Child care and public benefits
The Department of Social Services (DSS) helps you find child care if you:
- get or apply for public assistance and
- have children younger than 13 and
- you can't find child care.
This is so you can meet the work requirements.
What if I can't find child care?
Usually, DSS requires you to work to get public assistance. But if you're the parent or caretaker of a child under 13, they can't reduce or stop your public assistance if you can't find:
- good child care close to your home or work
- a relative or other person to provide safe care
- affordable child care
It's your responsibility to find child care so you can work. But if you can't find child care, you must:
- Tell DSS how you tried to find child care and ask for more help
- Follow up on all of the places DSS suggests
- Let DSS know if you found child care from their suggestions or not
If you ask for help, DSS must:
- Refer you to a New York State resource and referral agency near where you live or work
- Give you contact information for child care providers
How do I contact DSS?
To apply and stay in touch with DSS:
- Create an account at the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) website.
- For help or questions over the phone or in-person, find the contact information for your local DSS office.
Can I be excused from DSS's work requirement if I can't find child care?
You can be excused only if you:
- Follow the steps above to tell DSS you can't find child care, follow up on their suggestions, and tell them what happened
- Fill out a form telling DSS about all the child care providers you contacted. Include friends, neighbors, and relatives near your home or work. Explain why these providers, and any others DSS suggested, aren't good, close enough, safe, or affordable
DSS will look at your form to decide. If you prove you can't find good, safe, affordable child care near your home or work, DSS must excuse you from the work requirements.
What if I've shown I can't find child care?
If DSS agrees that you can't find child care even after following their suggestions, they must offer you two choices of child care providers you can use. At least one must be licensed or registered. If you don't want to use either of these providers, and can't show why they're not good, close, safe, or affordable, and you don't do the work requirements, DSS might reduce or stop your public assistance.
If I can't find child care, how long will I be excused from work requirements?
You'll be excused from DSS work requirements only as long as you can show you still can't find child care. You must keep showing DSS that you're trying to find child care by filling out new forms regularly. You need to follow up on all new suggestions from DSS and other places. DSS will tell you when to submit these new forms based on your employment plan.
How is family assistance affected?
In New York, Family Assistance (FA) gives money to eligible families with a child living with a parent or caretaker relative. Under FA, adults can only get benefits for 60 months total in their lifetime (including months from other states). After that, the adult and their FA household can't get any more FA benefits.
Family Assistance you get while excused from DSS work requirements still counts towards your family's 60-month limit.
Where can I find more information on child care services?
New York State has a Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), also called the "Subsidy Program". Local social services districts run this program. CCAP helps families getting Temporary Assistance (TA), also called public assistance (PA), and low-income families pay for child care to become self-sufficient. If you're eligible, you might get some or all of your child care costs paid for, depending on your situation.
For help applying for the Child Care Assistance Program, call (518) 474-9454 Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, or visit the CCAP website.
Last Reviewed: January 1, 2024