LIBERTY — New York State’s Child Care Application Assistance Portal launched earlier this month and is available through this link: https://hs.ocfs.ny.gov/CCAPsignup/invite. 

Users will have to sign up for an invite to the portal by entering their e-mail address and county of residence (in this case, Sullivan). They will receive an e-mail invite within 10 minutes of signing up, which will require sign-in with a NY.Gov ID and password. If they do not have one, they can create one through the link. 

After signup/sign-in, applicants will be provided information on the Child Care Assistance program, including an eligibility questionnaire, the new portal, and the application dashboard for returning users.

The State has determined maximum amounts a family can make and still qualify for this benefit. While this information can be a helpful tool, families should still submit an application to Sullivan County’s Department of Social Services (via the above link) to find out if they qualify. Income is only one factor to qualify for child care assistance in New York State. Other families may also qualify, based on their specific needs.