The California Department of Social Services has issued the new child care Family Fees Schedule effective July 1, 2025. The Family Fees Schedule applies to seven different subsidized child care programs. Fees must be assessed at initial certification, recertification, and when a family reports a change that will reduce fees.
Families who are exempt from paying fees are: families with children receiving Child Protective Services may be exempt for 12 months, families receiving CalWORKs, families receiving Child Care and Development Services for Children with Special Needs, families experiencing homelessness in counties with approved policy flexibilities, and families with income below 75% of state median income.
Families with fluctuating income can choose to provide 12 months of income verification and use an average of at least two months to determine their income. Families with variable or unpredictable work schedules use the highest number of hours worked in any given week for the child care schedule.
Contractors must prorate fees for the first month if services do not begin on the first day of the month.
Family fees must be reassessed at recertification, which is at least every 24 months.
Contractors must issue a Notice of Action upon recertification, which may include a change in the family fee. If the fee decreases, the change is effective the first day of the month after the Notice of Action is issued. If the fee increases, the change is effective that first day of the month after the appeal period expires. Families have 14 calendar days from the date of the notice to appeal. Fees remain unchanged while the appeal is pending.
Family fees cannot be increased for any reason during the eligibility period.
If the new fees schedule causes a decrease in the family fee, the contractor must decrease the fee. If the new fees schedule causes an increase in the family fee, there is no change until recertification.
Contractors must communicate the due date of payment of fees to parents. (CCB 25-16, June 19, 2025.)