How to Apply for Child Care Connection Hawaii Subsidy

Applications for child care services are accepted statewide, year-round, except for the Preschool Open Doors (POD) program which has a limited Open Enrollment period during the spring.

The Application Process: 

You may call or visit your nearest CHILD CARE CONNECTION HAWAII (CCCH) office to request an application or down load a copy (see link below).

  1. Complete and submit your application along with all required supporting documents to your nearest CCCH office.  You will be notified by mail of your application status.  If your family meets basic eligibility requirements you will receive other forms and you will then be contacted for either an office visit or a telephone intake interview(s) to confirm information and go over the other forms.  Plan to set aside1 to 2 hours for the intake interview.
  2. During the interview, parents are asked to choose a child care provider and are issued a Child Care Certificate and Provider Confirmation Form to be completed by the chosen provider.  The parents are given a “Choosing The Right Caregiver for your Keiki” brochure and “Health and Safety Checklist,” to provide guidance in making their choice.  Parent/Guardian Rights and Responsibilities are explained and a Child Care Services Agreement form is completed during the interview.  Parents may be referred to PATCH or other agencies for additional services as requested.
  3. Parents may choose between:  licensed or license-exempt center-based care, a licensed or licensed-exempt family child care home, or care by relatives (not including the child’s siblings, caretakers, or parents residing in the home).  DHS will only approve payments for legal child care arrangements when the selected child care provider does not have a child abuse or adult perpetrator background or a criminal history that indicates the provider, adult household members, or staff, might pose a risk of harm to children.  Requirements for obtaining the background and criminal history clearances are explained at the time of the interview.
  4. Once the intake interview(s) is completed and all requested documents/information is obtained the subsidy worker will determine if a family is eligible for a subsidy and the amount of the subsidy.