- CCDF
- Child Care and Development Fund.
- Head Start
- Free early learning program for eligible families.
- Dependent care FSA
- Pre-tax account for care costs.
- Child and Dependent Care Credit
- Federal tax credit for care costs.
- Ratio
- Number of children per staff member.
- Community eligibility
- Free meals for all students at a school.
- Household employee
- Someone you pay to work in your home.
- Licensing
- State approval for providers.
- Qualifying person
- For the care credit, generally your child under 13 or a spouse or dependent who cannot care for themselves.
- 529 plan
- A state-sponsored savings account for education with tax-free growth when used for qualified expenses.
- State median income
- The middle income for a family of your size in your state, used to set childcare subsidy limits.
- Categorical eligibility
- Qualifying for a program automatically because of another status, such as receiving SNAP.
Glossary
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