Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

The Illinois Department of Human Services' CCAP program serves children younger than age 13 as well as children ages 13–19 who are physically and/or mentally incapable of self-care or under court supervision.

CCAP has two primary goals:

• To support qualifying low-income families by providing child care subsidies. This allows parents to maintain employment or educational activities, thereby decreasing dependence on public assistance.
• To allow families access to multiple options for affordable, quality child care, early education, and after school programs that offer children the opportunity to grow, learn, and be cared for in safe, nurturing settings that are culturally and developmentally appropriate.

Source of definition: Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)

Latest data: FY2019 (July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019) 

Number of children receiving assistance by family location

The number of children whose families received assistance from IDHS for their child care, according to the location of the family’s home.

Source of data: Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school district, and Chicago Community Area.

Note on age groups: The numbers of children are reported in the following age groups:

• 0 & 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 & 4 years
• 5 years
• 5 years and under

Note on number of children: These data report the number of children who received services at any time during the specified month. It is not a point-in-time number for a particular day within that month. A child is determined to have received services in the specified month if a payment was made to the child care center or home within three months following the specified month.

Note on out-of-state children: Some children who were living in Illinois and received services in Illinois are reported as living outside Illinois. This is because their families moved out of state prior to receiving their final communication with IDHS. These children are counted in the state total for Illinois but are not reported in any of the geographic regions (e.g., county). Therefore, the sum of the number of children served in all instances of a region (e.g., all counties) does not add up to the total of children served in the state as a whole.

Note on data suppression: For privacy reasons, CCAP data on the number of children who received services are not reported for areas in which 10 or fewer children received services.

Number of children receiving assistance by service location

The number of children whose families received assistance from IDHS for their child care, according to the location of the child care center or home at which the child received service.

Source of data: Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school district, and Chicago Community Area.

Note on age groups: The numbers of children are reported in the following age groups:

• 0 & 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 & 4 years
• 5 years
• 5 years and under

Note on number of children: These data report the number of children who received services at any time during the specified month. It is not a point-in-time number for a particular day within that month. A child is determined to have received services in the specified month if a payment was made to the child care center or home within three months following the specified month.

Note on out-of-state children: Some child care centers or homes, that served children who were living in Illinois, are reported as being outside Illinois. This may be for one of the following reasons.

1. Children and families may receive assistance for services from centers or homes outside Illinois. These are typically in communities in border states that are immediately outside the boundaries of Illinois. For example, a child living in Rock Island may receive child care services in Davenport, IA.
2. Children and families were living in Illinois and received services within Illinois, but they moved out of state prior to receiving their final communication from IDHS.
3. The child care center may be in Illinois, but the address reported for the center is that of an administrative office in another state.

Note on data suppression: For privacy reasons, CCAP data on the number of children who received services are not reported for areas in which 10 or fewer children received services.

Number of centers and homes receiving payment

The number of centers and homes that received payment from IDHS for providing child care, according to the location of the child care center or home at which the service was provided to the child. (But see clarification below.)

Source of data: Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)

Geographic region: These data are available by state, county, township, state House district, state Senate district, congressional district, ISBE region, IDHS region, municipality, unit and elementary school fistrict, and Chicago Community Area.

Note on center/home types: Data are reported for four center/home types:

1. Licensed centers (including the following IDHS center/home category: Licensed day care center)
2. License-exempt centers (including the following IDHS center/home category: Day Care Center Exempt From Licensing)
3. Licensed family child care homes (Including the following IDHS center/home categories: [a] Licensed Day Care Home, [b] Licensed Group Day Care Home)
4. License-exempt family child care providers (Including the following IDHS center/home categories: [a] Day Care Home Exempt From Licensing; [b] Relative (Exempt From Licensing). Care provided in the home of a relative; [c] Nonrelative (Exempt From Licensing). Care provided in the home of the child; [d] Relative (Exempt From Licensing). Care provided in the home of the child)

Note on out-of-state centers and homes: Some child care centers or homes that served children who were living in Illinois are reported as being outside Illinois. This may be for one of the following reasons.

1. Children and families may receive assistance for services from centers or homes outside Illinois. These are typically in communities in border states that are immediately outside the boundaries of Illinois. For example, a child living in Rock Island may receive child care services in Davenport, IA.
2. Children and families were living in Illinois and received services within Illinois, but they moved out of state prior to receiving their final communication from IDHS.
3. The child care center may be in Illinois, but the address reported for the center is that of an administrative office in another state.

These centers and homes, reported as being outside Illinois, are counted in the state total for Illinois. Thus the state total represents those centers and homes that recevied payment from the state for serving Illinois children. However, these centers and homes are not reported in any of the geographic regions (e.g., county). Therefore, the sum of the number of centers and homes in all instances of a region (e.g., all counties) does not add up to the total number of centers and homes in the state as a whole.