Typically, this is a need for care during hours of school or work. If you need care for an additional circumstance, please discuss this with your caseworker or case manager.

Contact the Foster Care Child Care unit to see if your situation qualifies for an enhanced rate. This enhanced rate ($7.25 per hour) is designed to help pay for any additional care that may be needed for a child with special needs. You will need to supply documentation of the need from a professional, and the individual providing additional care will need to submit a written statement explaining the type of care they will be providing and any training they have that qualifies them to provide that care.

For a foster child to qualify for Foster Care Child Care, the child must be a US citizen or a qualifying non-citizen. If you are unsure if your foster child will qualify, talk with your caseworker or case manager or check their citizenship documentation here.

If you still are having difficulty finding a DCF-enrolled child care provider after contacting Child Care Aware at 877-678-2548, you may: 

1. Use a qualified relative of the child in foster care which include, grandparent, great grandparent, aunt, uncle, or adult sibling.
2. Use daytime respite (below).

Daytime respite is any substitute care* provided by:

• a licensed foster home in good standing,
• a person who has passed applicable background checks, or
• an employee of an agency that provides services who has passed applicable background checks.

Note: Respite care cannot include an overnight stay of the child or the respite provider.

Any other questions regarding daytime respite should be directed to your caseworker or case manager.

*substitute care is child care needed to relieve day-to-day stress and preserve the foster care placement during a time when you are not working or going to school.

Your family may be considered the foster child’s ‘qualifying relatives’ once the adoption is finalized. At that point, you no longer qualify for Foster Care Child Care assistance, but may apply for non-foster care child care assistance.

Yes, if the provider is an DCF-enrolled In-Home Relative provider. That is, a qualified relative of the child in foster care. These include grandparent, great grandparent, aunt, uncle, or adult sibling.

We do not recommend using the EBT card benefits to pay for care provided by providers who are not enrolled with DCF. You can use in-home providers for daytime respite.

No. A qualifying relative (grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt, uncle, or adult sibling) does not need to become a licensed child care provider. However, they do need to be a DCF-enrolled provider.

Yes. To qualify as a relative provider, the provider must be related to all children in their care. For example, if you have three children from the same family, but the person willing to provide care is only related to one of the children, that person would only be considered a relative provider for that one child.

However, if no other providers are available in your area, check with your caseworker or case manager to learn about other funding options to pay your provider.

You can still apply for Foster Care Child Care subsidy benefit. If you are not approved, your caseworker or case manager may have other options for you.

We suggest you choose a provider with a full KDHE license because providers with temporary licenses cannot yet accept subsidy payments and they must be a DCF-enrolled provider.

Yes, as long as the provider is enrolled with DCF.  If you have any expenses that are not covered, talk with your caseworker or case manager for other funding options.

If you know of a licensed child care provider who wants to enroll with DCF so they can provide care to a child in foster care, add their information to an application or change form so Foster Care Child Care program staff can send a referral to provider enrollment staff. They can also visit the KQN new provider page for more information about become a DCF-enrolled provider.

Once your EBT card is activated by using the number on the back of the card, and a PIN is selected, you will need your provider’s 7-digit CC Provider ID (it starts with a letter). Then, you can pay your provider by:

• Using your provider’s point-of-sale machine
• Using ebtEDGEcom,
• Using the EBT mobile app, or
• Calling the EBT customer care number: 1-800-997-6666.

The card will be received 5 – 7 business days after the benefits have been authorized. If the initial month of eligibility is a future month, the EBT card is not sent until the monthly benefit authorization is sent to the EBT contractor. If you have previously had an EBT card and it is still active, benefits will be put on that card.

No. The foster parent will be issued the card and child care benefits will be added/deducted as children enter and leave their home.

Balances can be checked through the EBT Edge website, mobile app,  or by calling the EBT customer care number 1-800-997-6666.

If you have expenses that exceed the EBT benefit limits, talk with your caseworker or case manager for additional options and support.

If you don’t qualify for EBT benefits, talk with your caseworker or case manager for additional options and support.

EBT card benefits are issued on the first of the month, for the month. If the child leaves your home mid-month, the EBT card benefit should cover your costs in full. If not, please contact your caseworker or case manager for options.

If a foster child leaves your care early, also be sure to reach out to your caseworker or case manager to make sure you are both on the same page, as well as your child care provider to see if it is required for you to pay for the care for the rest of the month.

If you have lost an active card, please contact ebtEDGE to report your card lost at 1-800-997-6666.