁠⁴⁠¹.

4. Apply online or on paper

   Apply through COMPASS, or send the CY 868 form to your ELRC by mail, fax or hand delivery ⁠⁴. In Allegheny County, ELRC Region 5 also accepts applications by email at [email protected] ⁠⁶.

5. Expect a decision within 30 days

   The ELRC must tell you your status within 30 days of receiving a signed application. It authorizes payment within 10 days of verifying everything. Coverage dates back to your application date if funding is available ⁠².

6. Attend the personal interview

   It is due within 30 days of enrollment or eligibility, and the ELRC must schedule it around your work hours ⁠².

7. Enroll and pay the copay weekly

   The copay is due on the first day of each service week. If it is not paid by the end of the week, the ELRC sends a notice and ends care 10 days later ⁠².

8. Appeal in writing if needed

   You have 30 days from the notice to appeal. If you appeal within 10 days, your subsidy continues while the appeal is decided ⁠².

9. Renew every 12 months

   The ELRC sends redetermination forms up to six weeks before your renewal date ⁠²⁠⁶.

Read more on child care assistance in other states or other help in Pennsylvania.