There are many resources available to help pay for child care.

When filing your taxes, you may be eligible to claim credits such as the Child Tax Credit, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. These credits and others may help you receive a tax refund. After filing your taxes, consider using your tax refund to help pay for child care costs.

Your employer may provide child care scholarships, discounts to certain child care programs or on-site child care at reduced rates.

Some employers have plans called Flexible Spending Accounts that allow employees to reserve a portion of their wages for child care. Money from each paycheck is taken out pre-tax and placed in a special fund that can only be used for child care costs. Talk to your Human Resources department to find out if this is an option where you work.

Colleges or universities may also have on-site child care or programs to help with costs. Ask your college about available options.

Some child care programs offer discounts, such as sibling discounts or military discounts. Other providers may offer scholarships to eligible families or sliding fee scales that allow families to pay a rate based on their income. Check with your child care provider to see if they offer assistance.

Local community centers often have funding to help families pay for child care. Reach out to the community center in your county or your local trustee's office to see if there is assistance available. For those in Marion County, community centers are organized by postal code.

If you are a member of the United States military, you may be eligible for Department of Defense child care fee assistance. Members of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps may receive help paying for child care providers in the community where they live if they are unable to access care on their installation. If your family is part of the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines, learn more on Child Care Aware of America’s website.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides cash assistance and supportive services to assist families with children under age 18. The goal of TANF is to help families achieve economic self-sufficiency.

TANF is available to families:

• With children under 18 who live with their parent(s) or relative such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.
• That meet specific nonfinancial criteria.
• Whose countable family monthly income meets the income guidelines.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to individuals and families. It enables low- and no-income families to buy nutritious food through electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards.

To qualify for SNAP, people and families must meet certain non-financial and financial requirements. See if you’re eligible by using the state's online screening tool.

Women, Infants and Children (WIC) improves access to nutritious foods and promotes healthier eating and lifestyles among low- and no-income families with children. WIC provides nutrition and health screening, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, links to other services and supplemental healthy foods to meet special nutrition needs.

To qualify for WIC, mothers and children must meet specific age, pregnancy-related and/or income guidelines. See if you’re eligible by using the WIC pre-screening tool.

In Indiana, families and individuals can apply for Hoosier Healthwise, a health insurance service funded by the federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs. Hoosier Healthwise serves a variety of populations, including some of the most vulnerable, such as children, pregnant women and people with disabilities.

Want to learn more about Hoosier Healthwise? The state offers a comprehensive website to explore Hoosier Healthwise, eligibility, providers and more. Visit it online to find out more.

The Low‑Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It assists low-income families with the high cost of home energy. Throughout Indiana, this program is known as the Energy Assistance Program (EAP) and is managed by the local community action programs known as Local Service Providers (LSPs).

Interested in applying for EAP? Energy assistance is determined by income. Households may qualify if their income does not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Homeowners and renters, even renters with utilities included in rent, may be eligible.