MDC Childcare Assistance Programs
- Exploration Station
MDC’s childcare center at North Campus - CCAMPIS (Childcare Access Means Parents in School)
Apply for childcare assistance at selected childcare centers throughout Miami-Dade County.
Community Childcare Assistance Programs
Learn more about community childcare assistance programs.
School Readiness (Ages 0-13)
Working parents who earn low to moderate income and/or are enrolled in school for at least 10 college credits may qualify for childcare financial assistance for children from birth to age 13, through the School Readiness Subsidized Childcare Program.
Requirements
- Children must live in a low-income family where parent/guardians work or attend school at least 20 hours per week.
- Gross income must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty for family size.
- Families must pay a co-payment for childcare. This fee is based on income and family size.
Documents Needed:
The #1 reason a parent does not have a successful appointment is because they do not have the required documents. Your online application will require uploading* required documents, including:
- Your child’s birth certificate, passport or government ID
- A proof of residence (Examples include: water bill, electric bill, lease, any government document with current address)
- Proof of income level and family size (upon application, the Coalition will send you an email requesting the documents you will need for this)
- If you are a student: you need a copy of your current official school schedule showing that classes are paid (you can find this in your student MDConnect) and the MDC enrollment verification.
*all documents must be uploaded into one file.
Steps to apply:
- Step 1. Navigate to the Family Portal.
- Step 2. If you are a new user, register for an account with a reliable email address and password.
- Step 3. Log into the Family Portal using your email as the username and enter your password.
- Step 4. Click the gold button that says, “Apply for School Readiness.”
- Step 5. Complete the basic information and upload the documents as specified on the Portal.
- Step 6. Certify the application by typing your first and last name as an electronic signature.
Useful Links
- School readiness pre-qualification
- Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R): The front door for contacting the Coalition to find information on services and programs. CCR&R is available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. To reach a CCR&R specialist, please call 305-646-7220 or email CCRRhelp@elcmdm.org . Find a the list of locations in Miami/Monroe county.
- Find a Childcare Center
Video Tutorials:
For families that do not qualify for school readiness due to over-income. This scholarship covers families with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Visit the Children's Trust site for more information.
Early Head Start (Ages 0-3)
Early Head Start programs support pregnant women and families with children younger than age 3 years. Learn more:
Head Start (Ages 3-5)
Head Start programs serve children between 3 and 5 years old. These centers are not open during the Summer. Learn more:
Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK)
Free pre-kindergarten program for ALL 4 and 5-year-olds. Children must be 4 year of age on or before September 1. You can enroll your child in VPK that year or wait until the following year when the child is 5. This is only up until a certain time of the day and does not provide all day childcare (usually until 1:00pm).
Additional Programs
Find support for the following programs:
- After School Programs
- Summer Camp Programs
- Special Needs Programs
- Family Support
- Benefits Enrollment
Step Up For Students
- The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO): Available to Florida residents, regardless of household income, who are eligible to attend a K-12 public school.
- The Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA): Available to students age 3 through grade 12 or age 22, whichever comes first, who have a specific diagnosis
- Hope Scholarship: available to K-12 grade public school students who have experienced bullying, assault, threats or other violent acts.
- New Worlds Reading Scholarship Accounts: support your struggling K-5th grade child in becoming a stronger reader. This scholarship can be used for fees related to tutoring and literacy programs along with reading instructional materials, curriculum and more.
Child Development
CDC Developmental Milestones
The CDC’s website offers guidance on child developmental milestones, positive parenting tips, developmental screening, and offers free materials to help you make the best decisions for your child.
Are you concerned about your child’s development?
- Read the CDC’s guidance for how to talk to your doctor: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/concerned.html
- Early Steps offers free intervention services for children ages birth to 36 months that have significant delays or a condition that is likely to result in a delay. Contact: (800) 218-0001, http://www.cms-kids.com/families/early_steps_directory/index.html
- The University of Miami Mailman Center for Child Development: Request an appointment online or call 305-243-6631.
- FDLRS South: Schedule a free developmental screening for your child: https://www.fdlrssouth.org/child-find
- Parent to Parent of Miami is a free community resource that connects families of children and adults with special needs to resources, information, education and emotional support. https://www.ptopmiami.org/ (305) 271-9797
Family Literacy
What is Family Literacy? The essence of family literacy is that parents are supported as the first teachers of their children. Emerging research studies show that Parental involvement in their children's schools influences student achievement, attendance, motivation, self-concept and behavior. Parents who read to their children, have books in their home, exhibit a positive attitude toward school and establish high achievement goals for their children tend to have higher achievers than parents who do not. Engaging families in education is critical not only to a child’s success, but to the entire family’s economic and social well-being.
Here are some free literacy resources!
- The National Center for Families Learning https://www.familieslearning.org/resources
- Children’s Book Club 0-5 years old: https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/content/book-club
- Children’s Book Club for K-12: https://www.newworldsreading.com/fl/en/home.html
- Download the Book Smart App and get access to thousands of free digital books for your child! https://booksmart.worldreader.org/BookSmart
School District Resources for Parents
Other Free Parenting Resources:
- Free Parenting Classes
- Free parenting workshops
- How to talk to kids about tough topics with Sesame Street: https://sesameworkshop.org/tough-topics/
- Download the Yuka app to help you and your child make conscience food choices.
Support throughout your pregnancy and beyond:
- Tree of Life Parenting Center https://www.treeoflifemiami.org/
- The Honeycomb House https://www.thehoneycombhouse.org/
- Women’s Hope Center (Broward): https://www.hopewomenscenters.com/
- Florida Healthy Start http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/childrens-health/healthy-start/index.html
- Do you have a baby in the NICU? Call ICU Baby: (305) 908-3823 for free services and support.
