The Child Care Subsidy (CCS) program helps low-income families to sustain their employment, educational efforts and job training by paying a subsidy for their children who are in the care of DHS-approved child care providers. Unless child care is required for protective purposes, families must meet income and activity requirements to qualify for this subsidy program.

The Preschool Open Doors (POD) program provides services statewide to families sending their children to a licensed preschool or exempt center-based facility listed with the department. Assistance may be for one to two years prior to kindergarten entry. The goal of POD is to promote school readiness for children, and the program focuses on meeting the needs of the child. Parents are not required to have an eligible activity, unlike the CCS program, but they must meet income and other eligibility requirements. For POD, there is an initial application period established and published each year.

Before submitting your application to the department, you will need to upload required supporting eligibility documents online or make copies and attach them with your paper application. Please click on the link below that matches closest to your family situation to receive more information on which supporting document(s) are required and general eligibility requirements for your situation.

• Family with employment, school and/or job training
• Family experiencing homelessness
• Two-Parent Family with one parent permanently disabled
• Family with self-employment income
• Foster Family with only Foster Children
• Foster Family with Foster and Own Children
• Family receiving CPS family supervision with court ordered child care
• Minor Parent Living with Parents
• Minor Parent Living with Foster Parents

Apply online, mail, drop off or email the DHS 911 Form “Single Application For Child Care Assistance” and supporting documents.

Online: childcaresubsidyapplication.dhs.hawaii.gov

Mail: Child Care Subsidy Unit
   94-275 Mokuola Street, Room 105
   Waipahu, Hawaii 96797

Email: HawaiiCCSU@dhs.hawaii.gov

Phone: (855) 643-1643

Download a DHS 911 “Single Application For Child Care Assistance” at: Application for Child Care Services (DHS 911)

Yes, you may apply for both Child Care Subsidy and Preschool Open Doors. Please make sure to select “Preschool Open Doors and Child Care Subsidy” on the online application or when submitting the DHS 911 Single Application for Child Care Assistance.

1. Child: Under 13 years, or 13 through 18 years if child cannot do self care and resides with their parent(s) or caretakers;
2. Parents or Caretakers: Must be employed, attending school, or participating in a job training programs. In two-parent families, BOTH parents/caretakers must be participating in the above activities;
3. A minor parent who needs care for their child shall have their adult caretaker apply for child care payments on behalf of the minor parent.  (A minor parent is a person who has not reached the age of eighteen years.)  The minor parent must be either employed, attending school, or participating in a job-training program.
4. Income Limits by family size: Gross monthly income (before taxes and deductions) must not exceed 85% of the State Median Income for the family size;
5. A completed DHS 911 Form “Single Application for Child Care Assistance,” along with supporting documents as applicable: income verification, activity or condition verification (employment/school registration/job training enrollment/disability/foster/CPS family services requiring child care), identification for applicant/co-applicant, birth records for all children in the family, and/or custodial/guardianship verifications are required.
6. Re-determinations for continued eligibility are conducted every 12 months.

For parents/guardians:

1. • •  Copies of court decrees, custody agreements, legal guardianship
   • •  Income verification: pay stubs, self-employment documents (G-45 tax form, General Excise Tax license, tax returns, income & business expenses)
   • •  Employment verification or school registration which shows credits/hours enrolled or job training program enrollment
   • •  If applicable: Child Welfare Services (CWS) court-ordered Family Service Plan or DHS 1508 Form “Agreement Between the Department of Human Services and Foster/Resource Parents”

For children:

1. • •  Department of Health Certified Birth Certificate OR
   • •  USA Passport, Certificate of Naturalization/Citizenship, or Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
   • •  If applicable: written verification from a state-licensed physician or psychologist if child is aged 13 through 18 and unable to care for self

Yes, following are examples of verifications that you may submit:

• Citizenship & Residency Verification
• Custodial/Guardianship Verification
• Employment & Employment Income Verification
• Identification Verification
• Other Income Verification
• Permanent Disability Verification
• School & Job Training Verification
• Self-Employment Verification

Parents may choose between: licensed or license-exempt center based care, licensed or licensed-exempt family child care home, or care by relatives (not including the child’s siblings, caretakers, or parents residing in the home).
DHS will only approve payments for legal child care arrangements when the selected child care provider does not have a child abuse or adult perpetrator background or a criminal history that indicates the provider, adult household members, or staff, might pose a risk of harm to children.
For more information on assistance in selecting a Provider, call People Attentive to Children (PATCH) Child Care Resource and Referral at (808) 839-1988 or visit www.patchhawaii.org/find-child-care/

The following browsers are supported on either your desktop or mobile device:

• Microsoft Edge (based on Chromium)
• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari

Yes, we support mobile applications.

It may take at least forty-five (45) days to process an application. Parents should submit an application 30 days before the anticipated start of child care.

The earliest date child subsidy benefits can be approved is the date that you provide a complete DHS 911 Form “Single Application for Child Care Assistance,” supporting documents to determine your eligibility and the eligibility of your selected child care provider.

If you are in the process of completing your application, you may save a draft and complete the application at a later time.

If you need to update information on your application after submitting it, you can send an email to: HawaiiCCSU@dhs.hawaii.gov or call our Call Center at +1 (855) 643-1643 for guidance. The Call Center is open from Mon - Fri, 7:45am - 4:30pm HST Excluding state holidays.

If you started your online Child Care application and completed up to Step 4 of the application process, you were provided a tracking number to return and complete your application at a later time.  

• Return to: https://childcaresubsidyapplication.dhs.hawaii.gov/ and click on the tile, “Continue Application,” input your tracking number and complete the sections that were not finished and submit the application. 
• These incomplete applications will not be considered for eligibility and will be deleted after sixty (60) days from when they were started.

If you started your online Child Care application and completed up to Step 3 of the application process, return to: https://childcaresubsidyapplication.dhs.hawaii.gov/ and click on the tile, “Start Application,” to begin your application again.

• These incomplete applications will not be considered for eligibility and will be deleted after twenty-four (24) hours from when they were started.

If you selected an exempt provider, the process to determine your provider eligible to care for your child may take longer than if you selected a DHS licensed preschool or registered family group home.

You will receive a notice informing you of the department’s decision on your child care application.

Yes, please request separate, “Child Care Certificate and Provider Confirmation Form” for each child care provider to complete.

Gross monthly income (before taxes and deductions) must not exceed 85% of the State Median Income for the family size. See Child Care Gross Income Eligibility Limits and Sliding Fee Scale below.

Child Care Subsidy online applications received after normal business hours of 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM, will be registered with an application received date of the next business day.