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Paying for Child Care

The cost of paying for child care is a major consideration for most families. Many families today are spending over half of their income toward high-quality child care programs. There are many reasons why child care can be so expensive. Some of the reasons include lower ratios of children to adults, teacher or provider qualifications, location of care, and costs of space, insurance, equipment, and special programs. Quality care for infants and toddlers can be especially expensive, due to small group sizes. Hiring an in-home caregiver tends to be the most expensive form of care, followed by centers and family child care homes.

Assistance in Paying for Child Care

Montgomery County has two child care subsidy programs to assist parents with the cost of child care tuition. To find out if you are eligible for either Purchase of Care (POC) or Working Parents Assistance (WPA) call 240-777-1155.

Head Start Programs

Head Start is a national program that provides comprehensive developmental and social services to America’s low-income preschool children and their families. The Head Start Program began in 1965 to give children of low-income families access to preschool programs. The program is administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families.

There are four major components of the Head Start Program:

• Education: This component serves children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Great care and consideration is given to ethnic and cultural curriculum
• Health: Families receive services related to medical, dental, mental, and nutritional heath. The Head Start Program emphasizes the prevention of health problems
• Parental Involvement: Parents are able to serve on advisory boards and program-planning committees, volunteer in the classrooms, and attend parent-education sessions. Head Start staff complete home visits as well to facilitate communication between parents and providers
• Social Services: Social service teams work to identify the needs of a family and find appropriate community-based referrals

In 1994, Head Start established a program to serve low-income infants, toddlers, and pregnant women, called Early Head Start. The main focus of the program is to promote children’s development in physical, social, emotional, and cognitive areas, empower parents to develop better parenting skills, and help parents reach their goal of economic independence. Services that are available through the Early Head Start Program include:

• Home visits, which include developmentally appropriate early childhood education
• Parent education
• Comprehensive health services
• Support services for families, including case management, referrals to community resources, and peer support
  

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For more information about the Head Start programs offered in Montgomery County call 301-230-0676.

Tax Information

Federal Tax Credits:

Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: Helps families pay for child care for children under the age of 13, if the parents are working, or looking for work. Parents who are full-time students can also claim the credit. Qualifying care includes child care centers, family child care homes, and care provided by paid friends or relatives -- as long as the relative is not a dependent of the taxpayer.
The size of the credit depends on the number of children in care, your family income, and the amount you paid for child care during the tax year. There are limits on the credit given for one child, and two or more children.

Earned Income Tax Credit: A refundable tax credit for low- and moderate-income families, particularly those with children. The EITC is based on family income and the number of children in the family. Both single- and two-parent families are entitled to the credit, as long as one parent is employed. For information on the Maryland Earned Income Credit Campaign call 1-800-492-0618.

In-Home Care or Nanny Tax:
When you hire an in-home caregiver, you become an employer under federal law. You need to be aware of laws regarding taxes, verification of employment eligibility, and minimum wage. For information on these topics, contact the Department of Labor , the Internal Revenue Service,an accountant, a tax advisor, or an insurance agent.