Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO)
VA Child Care Subsidy Program
Congress enacted Public Law 107-67, Sec. 630, on November 12, 2001. This legislation permits Federal agencies to use appropriated funds to provide a program to assist their Federal employees with the costs of childcare. The Office of Management, Planning & Analysis (MP&A), HRA, is responsible for oversight of the operational component of the CCSP.
The purpose of the VA Childcare Subsidy Program (CCSP) is to provide financial assistance to ease the financial burden of childcare expenses for eligible VA employees. The program is open to all permanent full-time who have maintained employment with VA for a minimum of 60 calendar days and with eligible children including those assigned to U.S., territories.
To be eligible to apply for the VA Childcare Subsidy Program, a family's Total Family Income (TFI) must be below $149,000. Meeting this income requirement allows an applicant to be considered for the program; however, does not guarantee program participation or approval.
Eligible employees are responsible for an out-of-pocket monthly childcare cost of 7% of their monthly total family income known as the Affordable Cost of Childcare (ACC). This 7% must be met before any subsidy considerations.
CCSP will provide subsidy benefit towards the remaining eligible cost Not-To-Exceed (NTE) $625 per month consistent with the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) annual tax-free dependent care benefit limit of $7,500.
The CCSP subsidy amount is determined using the following formula:
Monthly Cost of Childcare – Affordable Cost of Childcare – Other Subsidies = CCSP Subsidy (up to $625)
Note: Other subsidies cannot exceed the maximum of $625 per VA policy.
Employees who are interested in learning more and/or applying to the VA’s Child Care Subsidy Program should visit the VA Childcare website utilizing the VA intranet, or by contacting their local Human Resources Work Life Benefits Team. No paper applications will be accepted.
Additional Resources
- CCSP Brochure
- CCSP Applicant FAQs
- CCSP Childcare Provider FAQs
- VA & Federal Childcare Centers – For more than 25 years GSA has assisted Federal workers gain access to child care facilities. Today, more than 100 independently operated, child care centers are located in GSA-managed spaces across the United States. These centers offer safe, high quality care to federal workers and citizens. GSA provides guidance, assistance, and oversight to federal agencies for the development of child care centers. To learn more about federal sponsored childcare centers in your area please click here. If a VA Child Care Center is not available in your area, you can use any state licensed and/or state-regulated facility.
- Contact us – Use vaco05ccschildcaresubsidygroup@va.gov
Application Requirements
The following forms and documentation are required:
- VA Form 0730a, VA Child Care Subsidy Employee Application.
- VA Form 0730b, Child Care Provider Information - Form must be completed by the child care provider.
- Copy of provider’s state child care license and/or regulatory documentation.
- Schedule of Fees (Childcare Rate Fee) from the child care provider for each child.
- Copy of most recent SF-50, Notice of Personnel Action.
- Copy of last two (2) Earnings and Leave (E&L) Statements.
- Signed (hand or digital signature) and dated current Federal tax return (IRS Form 1040). If married, and/or sharing a household, filing separately, include signed (hand or digital signature) and dated current Federal income tax return (IRS Form 1040).
- Current year W-2 Form(s).
- Copy of Marriage License, Domestic Partner Registration, or Civil Union Registration, Divorce Decree with a raised seal (if applicable).
- Copy of state birth certificate with a raised seal.
- Any name change associated with the child requires an updated birth certificate.
- Copy of foster care and/or Adoption documentation (when applicable).
- Medical Certification of disabled child(ren) whom are between the ages of 13 and 18 years, when applicable. Medical Certification requires a yearly update.
Upon submission of CCSP application, CCSP staff will review the application for eligibility. If the application has missing/incomplete form and/or required documents, the applicant has 10 business days to submit the missing information or will be denied due to failure to establish program eligibility.
Once an applicant establishes eligibility, all child care providers are required to go through vendorization process to establish payment if they are not currently set up for payment. If the childcare provider is not vendorized, this process might take up to 45 days from the time the applicant is notified.
All child care providers participating in the CCSP will receive subsidy benefits on behalf of his/her client (VA participant) through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). For funds to be disbursed, providers MUST be vetted with the federal government. If the child care provider does not want to enroll in receiving subsidy payments through EFT, the applicant (VA employee) is required to find a child care provider who is willing to receive EFT payment.
