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Families & Children

Child Care Assistance

Quality, affordable child care helps parents work and learn — and helps children thrive. We help eligible Meigs County families pay for licensed care.

Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) helps eligible families with the cost of child care while parents work, attend school or job training, or meet the requirements of an assistance program. If you’re working, attending school or job training, receiving Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance, enrolled in SNAP E&T, experiencing homelessness, or following a protective services case plan — and your income meets the guidelines — you may qualify for help with child care costs.

Who may qualify

You may be eligible if…

You’re employed, in school or training, receiving OWF, experiencing homelessness, or required to provide protective child care — and your household income is at or below 145% of the federal poverty level. Families caring for a child with a county-verified special need may qualify with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.

Choose a licensed provider first

To receive assistance you must select a licensed or approved provider before eligibility can be determined. Search licensed programs at childcaresearch.ohio.gov or actionforchildren.org.

How to apply

  1. Complete the application

    Submit either the paper Child Care Application or apply online at ssp.benefits.ohio.gov. You may also need to include proof of income (wages, child support, disability, etc.), birth certificates for the children needing care, and a school or training schedule if applicable.

  2. Submit your documents

    Return your completed application and documents to our office by any of the methods in the box below.

  3. Respond to any follow-up

    A caseworker may request more documents. You must respond within 30 days or your application may be denied. Child care applications are processed by a caseworker without a face-to-face appointment.

  4. Choose your provider & begin care

    Once approved, if you’ve reported the provider you plan to use, an authorization is created for that provider and will display in the TAP system within 24 hours.

Submit your application & documents

Fax740-992-0827
Mail or in personMeigs County JFS · Attn: Child Care
P.O. Box 191, Middleport, OH 45760
(In person: 175 Race St., Middleport)
Emailchildcare-meigs@jfs.ohio.gov
24-hour drop boxFront of our building at 175 Race St., Middleport

Already receiving child care?

If you’re completing your annual review and lost the mailed form, complete a Redetermination Application and send it with updated documents before your deadline.

Report a change

All changes to your address, income, family size, or work/approved activity must be reported within 10 days. You can report a change by phone at 1-844-640-6446 (Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM), by calling our office at 740-992-2117, by emailing childcare-meigs@jfs.ohio.gov, or by using the form below. Please include your name and case number.

Submitting opens your email app with the details addressed to our child care office. Do not include your full Social Security number.

Common questions

I have a child with special needs — could we qualify?
Families who need care for a child with a verified special need may meet income requirements for PFCC if their gross monthly income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Special-needs child care (rule 5101:2-16-01, OAC) means care for a child under 18 who has one or more chronic health conditions, or does not meet age-appropriate expectations in one or more areas of development (social, emotional, cognitive, communicative, perceptual, motor, physical, or behavioral) and may need regular services, adaptations, or adjustments to assist their function or development.
What verifications are needed?
  • Proof of all household income (employment, child support, disability, unemployment, etc.)
  • Birth certificates for all children needing care
  • Official school schedule if the caretaker is enrolled in school
  • A valid provider must be selected before eligibility can be determined
What happens after I submit my application?
Child care applications are processed by a caseworker without a face-to-face appointment. To receive assistance you must use a licensed child care center or licensed family child care home — find quality programs at childcaresearch.ohio.gov or actionforchildren.org. If approved, your child is authorized to receive care while you are working, attending school, or participating in an approved activity. Once you’ve reported your provider, an authorization is created for them and displays in the TAP system within 24 hours.
What is the Time, Attendance, and Payment (TAP) System?
TAP is an electronic attendance system. You record attendance using a tablet or smartphone, and the caretaker — or anyone eligible to pick up or drop off your child — is added to the system with a phone number.
  • KinderSign is an app installed on a tablet at your child care program; you sign in by entering your phone number and a self-created four-digit PIN.
  • KinderSmart is a free smartphone app for Android and iPhone, available from the app store.
The county agency cannot edit or change information in TAP or KinderConnect. For help, contact the TAP Support Center at 1-833-866-1708. More info: ohiocctap.info.
How does my provider actually get paid?
Your provider receives payment from two sources:
  • Publicly Funded Child Care through TAP — Caretakers must enter attendance in TAP so the selected provider can be paid. Either the caretaker or a designated sponsor can record a child’s attendance at the beginning and end of each day.
  • Your co-payments — Families pay a weekly family co-payment as part of eligibility. Both you and your provider receive a notice of your weekly co-payment.
Request a receipt for your fees. If you do not pay on time, the provider can refuse care and your case can be terminated; you would need to pay the fees and the county must receive verification before care can resume.
How much care can I use?
When approved, you’re assigned a category of care based on the hours you work or attend school/training, plus travel time:
  • Hourly – 0 to 9.9 hours each week
  • Part-time – 10 to 32.9 hours each week
  • Full-time – 33+ hours each week
You and your provider agree on the specific days and hours of care. You may not use more hours than your category allows.
What if my child will be absent from child care?
  • Let your provider know your weekly work schedule and tell them as soon as possible when your child will be absent — failing to do so could result in termination of care.
  • If your child is absent 20 days or fewer in a 6-month period, costs are paid as usual.
  • You get 20 absent days per child, regardless of how many providers you use in the period. Absent days are tracked per child.
  • Beyond 20 days in a 6-month period, you may have to pay the full cost of care for additional absent days.
  • The fixed 6-month periods are Jan 1–Jun 30 and Jul 1–Dec 31. Your provider may stop care for excessive absences.
Why do I have to reapply every 12 months?
Ohio requires your eligibility to be reviewed every 12 months, and whenever there’s a change in your case. At that time you must submit current verification of your income and activity and complete the Redetermination Application.
What if I lose employment or my qualifying activity?
A 3-month gap period lets caretakers who lose their qualifying activity keep benefits for up to 3 months after it ends, or until the current certification period ends, whichever comes first. This keeps eligibility uninterrupted while you look for new work or another qualifying activity. Once you have a new activity, your income eligibility is determined at 300% of the federal poverty level instead of 145%. Verification of the new activity must be received before the child care case closes, or a new application will be needed.

Meigs County, Ohio Benefits

Apply online any time, or contact our office during business hours. A 24-hour drop box is located at our main entrance.

Ohio Benefits
Apply OnlineContact our office
Report Abuse & NeglectChild / Adult Protection