Federal Grant Award Summary

The Department of Social Services California, Finance and Accounting Division, received a $89.9 million Formula Grant award effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Care under the Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development Fund (CFDA 93.596). This award provides mandatory and matching formula grant funding designed to expand access to affordable, quality child care services for low-income families across California while supporting parental workforce participation and child development initiatives.

Under this award, the state serves as the lead agency responsible for administering child care subsidies, developing and implementing comprehensive child care plans, and coordinating service delivery across California's 58 counties through county-level social services agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community-based service providers. The funding supports the core objectives of improving child care affordability through sliding fee scales, enhancing service quality standards, and promoting early childhood development. As the administering entity, the Department of Social Services California manages fund distribution, maintains regulatory compliance with the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act requirements, and ensures fiscal accountability through established financial reporting and record retention protocols spanning the three-year performance period.