Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

Beginning March 1, 2024, the Boulder County Child Care Assistance Program is on an enrollment freeze. Learn more under “How to Apply.”

En Español

Beginning March 1, 2024, the Boulder County Child Care Assistance Program is on an enrollment freeze. Applicants will be screened for eligibility and prioritization, which will be implemented once the enrollment freeze has lifted, and space becomes available.

Current CCAP families will remain on the program, provided that they continue to meet eligibility criteria and complete their annual recertification’s. Exceptions will be made for eligible child welfare or Colorado Works (Temporary Aid and Needy Families) participants.

Electronically (Recommended):

CCAP Prescreening Questionnaire (Spanish)
Colorado PEAK is a state online service for Coloradoans to screen themselves and apply for multiple benefits like medical, food, and cash assistance and childcare programs. Visit Colorado PEAK to see if you are eligible for other programs and to apply online.

The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) provides financial assistance to eligible low-income families who need child care benefits for children from birth to age 12. If you are eligible, a portion of the total child care cost will be paid. You will be required to pay a portion of the childcare costs directly to the provider based on family size and income.

Boulder County administers CCAP alongside its other self-sufficiency-supporting services. This means that we are able to more quickly connect you with other services you may need, including food and housing assistance, Medicaid, and Work Supports.

Eligibility

Who is eligible?

Boulder County children ages 0 months to 12 years who live with:

An adult or teen caretaker/parent that is in an eligible activity:
- Employed/ self-employed
- Job Searching (thirteen weeks)
- Post-Secondary Educational Activities (104 weeks and up to first Bachelor’s degree)
- Educational Activities (teen parents in JR or SR High School, GED classes, ESL, and Adult Basic Ed/ Vocational Training)
Families receiving Colorado Works/TANF and referred by their Case Manager

Program Requirements:

Must be a county resident,
Must pay a portion of care or parent fee based on household income,
Must choose a CCAP-eligible child care provider,
Must be approved before using care,
Must use the Attendance Tracking System (ATS) at your provider
For continued assistance you must complete the CCAP redetermination process every twelve (12) months.

Income and Resource Limits

Find out more about the income limits for all programs.

How to Apply

Paper:

CCAP Prescreening Questionnaire Printable (Spanish)

What is the process:

Applicants apply for CCAP.
Applicants are screened for eligibility.
Applicants will receive notification via email if approved, denied or if more information is required to determine their eligibility.
Eligible households will be placed on an enrollment freeze waitlist that will be used for prioritization when the enrollment freeze ends, and space becomes available.
Eligible households will be required to complete a recertification process every six months to verify their eligibility and their intention to remain on the enrollment freeze waitlist. Enrollment freeze recertification’s will be sent via email.
Once the enrollment freeze has been lifted, and space becomes available, eligible households meeting prioritization requirements will be notified via email regarding availability to apply for the benefit.

In Person:

Paper questionnaires can be picked up at one of our offices.
- Boulder Location: 3460 Broadway St.
- Longmont Location: 515 Coffman St.
- Lafayette Location: 1755 South Public Road
Paper questionnaires can be emailed be imaging@bouldercounty.gov

Other Resources and Supports:

Colorado Department of Early Childhood

Forms

CCAP Application

CCAP Redetermination

(Annual Recertification for Ongoing CCAP Clients)

Electronic Redetermination Form (Spanish)

Printable Redetermination Form (Spanish)

CCAP Additional Forms

(Only needed at the request of CCAP Staff)

Client Responsibilities

Client Responsibilities Agreement (Spanish)

Self-Employment

Self-Employment Form (Spanish)

For Providers

Manual Claims

Submit manual claims. Contact CCAPbilling@BoulderCounty.gov with any questions. Manual claims are due within 60 days from the end of the month the care was provided.

Special Needs Packet

Boulder County pays higher rates for children that have been determined to have additional care needs and are receiving CCAP benefits. Additional care needs rates may also be paid for a child who is age 13 up to age 19 and is unable to care for him/herself. If you believe the child in your care has a special need, please fill out the CCAP Additional Care Request form and attach the child’s IEP, IFSP or medical/mental health provider form if you have it.

Unpaid Parent Fee

Please fill out the Unpaid Parental Fee Form if you have a family that has not paid their parental fee (in the past 30-60 days).

Non-Attending Child(ren)

For any child who is not enrolled or no longer attending, please update their status in ATS. In your site’s ‘Children List’ in ATS, under ‘Confirmed CCCAP Authorization in Use’, select the “X.”

Provider Handbook

For more information about becoming a CCAP provider please review the Provider Handbook provided by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

Enrollment Confirmation

Please check your ‘Children’ list in ATS weekly and confirm or reject enrollments. For step-by-step instructions, read the Enrollment Confirmation QRG.

Attendance Tracking System (ATS) FAQs

What is Attendance Tracking System?

Attendance Tracking System (ATS) is the web based system for marking attendance for our CCAP families. ATS is required to be used by both families and providers involved with CCAP to assure attendance and payments are correctly calculated. For more detailed information please visit Colorado Office of Early Childhood and look under Use the Attendance Tracking system (ATS).

Where can I find ATS training videos?

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood has developed videos for both parents and providers to better utilize the ATS system. These short videos were updated in 2023 and are available in both English and Spanish.

How do I get the PIN number to start using CCAP?

When a parent receives their CCAP authorization, they will receive a welcome email from the state. A link in the email starts the process to select an 8-digit PIN to be used for the ATS attendance tracking. The code cannot repeat itself in a series and also cannot begin with zero.

What If my child(ren) arrives to school on the bus?

The CCAP providers have been instructed to sign in your child for you. You will need to approve that “pending” attendance within 9 days. When counting the 9 days please be sure to include the weekends.

What does PENDING mean?

A “pending” status in ATS means the child care provider checked the child(ren) in and out on the parent’s behalf. It is the adult caretaker/parent’s responsibility to approve, modify or delete those pending attendance days according to actual attendance. Do not approve attendance if the child was absent that day as that would be considered fraudulent.

The expectation is that at pick up the parent will sign into ATS and look for any pending attendance under the confirmation column. View the YouTube videos for any additional training.

What if miss the deadline for approving pending attendance?

Consistent ATS usage is part of the CCAP contract. Occasional missed approvals can be accommodated with manual bills, but are not a long-term solution. Please reach out to CCAP staff as soon as possible with any problems using the ATS system.

Why does it show 11:59pm (pending) for a check-out?

When you see an 11:59pm pending that means neither parent nor provider checked the child out; the machine did so instead. Since it is in pending mode the parent will need to click on the time and change it to the correct check out time before approving. The 9 day window (including weekends) apply for approving pending attendance.

How does ATS work when there are two CCAP cases for one child?

If parents each have their own CCAP case due to individual custody arrangements, the parents will need to talk with the child care provider to plan how they will coordinate check in and out to avoid confusions.

Additional FAQs

When will my CCAP child care begin?

CCAP is on an enrollment freeze. New applicants are being screened for eligibility in lieu of benefits. Once the enrollment freeze has been lifted, and space becomes available, eligible households meeting prioritization requirements will be notified via email regarding availability to apply for the benefit.

How is the monthly parent fee calculated?

Parent fees are based on gross countable income for the child care household compared to the household size and in consideration of the number of children in care and amount of care requested. Full-time care is requested care over 5 hours per day and Part- time care is 5 hours or less. The parent fee is paid by the CCAP family directly to the child care provider. Request a reduced parent fee due to an unexpected financial hardship.

Licensed family child care home -must hold a valid Colorado license number and be in compliance with the rules and regulations required by the state. Licensed homes provide care for up to six children plus two additional school age children in a home setting. Child care may be available during any part of the day including weekends on a part-time or full-time basis. Licensed home providers set their hours, plan their curriculum and set their own policies on discipline, meals, potty training and other similar child rearing issues. Licensed home providers have first aid and CPR training, as well as training in child care related courses, and are inspected by the child care licensing inspectors.
Licensed child care center– these child care centers provide care for five or more children in a non-residential setting. Child care centers must be licensed to provide child care services and must comply with state regulations. The ages of children in care are specified on the license but may include infants, toddlers, preschoolers or school-age children. Child care centers are inspected by the State Health Department and local fire officials in addition to child care licensing inspectors. This setting should provide activities to promote your child’s development while interacting with other children.
Qualified Providers or legally exempt providers are not required to be licensed to provide child care and may participate in CCAP. Boulder County does not currently allow fiscal agreements with non-licensed providers

I am moving to or from another county. Can't I simply transfer my CCAP benefits?

Your current county CCAP benefits will continue to provide CCAP services until your redetermination. At redetermination you will need to apply in your new county of residence.

Contact Us

Human Services

Phone: 303-441-1000
TTY: 1-800-659-3656
Fax: 303-441-1523
Submit a question

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 471
Boulder, CO 80306

Boulder Location

3460 Broadway
Map and Directions Boulder Location

Fax: 720-564-2283
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Issuance Closed 1-2 p.m. for lunch.

Longmont Location

515 Coffman St.
Map and Directions Longmont Location
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday
Issuance Closed 1-2 p.m. for lunch.

Lafayette Location

1755 S. Public Road, Lafayette
Map and Directions Lafayette Location
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday/Thursday
Closed 1-2 p.m. for lunch.