North Dakota Health and Human Services will be making updates to the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) in response to the rapid growth in program participants. To ensure the longevity of the program’s ability to effectively help working parents and child care providers, adjustments have been made to the benefits for families and bonuses for providers.
State maximum rates
Beginning January 1, 2026, CCAP State Max Rates for care will change. Providers and families will see a decrease in the maximum amount that CCAP will cover for child care.
- The infant and toddler rate will continue at the 75th percentile of the market rate.
- Preschool, school-age and part-time care will be set at the 50th percentile of the market rate.
- All rates reflect data from the most current Cost Analysis and Market Rate Survey.
Some families may have to pay a remaining balance if their cost of care is more than the max rate.
Families with income under 30% of the state median income (SMI) and CCAP Workforce Benefit families will continue to have their copay waived.
Waitlist
The increase in participation has also resulted in the need for a waitlist to receive child care assistance. Beginning Dec. 1, 2025, new applicants may need to be added to a waitlist before they can start receiving child care assistance. Families with income at or below 30% of the state median income (SMI) and households experiencing homelessness will receive priority consideration for child care assistance.
Families will not be placed on the waitlist if they are currently enrolled in the Child Care Assistance Program. They will be added to the waitlist if they stop receiving Child Care Assistance Program benefits and re-apply.
People who apply for the Child Care Assistance Program Workforce Benefit will need to go on the waitlist to receive benefits if they are currently not enrolled in CCAP.
Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) bonuses
Bonuses that are paid to providers based on their Bright and Early ND quality rating will also be changing. Starting Jan. 1, there will no longer be a bonus for a provider with a Step 2 quality rating and the amount of bonuses will decrease. Bonuses will only be provided to providers that are Step 3 and 4. This will be an incentive to encourage providers to provide higher quality care.
New bonuses are:
Step 3 – 5%
Step 4 – 10%
Infant and Toddler Bonus
The Infant and Toddler Bonus is now available to providers who are quality rated Step 2 or higher. Instead of receiving a percentage-based bonus, eligible providers will receive a flat rate of $200 per infant and $115 per toddler. Under the new approach, the bonus will be available for all infants and toddlers in the provider’s care, not just those participating in CCAP.
How to become a QRIS-rated provider
Visit Bright and Early ND to learn more about the process, benefits and resources available to support participation.
More information
- Join us for a webinar to learn more about changes to CCAP on Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. CT.
- Click here to join the meeting on Microsoft Teams.
Questions
For questions about the Child Care Assistance Program, visit hhs.nd.gov/ccap-providers or contact the Customer Support Center by email at applyforhelp@nd.gov, phone Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central Time at 866-614-6005 or 701-328-1000, 711 (TTY) or mail to Customer Support Center, P.O. Box 5562, Bismarck, ND 58506. You can also contact a local human service zone office.
Additional resources for child care providers
A variety of programs, grants, awards and incentives are available to support child care providers. Click here to learn more.