Help Paying for Child Care

Children’s Council and our partners offer a variety of financial assistance programs that may partially or completely cover the costs of care for children from birth until the age of 13* (for state funded programs only).  

The first step in this process is to assess if you are income eligible for financial assistance.  Our Child Care Financial Assistance Eligibility Calculator will help you to determine if you are eligible for child care financial assistance and guide you through next steps for a successful application. 

Or you can speak directly to one of our Resource & Referral Specialists by calling us at 415.343.3300 or email rr@childrenscouncil.org, who can help to determine if you are income eligible for child care financial assistance.  

Families earning up to 110% of the Area Median Income (AMI) are eligible for ELFA Free Tuition through the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood’s (DEC) Early Learning For All (ELFA). Families earning between 111%-150% of the AMI are eligible for a ELFA Full Tuition Credit equal to 100% of DEC’s full-time ELFA tuition rates. 

Beginning July 1, 2026, families earning 200% of the AMI are eligible for ELFA Half Tuition Credit equal to 50% of DEC’s full-time ELFA tuition rates. Families also must be residents of San Francisco in order to receive Early Learning For All financial aid.

If you believe you are eligible, click here to apply.

Maximum Gross Monthly Income By Family Size

			Family Size 1 or 2	Family Size 3	Family Size 4	Family Size 5	Family Size 6	Family Size 7	Family Size 8
ELFA Free Tuition	0-5 age range eligibility/ must be SF resident	Early Learning for All – Income 110% AMI	$11,429	$12,858	$14,288	$15,429	$16,575	$17,717	$18,854
ELFA Full Tuition Credit	0-5 age range eligibility/ must be SF resident	Early Learning for All – 100% of DEC Published Rate; Income 150% AMI	$15,588	$17,533	$19,483	$21,038	$22,600	$24,158	$25,713
ELFA Half Tuition Credit	0-5 age range eligibility/must be SF resident	Early Learning for All – 50% of DEC Published Rate; Income 200% AMI Note: Effective July 1, 2026	$20,783	$23,375	$25,975	$28,050	$30,133	$32,208	$34,283
Sliding Scale	0-13 age range eligibility/ when funding is available	State Child Care Voucher  CAPP & FCCHEN	$6,595	$7,472	$8,712	$10,106	$11,500	$11,761	$12,023
Sliding Scale	0-13 age range eligibility/ must be SF resident	CalWORKs Child Care Voucher Note: Apply and approved through San Francisco Human Services Agency. Click here for more information.	$1,526	$1,892	$2,244	$2,561	$2,880	$3,166	$3,445

For more information on how to find and pay for child care through CalWORKs, please see the brochures below:

For important financial forms and documents, please see our menu below.