Alternative Payment Program

Recipients of this program are chosen based on income and need, and qualification requirements have recently changed to include higher income limits. You may qualify! Here is the {link} to the income ranking systems to see if your income qualifies.

You are pre-qualified if you already participate in the following programs:

• Medi-Cal 
• CalFresh 
• California Food Assistance Program
• California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• The Federal Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations 
• Head Start 
• Early Head Start 
• CalWORKs

Family Childcare Home
This type of early learning and care program is offered in the home of the provider, who is often a parent, the owner, and licensed by the state. 

Childcare Center
This type of early learning and care program is often a facility that serves infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children on a part-day or full-day schedule. These centers are sometimes called “preschool programs” that are licensed by the state and include teachers with higher education in child development. 

Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care
This type of early learning and care setting is typically provided by a family member, friend, neighbor, relative, babysitter, or nanny in the child’s home on a part-day or full-day schedule. This type of environment is not licensed. For more information head to our Caregivers page!

If the caregiver for a child is a friend or neighbor (not a family member) they must be on TrustLine's registry in order to receive payment from APP. 

TrustLine is California’s registry of in-home childcare providers, tutors, in-home counselors, and childcare staff at Ancillary Childcare Centers who have passed a background screening. All caregivers listed with TrustLine have been cleared through a fingerprint check of records at the California Department of Justice. This means they have no disqualifying criminal convictions or substantiated child abuse reports in California. 

• For additional questions about TrustLine, visit their FAQ page 
• To get cleared through TrustLine, begin the process here. 

Your information is only used for our records. The Alternative Payment Program (APP) does not share any personal information relating to parents or their children with any other state or federal agencies unless given prior written consent or a subpoena.

Citizenship is not required for participation in ECE programs for families.