Child Care Assistance Program Pause Doesn’t Affect Mandated Cases

OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Department of Social Services (DSS) announced a pause on the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) last week due to a funding shortfall. This only affects new applications and recertifications, which will still be accepted and processed, and eligible families will be placed on a waiting list.

DSS Commissioner Lee Sullivan emphasized that the pause is the result of a funding shortage and does not mean that the program has been eliminated. Throughout the pause, it will remain operational for those currently in their 12-month certification year.

This includes families who are now receiving federal- or state-mandated child care assistance through Temporary Assistance (TA) and Transitional Child Care (TCC), who will continue to receive benefits without interruption. These account for about 3% of current cases.

Also, families who are now receiving unmandated child care assistance will continue to receive funding through the end of their current certification period.

“For example, if a family is authorized for child care assistance through June 30 of this year, their child care costs will continue to be covered through that date,” she explained. “The pause would only affect them at the time of recertification – and only if funding is still unavailable at that time.”

During the pause, DSS cannot approve either new applications that are not mandated by the state or federal government or recertifications for existing non-mandated cases when their certification period ends. This is expected to affect two households this month and another 209 households between March and September, when many certifications expire at the end of the federal fiscal year.

Data for the number of households affected is available as DSS doesn’t count individual children, but family cases – which may include multiple children, parents and caregivers as part of the family-size criteria that determines eligibility.

In a similar fashion, the agency tracks each child care vendor as a single unit regardless of how many children they are providing for. In the 2025-2026 service period, DSS issued payments to 647 vendors, which includes both legally exempt providers such as family members, friends and informal caregivers, as well as registered and licensed child care providers, including day care centers.

Beginning February 16, families in non-mandated categories will be placed on a waiting list, once their eligibility is determined, until funding becomes available.

“Again, this is a funding issue, not a program closure,” Sullivan said. “We encourage families to keep sending us their applications and recertifications. Our staff continues to accept and process them, so eligible families can receive assistance quickly if additional funding is approved.”

She also noted that families should make sure their contact information is up to date with DSS. “If funding does become available again, we will be working quickly to move families from the waiting list into active assistance,” she said. “Having updated contact information will help avoid any delays in that process.”

The Commissioner acknowledged the impact of this pause on working families. “We understand the hardship this may place on families who rely on child care assistance to remain employed and financially stable,” she said. “Oswego County is actively advocating for increased funding and support to re-start the program as quickly as possible.”

For families approaching recertification, placement on the waiting list does not automatically result in a child losing their placement with a child care provider.

“Being placed on the waiting list does not mean a child care spot is lost,” she said. “Families may make individual decisions based on their financial circumstances, but DSS itself does not terminate that relationship with the child care provider.”

Sullivan went on to explain that the funding shortfall is the result of a combination of factors.

New York State expanded eligibility requirements from 200% up to 300% of the poverty level, causing a rapid increase in qualifying families. Cases jumped from 183 in August 2022 to 384 today – a 110% increase.

The State also increased the number of paid child absences allowed from 24 to 80 days each year, and approved rate increases for child care providers. However, additional funding was not provided to counties to adequately pay for the resulting cost increases.

Since 2023, Oswego County was able to keep up with the additional case demand and absentee costs by accessing unused allocations from previous years. However, not only have rising costs diminished those amounts – for example, the County accessed $2,932,874 in rollover funding in 2023-2024; $1,071,370 in 2024-2025; and just $380,772 in 2025-2026 – but a recent change in both federal and state policies now prohibits counties from accessing those funds at all.

CCAP is funded through the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Funding is issued by the federal government to New York State, which then determines each county’s allocation amount, eligibility thresholds and program rules. Local DSS districts administer the program within those state-issued guidelines and funding allocations.

Sullivan also noted that the funding issue is affecting other DSS districts across the state.

“We are not alone in this position – roughly one-third of districts statewide are also experiencing similar funding strain,” she said. “Oswego County saw a particularly sharp increase in families using the program after the eligibility expansion, which accelerated the impact on our funding.”

The Commissioner estimates an approximate $1.4 million funding deficit for 2026 based on current enrollment, child care market rates and usage trends.

Oswego County continues to monitor state budget developments. While Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed state budget includes additional funds for CCAP, the timing and distribution to local districts is still unknown.

“Our mission remains the same – to support working families in Oswego County,” Sullivan said.

Families are encouraged to monitor the Oswego County DSS website at www.oswegocountyny.gov/dss for list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and ongoing updates related to the Child Care Assistance Program. 

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